>> Watch 10 a.m. Rutgers University Press Conference

Rutgers President William F. Tate IV today appointed Keli Zinn, a collegiate athletics leader with 20 years of power conference experience and a proven track record of transforming championship-level programs, as director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Rutgers-New Brunswick.

 

The Rutgers Board of Governors approved the appointment of Zinn, currently the executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Louisiana State University. Zinn begins her tenure at Rutgers on August 6, 2025.

 

“Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence, and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics,” Tate said. “Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers’ mission – competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices, and excellence in the student‑athlete experience. She will guide Rutgers into a new era, with forward-looking leadership, tapping into the Rutgers Edge. We are thrilled to welcome Keli and her husband, Nate, to the Scarlet Knights Family.”

 

At LSU, Zinn helped lead the Tigers to unprecedented success: four national championships (gymnastics, women’s basketball, and baseball twice), multiple SEC titles including in women’s track & field and women’s gymnastics, and a top‑10 finish in the Director’s Cup—a measurement of the overall competitiveness of an athletic department—for the first time since 2009. During her tenure, LSU football posted a dominant 10‑win season and won a Western Division title during one of the fastest turnarounds in college football history. She has celebrated 15 national championships and 34 conference championships over the course of her remarkable career.

 

Zinn’s leadership in two power conferences – the Big 12 at West Virginia University and the SEC at LSU – has uniquely prepared her to lead within the Big Ten. At West Virginia, she served as interim athletic director in 2015, becoming the first woman to helm the department, and guided the university through the transition into the Big 12.

 

“I am honored to join Rutgers at this exciting juncture, and I want to thank President Tate and the Board of Governors for this incredible opportunity,” Zinn said. “Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors, and fans to build on Rutgers’ strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top‑tier compliance, and pursue excellence both on and off the field. We will compete with the nation’s best and we will represent the university with integrity and pride in all we do.”

 

Zinn was instrumental in advancing LSU’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy, forging a partnership to produce The Money Game—a documentary series following Tigers student‑athletes, launched on Amazon Prime Video. Her innovative approach secured NIL agreements and fund‑raising growth across multiple sports, positioning LSU as a national NIL leader.

 

“Keli Zinn is a dynamic leader who brings a powerful combination of competitive excellence, strategic acumen, and deep integrity to this role. Her experience operating at the heart of major collegiate athletics, commitment to student-athletes, and proven ability to elevate programs make her the right leader at the right time for Rutgers Athletics,” Board of Governors Chair Amy L. Towers said. “We are excited to welcome Keli and her husband Nate to the Banks and look forward to partnering with her as we build on Rutgers’ proud legacy and drive toward even greater success in the Big Ten and beyond.”

 

Zinn began her career as a compliance assistant in the Big East before gaining progressive experience in compliance, governance, and sport administration at University of Maryland and later serving in multiple senior executive roles at West Virginia University.

 

“With experience in the Northeast, in the SEC, and at land-grant universities like Rutgers, Keli understands the values, mission, and regional pride that defines our community,” said Hollis Copeland, chair of the Board of Governors athletics subcommittee and a standout former basketball player and member of the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. “Keli will help us build a winning tradition that the world will know, and we welcome her and Nate.”

 

 
Rutgers’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is comprised of 24 men’s and women’s varsity sports serving more than 730 student-athletes competing in the Big Ten Conference.  
 

Rutgers is The Birthplace of College Football – Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 on Nov. 6, 1869, in New Brunswick. The Scarlet Knights have captured numerous team and individual championships. In addition to consecutive bowl berths in football and recent NCAA tournament bids in men’s basketball, Rutgers has won Big Ten team championships in men’s and women’s soccer and field hockey, while individuals have earned both national and Big Ten titles in track & field and wrestling.
 
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national research university and the state of New Jersey’s preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Established in 1766, the university is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United States. More than 69,000 students and 27,000 faculty and staff learn, work and serve the public at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Rutgers University-Newark, Rutgers University-Camden and Rutgers Health. 
 

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07/30/2025 – 08:00 AM

25% YOY Growth in Impressions Served Through Magnite’s SpringServe Video Platform

NEW YORK, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite (NASDAQ:MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, today announced strong momentum in its collaboration with FanDuel Sports Network. The network has seen a 25% year-over-year increase in total impressions served through Magnite’s SpringServe video platform as it accelerates its investment in live sports streaming.

As more viewers shift toward streaming live sports content, FanDuel Sports Network is leaning into Magnite technology to boost monetization of its high-value inventory and preserve the high-quality viewing experience that live sports audiences expect. SpringServe’s advanced ad serving, programmatic, and mediation capabilities help FanDuel Sports Network more effectively manage direct and programmatic demand, maximizing yield and helping advertisers reach engaged sports fans, while Ad Quality and Live Stream Acceleration tools help deliver smarter, more relevant ad experiences.

“Live sports are one of the most powerful formats for engaging audiences, but they also present unique monetization challenges. Magnite’s SpringServe empowers us with the sophisticated tools we need to stay ahead of audience expectations, and has been instrumental in our digital evolution,” said Kevin Connelly, Senior Director, Programmatic Sales and Business Development at FanDuel Sports Network. “FanDuel Sports Network is building a smarter, fan-first platform with unmatched scale and flexibility, and that requires ad tech partners who can move just as fast, and Magnite’s SpringServe is doing just that,” added Jim Keller, Executive Vice President, Head of Advertising and Sponsorship Sales at FanDuel Sports Network.

“As live sports consumption continues its rapid shift to digital, publishers need agile infrastructure purpose-built for streaming monetization,” said Chris Signore, Group VP, Business Development at Magnite. “FanDuel Sports Network is raising the bar for what innovative, data-driven sports streaming can look like, and we’re proud to continue helping power their growth as they expand their premium streaming footprint.”

“FanDuel Sports Network and Magnite have demonstrated through their collaboration that when biddable live sports is done right, we consistently see media contribute to positive business outcomes. We are constantly seeking out high-quality and direct supply, which the teams have built here,” said Gary Guarnaccia, Head of Investment and Ad Tech at Bayer Healthcare.

According to eMarketer, digital live sports viewership in the U.S. is projected to grow more than 14% in 2025, driven by cord-cutting and the rise of streaming as the primary destination for sports fans. FanDuel Sports Network’s collaboration with Magnite ensures they are well-positioned to capitalize on this momentum.

About Magnite
We’re Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats including CTV, online video, display, and audio. The world’s leading agencies and brands trust our platform to access brand-safe, high-quality ad inventory and execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Anchored in bustling New York City, sunny Los Angeles, mile high Denver, historic London, colorful Singapore, and down under in Sydney, Magnite has offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC.

About Main Street Sports Group
Main Street Sports Group owns FanDuel Sports Network, the nation’s leading multiplatform provider of local sports, offering fans widescale availability and optionality to view their local teams. FanDuel Sports Network serves as the local media partner and home to select MLB, NHL and NBA teams and produces over 3,000 live sports events year-round. Main Street Sports Group harnesses its powerful partnerships, in-house direct-to-consumer streaming product and innovative strategies to reach audiences and deliver programming seamlessly across streaming platforms, connected devices and leading pay TV providers.

Its 15 owned-and-operated networks include FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, FanDuel Sports Network Florida, FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, FanDuel Sports Network North, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal, FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast, FanDuel Sports Network Southwest, FanDuel Sports Network Sun, FanDuel Sports Network West, and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. Main Street Sports Group also has a minority interest in YES Network, the local destination for the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets.

Media Contact:
Purpose Worldwide
Alexis Gold
magnite@purposenorthamerica.com

Earlier this summer, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks jetted into Nantucket for a three hour meeting that would reshape the lineup of Fox Sports 1, and shake up its Big Noon Kickoff college football show.

Shanks’ brief visit to the New England vacation destination was to help close a deal with Dave Portnoy and his digital media brand Barstool Sports. Portnoy’s $42 million compound on Nantucket (the most expensive home ever sold in the state of Massachusetts when he bought in 2023) overlooks the harbor, where ferries bring visitors and residents in and out from the mainland all day. All paid for by his self-described “pirate ship” of a media brand, which he had sold to Penn Entertainment for $551 million, and bought back just a couple of years later for $1.

Shanks’ visit underscores how the sands have shifted in media. It wasn’t that long ago that talent would be summoned to meet with execs in their New York offices or Los Angeles studio lots. Now when there is talent in demand, the executives will go where they need to, even an island 30 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

Fox had been chatting with Portnoy for “five or six months,” the Barstool founder said on his company’s Unnamed Show on July 17, culminating in the deal announced the same day, which will see Portnoy appear weekly on Big Noon Kickoff and Barstool creating a live two hour show for FS1, as well as social content.

“We had that ESPN deal, they didn’t even want to talk to me, right? They couldn’t stomach the sight of my face,” Portnoy said on the podcast, referencing Barstool Van Talk, the ESPN2 series that was canceled after one episode after the network became uncomfortable with comments made by talent on social media. “[Fox] wants our audience, they know what audience we have, and we’re going to try to come up with a bunch of things with them. And it’s a wide-ranging relationship.”

The world of media has changed, and authenticity rules. Being outspoken is even better, and with cord-cutting wreaking havoc on TV viewing, traditional TV players that used to develop their talent in house are increasingly turning to outsiders to help give them relevance to an audience that might otherwise bypass their content.

“Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original,” said Shanks in a statement. “[Barstool’s] unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”

A lot has changed since ESPN canceled its Barstool show in 2017. Look no further than ESPN’s deals with NFL player turned radio and podcast host Pat McAfee (who cut his teeth in digital media at Barstool, no less).

McAfee has occasionally found himself in hot water, like when he accused ESPN executive Norby Williamson of “sabotaging” his show, or when recurring guest Aaron Rodgers made unfounded claims about Jimmy Kimmel and Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier in July, McAfee apologized to an Ole Miss student who was named in a viral but false internet scandal (Portnoy also apologized for some of Barstool’s talent spreading the false report).

Sitting on a panel in ESPN’s commissary in Bristol, Connecticut last year, McAfee exuded confidence as he parried questions from skeptical journalists about his deal, which sees ESPN license The Pat McAfee Show, an unusual arrangement for a daily program.

“We haven’t been kicked off ESPN yet, I view that as a success. Now, granted, we would still just continue doing business on YouTube and on our TikTok and everything like that, and we’re very lucky to be on ESPN,” McAfee said. “Whenever people in here have tried to get me fired for taking clips out of context or quotes out of context, and misrepresented everything that I’ve said, and the human that I am and the deal that it is, we know that we’re good. So you can fire us, you can try to kill us, you can do whatever you need to do. But our success is the fact that we have a following, and they’re going to ride with us.”

ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro said that he has been laser focused on the problem of “how can we resonate with younger people?”

“If you look at my kids, Netflix, Instagram, TikTok, Fortnite, they’re incredibly distracted. So how is it that we can make programs like Get Up and First Take resonate with younger people? Obviously, Pat McAfee is very, very helpful there,” Pitaro said. “I was just in a research meeting where our folks presented to me the response that younger people have had to Pat McAfee, and it’s been staggering and really helpful to our brand in its entirety.”

The talent benefits too. Portnoy told his company’s podcast that they are already thinking about how Fox talent like Greg Olsen and Tom Brady could participate in Barstool segments, while McAfee says that “we got legitimized by ESPN.”

“Some suits that wouldn’t let their clients come on our show before, because we were just an internet show,” he said.

Sports media, with its hot takes, fierce debates and big personalities has been a natural proving ground for TV’s digital creator era (consider Omar Raja, the House of Highlights founder who also joined ESPN in 2020), but there are signs that TV news is the next frontier. Brett Cooper, a popular YouTube creator who blends entertainment and cultural commentary with conservative values, was signed as an on-air contributor to Fox News.

“It’s about connecting with the audience, first and foremost,” says Lauren Petterson, president of the Fox Nation streaming service and head of talent development for Fox News. “Brett does that through her cause – which is culture. And the way she does it is also unique, through thoughtful discussion and persuasion. She is also a very direct person: she’s consistent with what she says and what she’s doing in her own life. She’s the same person on the screen as she is in person. That kind of authenticity appeals to people of all ages.”

Fox also recently cut a deal to license the Ruthless podcast, with executive Porter Berry adding oversight of new media as the company seeks out other digital deals.

And Skydance has held conversations with Bari Weiss about possibly acquiring her Free Press, perhaps bringing the outspoken former New York Times columnist into the CBS News fold when it takes over Paramount, in a bid to expand its digital footprint (or maybe to comply with promises made to the FCC).

“Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company’s programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum,” FCC chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement approving the deal. “Skydance will also adopt measures that can root out the bias that has undermined trust in the national news media.”

Weiss, a frequent critic of the mainstream media, could fit that bill.

And both CNN and MSNBC are in the midst of a podcast expansion push, with MSNBC hiring executives to beef up its digital business ahead of its spinout into Versant later this year.

Both cable news channels are leveraging their own talent, of course, but there are signs they are looking elsewhere too.

Last year, podcast hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway (someone also known for his hot takes) held talks with CNN about moving their show into its orbit, before reupping with their current partners Vox Media.

There is connective tissue between all of these conversations and deals. Cultural currency is more likely to be found these days on YouTube or Spotify, and viewers of live linear TV tend to skew older. With news and sports the last content standing, bringing over some of that more youthful audience could be a way to extend the lifespan of linear TV as executives grapple with a saturated and splintered streaming environment.

And with YouTube increasingly taking over the TV set, news executives are beginning to grapple with a world where the shows are just one of thousands being fed algorithmically to viewers. Perhaps its better to have those creators that figured out how to make that model work inside the house, before the whole thing collapses into itself.

This story appeared in the July 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.