SportsMax has inked a deal with Cable News Network (CNN) that will make it the exclusive advertising sales representative in the non-Spanish speaking Caribbean.
Under the terms of the agreement, International Media Content (IMC), the parent company of SportsMax will oversee advertising sales activities on behalf of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Latin America for CNN International (CNNi).SportsMax, largely known for its exploits in sports channelling across the Caribbean, will be responsible for developing potential clients and offering special sponsorship opportunities to clients in their respective regions.“It’s all about offering more products into the market and that’s what this is about,” SportsMax president Oliver McIntosh told the Jamaica Observer after the press conference held at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston on Monday. “We have SportsMax streaming into all countries of the Caribbean. We have CEEN which is in the US and Canada and now, you have CNN which is everywhere.”He continued: “What we plan to do is utilise their products, learn from them as well as to how to go about marketing and selling yourself, so the combination works”.Warren Strifling, CNNi’s ad sales manager, who is a frequent visitor to Jamaica, said he was impressed with SportsMax quality and content.“Initially when we started thinking about looking for a partner in the Caribbean, there was really no question as to who we would turn to,” revealed Strifling. “We are very excited about this relationship we feel that this is not only going to give CNN a direct dialogue with some of the most important regional advertisers in the Caribbean but also give them a one stop shop for associating their message with two of the most important genres in television in news and sports.”Turner Media+ is the advertising sales division of TBS, Latin America. The company creates, produces and distributes news, entertainment and animation, through pay TV and other platforms and for millions of consumers around the world.In Latin America, the company distributes the largest portfolio of networks with 16 wholly-owned pay television channels: Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Tooncast, TNT, Space, TCM, I.Sat, CNN International, CNN Espanol, TBS Veryfunny, HTV, MuchMusic, Glitz, Infinito and TruTV.CNN’s award winning journalist, Jim Clancy was the guest speaker at the event and he took the audience through his “brief” career spanning three decades.The CNN anchor talked about how the media landscape has changed since he debuted in 1981.“My first international story was in the Caribbean — in Barbados,” said Clancy. It was about the great train robber Ronnie Biggs from England who was hiding in Brazil and was picked up by a special force team but got stuck in Barbados waters.“CNN is a mature company that has changed the face of journalism around the whole,” he said. “It is exciting time to be at CNN.”Meanwhile, SportsMax, which has been around for 11 years and which is transmitted in 21 countries across the Caribbean, are rights holders for some top sporting events namely the FIFA World Cup from 2006 to 2022 and the 2012 London Olympic Games.With this in mind, McIntosh believes his organisation is heading in the right direction.“You are asking if the company is making money,” said McIntosh. “We are in a pretty strong cash flow position and what we would like to do is grow the company even more.”“From a financial state we are on target where we want to get to. I can’t disclose all the numbers and so forth but from a revenue standpoint, we are one of the largest broadcast channels in the region. We are expected with some other announcements coming in the next couple of weeks that we will continue to grow,” he added.Warren Strifling (left), as sales manager for CNNi, Oliver McIntosh, president and CEO of SportsMax, and CNN Anchor Jim Clancy share a light moment at Monday’s signing of an agreement that makes the local content provider the exclusive advertising sales representative in the non-Spanish speaking Caribbean. (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS)View the original article here
SportsMax inks CNN deal
