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Sean McManus has had little time to replicate on his almost 27 1/2-year tenure main CBS Sports activities. Over the previous month, there was the lads’s NCAA Match and this weekend’s protection of the Masters.
If something, McManus has approached the final six months since he introduced his retirement with a better sense of gratitude. McManus’ last occasion as CBS Sports activities chairman is on the match that’s synonymous with the community.
“I’ve tried to soak all of them in much more than I often do and respect the unbelievable alternatives that I’ve had,” McManus mentioned throughout an interview final week with The Related Press. “Some is trying again, however trying again with nothing however satisfaction and fondness for each the occasions I’ve been fortunate sufficient to cowl and the group I’ve assembled.”
McManus, who turned 69 in February, began to think about retirement two years in the past. With CBS carrying the Tremendous Bowl this yr together with the NCAA Match and the Masters, McManus and CBS President/CEO George Cheeks agreed the timing was proper. David Berson, president of CBS Sports activities for over 10 years, is McManus’ hand-picked successor.
McManus’ profession began at a younger age when he received a front-row seat to sports activities manufacturing by going to occasions together with his father, the late Jim McKay, who hosted ABC’s “Extensive World of Sports activities” and lined 12 Olympics.
McKay additionally labored at CBS from 1950-61 and hosted protection of the Masters from 1957-60. That is the 68th straight yr for the Masters on CBS, making it the longest present relationship between a community and sporting occasion.
“You concentrate on 74 years with the McManus household having their fingerprints on an occasion. It’s fairly cool to suppose three-quarters of a century. His dad had a mark on the match. Sean had a huge mark on this match for 28 years. It’s fairly wonderful,” mentioned Jim Nantz, CBS’s lead NFL and golf announcer, who additionally known as the Last 4 from 1991 by means of 2023.
McManus began as a manufacturing assistant and affiliate producer at ABC Sports activities in 1977. Two years later, he moved to NBC and rose to vp of program planning and improvement. In 1987, he was named senior VP of U.S. tv gross sales and programming for Trans World Worldwide, a division of IMG, earlier than becoming a member of CBS Sports activities as president in December 1996.
He was president of CBS Information and CBS Sports activities from 2005-11 earlier than being named CBS Sports activities chairman in February 2011.
“Only a few folks, if any, have ever impacted the sports activities media trade as a lot. On prime of that, he’s the epitome of sophistication,” Berson mentioned.
McManus got here to CBS Sports activities when it was primarily simply weekend programming. That grew to a cable tv community, web site and digital streaming.
Neal Pilson. who was CBS Sports activities president from 1981-94, is amongst McManus’ many followers for the way in which he has navigated a altering panorama.
“Now I see the enterprise as 10 instances tougher, and Sean has navigated a way more advanced enterprise surroundings definitely as nicely or higher than I might have accomplished,” he mentioned.
McManus’ most important achievements had been bringing the NFL again to the community in 1998 and partnering with Turner Sports activities to hold the NCAA Match in 2010.
CBS was in some ways within the sports activities wilderness from 1994-97 when it didn’t have the NFL. It decimated the sports activities division and induced CBS to go from first to 3rd in prime-time scores and affiliate switches amongst stations in main cities.
Massive Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, who was with CBS Sports activities from 1997 by means of 2008, mentioned not a day glided by his first yr when he and McManus didn’t discuss getting the NFL again.
“For somebody who simply received there, they actually trusted him. The actual ability was Sean getting the leaders at CBS motivated to do the deal,” he mentioned.
CBS’ successful bid in 1998 was $500 million a yr. Its present settlement runs by means of 2033 at $2.1 billion per season. With the NFL serving to to advertise programming, CBS returned to being the highest prime-time community.
“It’s nearly not possible, in all probability insurmountable, to have a broadcast community with out the NFL,” McManus mentioned. “It drives your entire distribution offers. It’s a promotional car. That’s monumental. And, I believe, the published mannequin as we speak relies upon drastically on sports activities basically and the NFL particularly.”
McManus oversaw 9 Tremendous Bowls, together with Kansas Metropolis’s 25-22 time beyond regulation victory over San Francisco in February. The sport was the most-watched program in U.S. tv historical past, averaging 123.7 million viewers throughout tv and streaming platforms.
Roger Goodell, an integral a part of the NFL’s negotiating group on tv agreements even earlier than changing into commissioner in 2006, mentioned McManus has lengthy been a trusted counsel on broadcasting issues, even when it didn’t straight have an effect on CBS.
“You could discover methods to enhance followers’ experiences, and Sean has that voice and expertise,” Goodell mentioned. “His counsel was precious as a result of he was at all times the man who would have a really trustworthy and insightful perspective.”
McManus’ choice to group up with Turner for March Insanity was motivated by two issues: the match was dropping cash on CBS, and splitting the nation into eight areas with out everybody accessing all video games was outdated.
Beginning with the 2011 match, the gross sales staffs for CBS and Turner labored collectively, whereas CBS’ Clark Kellogg shares the studio desk with TNT’s Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
The partnership additionally contains the community’s alternating protection of the Last 4. TBS and TNT carried the title recreation for the primary time in 2016. Starting subsequent yr, every community will common paying $550 million per yr by means of 2032.
McManus additionally ushered CBS into soccer with the Champions League and NWSL. The NWSL signed a wide-ranging rights deal that expanded its distribution throughout a number of networks, however a package deal of regular-season video games stays on CBS, together with this season’s championship recreation airing in prime time for the third straight yr.
“They noticed us as the way forward for the sports activities viewers, and due to that, they stretched the boundaries of the settlement with us,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman mentioned. “Once I took the job, I challenged them about having our championship in prime time and what a giant distinction it could mark for us. And for the final two years of that deal, they labored to make it occur.”
McManus leaves CBS with all its important properties locked up long-term. Along with the NFL and March Insanity, the NWSL goes by means of 2027, the Massive Ten and UEFA Champions League rights run by means of the 2029-30 season, whereas the PGA Tour and PGA Championship offers don’t expire till 2030.
“The timing is correct,” McManus mentioned. “I believe it’s good for the division, and it’s superb for me.”
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AP sports activities: https://apnews.com/sports activities
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
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