MTV Picks Ex-Bleacher Report President Rory Brown As Digital And Social Chief

MTV has named former Bleacher Report president Rory Brown to the newly created position of Head of Digital and Social for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo.

In his new role, Brown will oversee a key part of MTV’s effort to reclaim its birthright as a leading youth media brand. In addition to the legacy cable networks, the operation also includes MTV Studios, live events such as “Spring Break” and the SnowGlobe Music Festival and digital and social content. With 250 million combined followers, MTV says it has the largest social footprint among all entertainment brands.

Brown will report directly to Jacqueline Parkes, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Digital Studios for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo, and work closely with Viacom Digital Studios.

At Bleacher Report, Brown oversaw content, product, social, programming as well as the House of Highlights team. During his 10 years with the company, it grew from a 13-person team and two million monthly unique visitors to more than one billion monthly social interactions, nine figures in annual revenue and more than 450 employees.

“Rory understood the cultural power of sports and broadened its definition beyond scores and stats to transform Bleacher Report into the definitive brand for a whole new generation of fans,” said Chris McCarthy, President of MTV’s group of brands. “Given his proven track record and our massive reach, we are excited to see him do the same with us across music, youth and pop culture.”

“Rory has a powerful vision for how to connect with audiences where they live, on their terms and across platforms, and he made the closely guarded world of sports work for millennials and gen-Z in a way that legacy brands never could,” Parkes said. “With 250 million followers, MTV is the biggest youth media brand on social media, and we’re very excited to see what Rory creates for our fans across our massive footprint.”

Brown said he “grew up with MTV and it’s a huge part of my DNA.”