NBC-Comcast is getting a little bit closer to creating a sports juggernaut.
John Miller, the former CMO of NBC Universal Television Group, will helm “The NBC Sports Agency” as soon as the Comcast merger closes. The group will be similar to “The NBC Agency,” which Miller created and ran from 1999-2010, and serve as the go-to agency for all sports-related advertising at the Peacock.
“Over the last 25 years, John Miller has become one of the most legendary figures in television promotion and marketing,” Dick Ebersol, chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, said in a release. “In a business where people often talk about synergy yet rarely achieve it, John, as Chairman of the NBC Marketing Council, has demonstrated to all of us how we can come together for the betterment of all. NBC Sports’ big-event strategy, which has produced record audiences for the Olympics, NFL, NHL and horse racing, is predicated on this marketing strategy. And now John will be masterminding that coordination for NBC Sports, as well as creating campaigns for our partners and advertisers.”
The full release is after the jump, as is a video of Miller explaining the move.
NBCU TELEVISION GROUP CMO JOHN MILLER TO CREATE & HEAD “THE NBC SPORTS AGENCY”
“Must See TV” creator & four-time Entertainment Marketer of the Year joins NBC Sports Group
In-house agency to market NBC Sports Group assets and promote its partners and advertisers
NEW YORK – January 24, 2011 – John Miller, NBC Universal Television Group CMO and one of television’s most decorated marketing and promotion executives, will be shifting his focus to the NBC Sports Group to create and head “The NBC Sports Agency,” as soon as the pending acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast is complete.
Miller, known for his unprecedented ability to build viewer awareness and interest in new programs, is credited with creating the ubiquitous “Must See TV” campaign and branding such hit shows as Seinfeld, Friends, ER and The Cosby Show, as well as creating campaigns for the Olympics and “Sunday Night Football,” which resulted in record viewership. He is a four-time Entertainment Marketer of the Year, a former Promotion Executive of the Year, a PROMAX Hall of Fame member, and received a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Commercial that also won the World’s Best Commercial award.
“Over the last 25 years, John Miller has become one of the most legendary figures in television promotion and marketing,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “In a business where people often talk about synergy yet rarely achieve it, John, as Chairman of the NBC Marketing Council, has demonstrated to all of us how we can come together for the betterment of all. NBC Sports’ big-event strategy, which has produced record audiences for the Olympics, NFL, NHL and horse racing, is predicated on this marketing strategy. And now John will be masterminding that coordination for NBC Sports, as well as creating campaigns for our partners and advertisers.”
“The NBC Sports Agency,” modeled after the successful “The NBC Agency” – which Miller co-founded and led from 1999-2010 – will focus on marketing NBC Sports Group assets, including soon-to-be-integrated Comcast properties, and serve as an agency for NBC Sports’ growing list of partners and advertisers, who use NBC Sports as a marketing resource. NBC Sports has recently produced campaigns for partners such as the USOC, NFL and NHL, and collaborated with advertisers, including Proctor & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, Mercedes, Target, Sears, Coors, DirecTV, and Papa John’s. “The NBC Agency” was the industry’s first full-service advertising agency comprised of an award-winning in-house unit that quickly established itself as one of the country’s top creative commercial firms.
“I’m thrilled to be shifting my focus to the NBC Sports Group and working with Dick Ebersol’s team,” said Miller. “‘The NBC Sports Agency’ will take advantage of the full creative support of NBC Sports, Versus, Golf Channel and the RSNs to create campaigns not only for the individual channels, but also for the NBC Sports Group partners and advertisers.”
In addition to his work for the NBC Sports Group, Miller will continue his role as Chairman of the newly expanded NBC Universal Marketing Council, co-coordinating the full company cross-promotional efforts.
ADDITIONAL JOHN MILLER BIO INFORMATION
Miller became Chief Marketing Officer for the NBC Universal Television Group from the NBC-Universal merger in 2004 until the summer of 2010 when he transitioned to working full time on the NBCU Comcast integration; he also simultaneously served as President of the NBC Agency since 1999. He had led the marketing efforts for NBC since 1985.
As CMO of the NBC Universal Television Group, he oversaw marketing initiatives and cross-promotional opportunities for NBC Entertainment, NBC News, NBC Sports, NBC Universal Television Distribution, Universal Media Studios, USA Network, Bravo, Oxygen, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, mun2 and Universal Studios Networks. Further, he chaired a marketing council for the full company.
Miller has been honored by his peers on many occasions and in 1991 he was inducted into the PROMAX Hall of Fame, the international association of electronic media marketing professionals.
He joined NBC in August 1982 as Vice President, Affiliate Promotion Services, West Coast. He was promoted to Vice President, Advertising & Promotion, NBC Entertainment, in September 1984; Vice President, Advertising & Promotion, in August 1986; Senior Vice President, NBC Entertainment, in March 1989; Executive Vice President, Marketing, NBC-TV, in January 1990; Executive Vice President, Advertising & Promotion and Daytime & Children’s Programs, NBC Entertainment, in July 1991; and Executive Vice President, Advertising & Promotion and Event Programming, in May 1993.
Miller began his career in freelance productions in 1972. A year later, he joined WMAQ-TV, the NBC television station in Chicago, and became promotion manager at WBBM-TV in Chicago in 1978. In March 1980, he was named Director, Affiliate Promotion Services, CBS-TV, West Coast, and moved to New York in July 1981 to become Director, Advertising and Promotion, CBS News.
A native of Chicago, Miller graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University. He and his wife, Sharon, have relocated to Westport, Conn.