MTV has hired former Bleacher Report President Rory Brown (pictured) as its new Head of Digital and Social for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo.
In his new role, Brown will be responsible for digital and social for the youth media brand, which now includes MTV Studios, live events such as Spring Break and the SnowGlobe Music Festival, cable channels and digital and social content.
With 250 million followers, MTV currently claims to have the largest social footprint among all entertainment brands as well as the No.1 entertainment hip hop channel on YouTube with Wild ‘N Out.
Brown will report directly to Jacqueline Parkes, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Digital Studios for MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo, and work closely with Viacom Digital Studios.
Most recently, Brown served as President of Bleacher Report, a role in which he oversaw content, product, social, programming as well as the House of Highlights team.
During his 10 years with the company, Brown helped it grow from a 13-person team and 2m monthly unique visitors to more than 1 billion monthly social interactions, nine figures in annual revenue and more than 450 employees worldwide.
“Given his proven track record and our massive reach, we are excited to see him do the same with us across music, youth and pop culture.”
Chris McCarthy, MTV
“Rory understood the cultural power of sports and broadened its definition beyond scores and stats to transform Bleacher Report into the definitive brand for a whole new generation of fans,” said Chris McCarthy, President of MTV’s group of brands.
“Given his proven track record and our massive reach, we are excited to see him do the same with us across music, youth and pop culture.”
“With 250 million followers, MTV is the biggest youth media brand on social media, and we’re very excited to see what Rory creates for our fans across our massive footprint.”
Jacqueline Parkes, MTV
Parkes added: “Rory has a powerful vision for how to connect with audiences where they live, on their terms and across platforms, and he made the closely guarded world of sports work for millennials and gen-Z in a way that legacy brands never could.
“With 250 million followers, MTV is the biggest youth media brand on social media, and we’re very excited to see what Rory creates for our fans across our massive footprint.”
“I grew up with MTV and it’s a huge part of my DNA.”
Rory Brown
Brown said: “I’m beyond excited to work with Jacqueline, Chris and all of the talented people on the team leading the resurgence of these iconic brands.
“I grew up with MTV and it’s a huge part of my DNA.”Music Business Worldwide
