The Pac 12 Conference has hired former MGM Resorts and Hearst executive George Kliavkoff as its new commissioner, effective July 1.

The five-year agreement calls for Kliavkoff, 54, to oversee all operations of the 12-team conference. Kliavkoff replaces former commissioner Larry Scott, who had served as commissioner since 2009. 

Kliavkoff joins the Pac-12 from MGM Resorts International, where he served as president of entertainment and sports. He also has an extensive background in entertainment, having served at Hearst Entertainment & Syndication overseeing Hearst’s interests in cable television networks, including ESPN, A&E, Lifetime and History. 

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Kliavkoff also held the chief digital officer position at NBCUniversal,  and led the company’s partnership with News Corp to incubate and launch the Hulu streaming service, where he also served as interim CEO. Prior to NBCU, Kliavkoff was executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball Advanced Media. 

“At each step of his career, George has navigated complex, quickly changing environments and has been a successful consensus builder,”  said University of Oregon President Michael Schill, chairman of the five-member search committee that selected Kliavkoff statement. “George is a visionary leader with an extraordinary background as a pioneering sports, entertainment and digital media executive, and we are delighted and honored that he has agreed to become our next Pac-12 Commissioner.”

Major League Baseball has jumped into the gaming arena, partnering with MGM Resorts International on a multi-year agreement.

The deal calls for MGM Resorts to utilize baseball’s official statistics feed throughout its sports betting operations, as well as feature enhanced baseball statistics on an exclusive basis. The two companies will work together on “comprehensive responsible gaming measures” in an effort to protect the integrity of the game both on and off the field, according to officials from both companies. 

“We have proceeded in exploring this opportunity cautiously and thoughtfully – always with an eye on preserving the integrity of our sport,” said MLB commissioner Robert Manfred said during a Tuesday press conference announcing the deal. “We concluded that MGM was the perfect partner for us.”

The deal comes as a result of a May Supreme Court decision allowing state-sponsored sports betting on professional sports. Since the ruling, New Jersey, Mississippi, New Mexico, West Virginia, Delaware, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania have opened up sports betting operations, according to ESPN. 

With the deal, Major League Baseball joins the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League in partnering with MGM.

Manfred said during the press conference that research has shown that sports betting on baseball games could be an important source of fan engagement. “We operate in a very competitive environment and we have to take advantage of every opportunity to drive engagement by our fans,” he said. “There’s been a huge change in public opinion within the legal framework surrounding sports gaming that has presented an opportunity for all sports, and baseball in particular.”

MGM will serve as an official sponsor of MLB and have a branding presence in baseball’s biggest events, including the World Series and All-Star game. The MGM brand will also be prevalent across MLB’s digital and broadcast platforms, including MLB Network, MLB.com and the MLB At Bat app.