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Steve Bornstein
Title: President/CEO, NFL Networks;
EVP, NFL Media
Education: BS, U of Wisconsin
Why Him? During the NFL’s egregious battle for a new CBA in February, NFL Network experienced a eureka moment. Its ratings soared, thanks to 24/7 coverage of the lockout and pending agreement. While foremost competitor ESPN also aired baseball, NBA, hockey and other sports, Bornstein’s NFL proved itself a go-to destination for off-the-field news and information. Apparently viewers stayed put: By November, Bloomberg reported that NFL attracted a record 32.1 million viewers in the NFL season’s first nine weeks, up from 31.6 million last year. Primetime weekday viewers rose 21%, while Sunday shows were up 17%, according to the net. In addition, NFL’s digital platforms, including NFL.com, saw a 64% increase in page views, while unique users rose 37%.
Diversification: NFL Network also shows games from the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, college games and replays of NFL matches from the previous Sunday. Its coverage also includes shows “A Football Life,” “NFL Total Access,” “NFL Fantasy Live,” “No Huddle,” GameDay,” “Around The League” and “NFL Films Presents.”
Year Ahead: NFL Net is now in almost 60 million homes. Will its move into diversified news and complementary programming help it keep driving down the field? ?
