Turner Sports Promotes Bleacher Report Executive Howard Mittman To CEO

Turner Sports is promoting Bleacher Report’s Howard Mittman, a senior-level executive since 2017, to CEO of the digital brand as its founder, Dave Finocchio, moves closer to his planned exit.

Mittman has been Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer of Bleacher Report since August 2017. He will report to Finocchio, the current CEO and founder, until Finocchio departs the company in June. At that point, Mittman will report to Matt Hong, COO of Turner Sports, who has overseen Bleacher Report and other Turner properties for the last six years.

 

“Howard has a wealth of industry experience to match his creativity, innovative thinking and unwavering passion for the Bleacher Report brand,” Hong said. “We’re confident in his abilities to lead the rapidly growing B/R business, and the talented team of people who work on B/R and House of Highlights every day, as we further deepen our connection with sports fans and create new experiences centered on the vibrant intersection of sports and culture.”

Hong added thanks to Finocchio, “without whom there would be no B/R, whose contributions to the organization are immeasurable and will be seen for years to come throughout the business strategy and products.”

Turner paid about $175 million to acquire Bleacher Report in 2012. Given the competition from ESPN and other digital upstarts, it has scaled it impressively, adding a subscription streaming component and gaining visibility through integrations into Turner broadcasts of NBA, Major League Baseball and NCAA basketball games. Turner says Bleacher Report now reaches 250 million people across all social media platforms.

Mittman, who spent 12 years as an executive at Condé Nast, has led Bleacher Report’s revenue generation process, including the development of new opportunities and business models, as well as client account strategy and planning. He has also been responsible for B/R’s marketing strategy, overseeing the launch of events and content franchises such as B/R x NBA All-Star (in L.A. and Charlotte), The Jump Off x Summer League, B/R Kicks Presents: The Drop Up, The Steve Nash Showdown, The Champions, and B/Real.

“It was Dave Finocchio’s passion for identifying unmet needs of sports fans, and then delivering them the most relevant content to meet those interests, that originally drew me to Bleacher Report. And, today, it is B/R’s powerful relationship between sports and culture that resonates and inspires all of us, including our ever-expanding community of millennial and Gen Z fans,” said Mittman. “I’m equally excited and humbled to assume this role and I cannot thank Dave enough for building this incredible brand into what it is today. My goal is to continue honoring his vision as we further evolve its presence and elevate the brand to even greater heights.”

Finocchio nodded to the “humble beginnings” of the brand, which was founded in 2007. “This has been the experience of a lifetime, and I believe the work we put in over the past few years, in particular, helps set B/R up for great future success,” he said. “I will continue rooting hard for Howard and the entire team.”