Nothing captures an audience quite like the drama and emotions of sport…
Join us for our next Lessons in Leadership webinar, ‘The World’s Most Powerful Storytelling: Lessons from Sport’, with sports broadcasting and media production leader, Barney Francis!
Barney Francis is currently Executive Vice President of Global Production at IMG Studios and formerly Managing Director of Sky Sports. He will be joining us to share his insights and experiences that fuelled the transformational stories of both Sky Sports and IMG Studios, and what we can learn from the world of sports broadcasting when it comes to content, digital and social strategy, and audience engagement.
🗓️ Date: Wed 1 November
🕒 Time: 13:00 – 14:00 GMT // 09:00-10:00 ET
📍 Where: Zoom webinar
About the Webinar
- Learn how Barney revolutionised Sky Sports, turning it from four channels to a powerhouse of 11, while adding premium rights like F1, The Open, The Masters, and NBA to the portfolio
- How Barney led the charge in making Sky Sports an industry leader in digital and social platforms, as well as pioneering sports streaming services, and the lessons learned in the shift from linear broadcasting to multi-platform viewing
- The new era of sports’ DTC digital strategies and what does the future for sports viewing look like
- Barney will also discuss his most recent role as the leader of IMG Studios and how he has managed the organisation through a significant period of change, to turn it into the incredibly successful and global business it is today and its continued growth
- What can brands and agencies learn from sports marketing
The webinar will be hosted by Managing Partner for Sports, Media & Entertainment, Tim Palmer followed by a Q&A session for the audience.
About Barney Francis
Barney Francis boasts a distinguished 28-year career in broadcasting and content creation, with extensive experience spanning over two decades at Sky, in addition to significant roles at the BBC and ITV.
After junior spells at ITV and BBC, Barney became Sky Sports Executive Producer, Cricket (2000-2007) and Executive Producer, Premier League (2007-2008) before becoming Managing Director, Sky Sports in 2009. Barney’s tenure saw the remarkable transformation of Sky Sports from just four channels to an impressive eleven. He led the acquisition of premium broadcasting rights, including F1, The Open, The Masters, and NBA, while successfully securing multiple renewals for the Premier League, EFL, and ECB contracts, all in the face of intensifying competition.
Notably, Barney revolutionised the talent roster of Sky Sports, introducing a fresh wave of faces to the screen, such as Kelly Cates, Gary Neville, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, Laura Woods to name a few. Under his leadership, Sky Sports garnered an impressive haul of accolades, including three BAFTAs, six RTS Awards, two Broadcast Awards, and two Global F1 Broadcaster Awards within a decade.
Barney’s vision extended to the digital realm, where he spearheaded the transformation of Sky Sports into an industry-leading presence on digital and social platforms, as well as pioneering sports streaming services on Sky Go and Now TV. He also championed Sky Sports as a force for good, initiating programs such as “Living for Sport” in state schools and supporting Sky’s broader Ocean Rescue project, aimed at eliminating plastics from sports venues and production facilities.
In Jan 2020, he chose to take a career break, advising Private Equity, sitting on various Boards and starting up a family e-bike business. In November 2021, Barney Francis joined IMG as Executive Vice President of Global Production.
This is sure to be a webinar you don’t want to miss!