ITV Poaches Sky Broadcast Director To Head Sports Division
ITV has announced the appointment of Sky Network’s director of broadcasting and production, Mark Sharman, as its new controller of sport, overseeing the broadcaster’s portfolio of sporting events and charged with capitalising on the company’s wide-ranging sporting coverage.
The new role will see Sharman responsible for all of the sporting events covered by ITV, including UEFA Champions’ League football, Formula One, Rugby World Cup the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race, the Superbowl, and the Tour de France. Sharman will take up his position on 7 February, moving from Sky Networks where he has held the position of director of broadcasting and production for four years.
Sharman’s extensive broadcasting career began as an editor for ITV sport in the 1970s before becoming controller of news and sport at TVS. He then moved to Chrysalis TV as managing director from 1998 to 1992, followed by a two years as director of programmes for LNN. In 1994 Sharman joined BSkyB as director of programmes for Sky Sports and later became deputy manager for Sky Sports. In 1998 he was hired to launch Channel 4’s Test cricket coverage before returning to Sky in 2000.
Sharman’s appointment sees him step into the shoes of Brian Barwick who leaves ITV at the end of this month to take up the post of chief executive at the Football Association.
Commenting on the appointment, Nigel Pickard, director of programmes at ITV said: “Sport is integral to what ITV is about – live, event television that unites the nation and we now have a significant portfolio of top flight live events. Mark has a phenomenal track record not just in sports broadcasting but across the industry. He will be a great ambassador for ITV sports and a very valuable addition to the network.”
Sharman added: “I have many happy memories of working in ITV Sport, in particular at World of Sport under the late John Bromley. It will be a privilege to lead the team into a new era.”
ITV has been busy expanding its sport portfolio recently, signing a deal in October last year to secure the UK rights to the UEFA Cup Finals in both this year and the next, as well as this year’s UEFA Super Cup (see ITV Boosts Football Coverage With UEFA Deal).
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
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