Latest from Next TV in Toby-byrne

Ex-Fox Ad Chief Toby Byrne Joins A+E Networks Sales Team

jon.lafayette@futurenet.com (Jon Lafayette) — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 13:00:03 +0000

A+E Networks said it hired former Fox Networks Group ad sales president Toby Byrne as it restructures its sales team to strengthen its multiplatform and data-driven capabilities.

Byrne joins A+E as executive VP, national ad sales, reporting to Peter Olsen, the company’s president for ad sales.

A+E said it also hired three execs with digital and streaming backgrounds as VPs. They are: April Denn, formerly head of partnership solutions at Samsung Ads; Jeff Gocel, previously senior streaming TV agency development manager at Amazon; and Rob Duke, formerly VP of sales, beauty, fashion, health & wellness at Firework.

In addition, the company promoted Robin Duke to VP from director, ad sales.

A+E said it will make its upfront presentation virtually on March 6. A+E has done its presentation online the past few years.

“A+E Networks has been proud to be on the cutting edge of an evolving marketplace, especially in terms of our customer service and practical innovation,“ Olsen said. ”With these great additions to our team, we are once again adjusting our company to meet industry trends. We are delighted to add layers of expertise and diverse skill sets to help us achieve our goals and better align with the priorities of the new marketplace.”

After heading ad sales at Fox, Byrne was president of Zefr, a technology company that provides brand suitability, targeting and measurement services for advertisers on YouTube, Meta and TikTok.

“I’m so pleased to bring to bear all the experiences I've had at both Zefr and Fox broadcasting to A+E Networks,” Byrne said. “Under Peter’s leadership, A+E Networks has always enjoyed the reputation as being the best, most data and ad tech-forward — and highest-level white-glove client service — in the entire media landscape. I’m especially excited to work with Peter and contribute to the great efforts and results of this team.”

Fox Networks Ad Sales Promotes Steele, Sullivan

jon.lafayette@futurenet.com (Jon Lafayette) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:54:00 +0000

Audrey Steele and Suzanne Sullivan have been promoted at the advertising sales unit of Fox Networks Group.

Sullivan was named executive VP, entertainment sales, responsible for strategy and execution of cross-network multiplatform sales. She had been senior vice president, Fox Networks Group Sales.

Steele becomes executive VP, sales research insights and strategy. She was previously senior VP, sales research and marketing for Fox Broadcasting and helped develop Fox’s AIM targeting tools.

Toby Byrne, president of ad sales for Fox Network Group, said both executives “possess the unique skill set of leadership coupled with analytic and strategic thinking.”

Fox Networks Group Lifts Lefkowitz

MCN Staff — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:15:00 +0000

Toby Byrne, president of advertising sales at Fox Networks Group, has turned in-house to veteran to serve as his No. 2.

Bruce Lefkowitz, who was serving as executive vice president for Fox Cable Entertainment, has been promoted to executive vice president, advertising sales for FNG.

The move, following the previously announced restructuring of FNG’s sales team, places Lefkowitz in charge of advertising revenue and sales strategy across broadcast, cable, sports, Spanish-language media and non-linear platforms. He will also supervise Fox’s sales offices in Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles.

“Lefko is one of the most respected executives in the business,” said Byrne. “His management experience across the linear media marketplace and cross platform ad sales has him well-prepared for this opportunity. He is an enthusiastic and energetic manager, and I look forward to working with him in his new role as we navigate the evolving media landscape, finding creative ways to grow revenues and deliver maximum value to our clients.”

Lefkowitz will also supervise the department’s six new “agency leads.” According to Byrne: “The company has recently transformed and aligned the sales team to match up with specific agency partners. Guiding every step of this reorganization is a firm commitment to best serve agency and client objectives with customized, measurable results. A major priority will be ad product innovation - exemplified by our recent acquisition of TrueX, which offers advertisers a unique, highly engaged advertising platform in our premium digital content.”

Prior to joining Fox Cable Networks in January 2002, Lefkowitz served as senior vice president, national advertising sales for Discovery Networks, where he had oversight of the day-to-day management and strategy of advertising sales for the programmer's national television networks and digital companions.

Before that, he was vice president, syndication ad sales and business development for New World Sales and Marketing. In 1994, he was promoted to vice president, Turner International Ad Sales in London, where he launched and headed the European sales operation for TNT and Cartoon Network Europe. He began his sales career at Turner Entertainment Networks as a trainee before being promoted to account executive in 1988.

Fox Networks Group Promotes Byrne To Ad Sales President

MCN Staff — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 15:15:00 +0000

Looking to better align its ad sales teams on the broadcast and cable sides, Fox has elevated Toby Byrne to president of advertising sales for Fox Networks Group.

Byrne, who will continue in his role as president of Fox Broadcasting of Sales, will now have oversight of national ad sales functions and revenue-generating strategies for Fox Networks Group's domestic,entertainment and sports television businesses, He will continue to report to Fox Networks Group president and COO Randy Freer.

The integration will meld the cable and broadcast network sales organizations. The goal is to make the combined group more effective in serving advertising partners and drive revenue with a focus on relationships, people and innovative advertising products. In his new capacity, Byrne will lead revenue growth across all FNG assets, with Fox’s cable sales chief Lou LaTorre reporting to him.

"Toby is an exceptional leader that has guided our successful effort to combine broadcast and national cable sales for Fox Sports, led the revenue launch of Fox Sports 1, and spearheaded our push for recognition of the C7 metric in the upfront,” said Freer. “He is the right person to creatively lead the Fox sales team as they bring our terrific content to market, drive revenue, and create maximum benefit for our marketing partners across all platforms and devices.”

Noted Byrne: “The ad marketplace has changed dramatically in just the last few years. We no longer live in a linear, single-stream environment, and we need to structure our sales organization to thrive in the evolving media marketplace. By combining the best attributes of our broadcast, sports, cable and digital sales organizations, we will better serve our clients in developing impactful marketing solutions.”