Sinclair has hired a long-time Amazon executive with roots in sports television to lead its cable network and digital platform Tennis Channel, the company announced on Wednesday.
Jeff Blackburn joins Tennis Channel as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, permanently succeeding Ken Solomon, who parted ways with the company last year to focus on developing Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit TV.
Blackburn retired from Amazon two years ago after spending more than two decades with the company. There, he helped develop Amazon’s media and service-based offerings, including Amazon Studios, Amazon Music and Prime Video, as well as the company’s associated advertising and marketing initiatives.
One of his storied achievements was helping Amazon land the rights to the National Football League’s package of Thursday evening games, which are now exclusively available through Prime Video and Amazon-owned Twitch. He also played a role in Amazon’s acquisition of MGM Studios and subsequent merger of their content catalog and other assets into Prime Video and other parts of Amazon’s businesses.
Blackburn joins Sinclair at a time when Tennis Channel is undergoing rapid development in order to meet fans of the sports across different platforms. The brand exists as a domestic cable channel, a free streaming channel and an international network, with varying rights to live matches and tournaments, depending on the region.
Over the past few years, Tennis Channel has incorporated new technologies in order to better serve tennis fans, to include the use of artificial intelligence to dub certain tennis-related shoulder programs into other languages. The company also relaunched its Tennis Channel Plus streaming platform to include direct access to live programming without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
“Tennis Channel is a sports treasure,” Blackburn said in a statement. “It’s beloved by fans of the game, allowing for large growth opportunities ahead in streaming as well as new initiatives like Pickleball. Since childhood, I’ve been intensely passionate about tennis, so I’m thrilled to take on the role and join this outstanding team.”
In addition to its various tennis-related channels and platforms, Tennis Channel is a co-owner of Pickleball TV, produced and distributed in association with the Professional Pickleball Association.
