Affiliate Sales Person of the Year (VP and Above)

He may not be the highest ranked or most well-known finalist for this year’s Affiliate Sales Person of the Year, but NFL Net’s vp, affiliate distribution John Malkin has defied all the odds to grow NFL Network and NFL RedZone to heights few predicted when skeptics wrote off the net at launch. They’re not skeptical anymore: NFL Net’s now in more than 72 million homes, with carriage on 24 of the 25 largest MSOs in the U.S. In 2012 alone, Malkin has grown NFL RedZone by 30% and now touts 170 affiliates for the service, which basically boils down the week’s NFL games to their most exciting moments. And here’s where it gets even more interesting: Malkin also thinks outside the box, securing content deals on non-traditional platforms such as retail outlets including Walmart, Best Buy and Costco—not to mention deals for both NFL Net and NFL RedZone on Southwest Airlines’ fleet. And he has done all this with practically no staff, relying on a single account manager who works with him at NFL’s NYC hq. In 2012, Malkin’s ability to close comprehensive deals with longtime NFL net skeptics TWC and Cablevision was a result of his patient approach and creative dealmaking since joining the NFL in 2009. We salute Malkin’s tenacity and sales skill. And we expect more great things as NFL Net and NFL RedZone continue to grow in the future.

 

Gilpatric has a big role in securing distribution for NBCU’s bevy of cable networks, overseeing the sales team that wrangles with Cablevision and Cox, not to mention the challenging hotel industry and Canadian distributors (some interesting laws up there, eh?). Through it all, he gets deals done.

 

Jones has her hands in just about every aspect of Viamedia’s business, including communications, research, sales training, marketing, advertising and branding, as well as maintaining business relationships and partnerships with key industry organizations and vendors.

 

As the lead field sales contact for Charter, Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable, Ozminkowski spins a lot of plates simultaneously—and does so with great skill. In ’12, he secured additional distribution in every Comcast region and worked with MSOs far and wide to drive and retain subs.

 

On the heels of a major promotion that puts him in charge of selling all of Discovery Comm’s content assets in the U.S., Phillips continues to be one of the most respected and fair negotiators in all of cable. And that’s not easy in this tough environment.

 

He was CableFAX’s “The Renewer” last year, and he remains a vital component to this indie net’s success, negotiating new launches and the migration of 1.8mln subs to Outdoor’s rolls in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. In the process, he exceeded sales goals by nearly 200%.

 

Smith has for years been a vital part of HSN’s success, especially when it comes to educating distributors about advanced services such as the “HSN Shop by Remote” service letting subs purchase items through their remotes. It’s now available in 40mln homes. He’s also the driving force behind the rollout of HSN HD and HSN2.