For The Win has been a huge success for USA Today Sports, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Fox Sports Digital is tabbing one of the people behind that venture to run its operation.
Mark Pesavento will be the new Senior Vice President of Content for Fox Sports Digital, charged with overseeing all editorial and video content development for the site. In addition, he will manage Fox Sports’ relationship with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media outlets.
As I depart for @FOXSports, a big thank you to everyone at @USATODAYsports and @ForTheWin for making my time at USAT special.
— Mark Pesavento (@markpesavento) July 7, 2015
Also, I am damn proud of the @USATODAYsports mobile app. Props to @TimWGardner for his leadership of that killer team. You guys are great.
— Mark Pesavento (@markpesavento) July 7, 2015
As Vice President of Digital Strategy with USA Today Sports Media Group, Pesavento helped launch For The Win, as well as the USA Today Sports app, FantasyScore daily fantasy games and USA Today Sports Digital Properties, which includes sites such as The Big Lead, HoopsHype and MMAJunkie.
“I think Fox Sports is in a very good position to capitalize on evolving media consumption habits,” Pesavento told Awful Announcing. “At USA TODAY Sports and For The Win, we focused on the mobile consumption and social distribution of content, which matches up with what Fox Sports is already doing well and will do more of — specifically in mobile-friendly video but also in reported social news.
“When you think about how people consume content now, there’s been a shift toward short-form video in their social streams. This is an area that aligns nicely with our strengths as a company and we intend to continue exploring this territory.”
Prior to joining USA Today Sports, Pesavento was the managing editor of Yahoo! Sports, supervising the development of blogs such as Big League Stew, Puck Daddy and Shutdown Corner, and helping boost the site to its status as the top sports portal online during his tenure. Previous duties at Yahoo! Sports included editing the site’s MLB and Olympics coverage.
With a resume that also includes editorial stints at the Los Angeles Times and Sporting News, Pesavento brings a wealth of experience from both the digital and print sides to his new position. His track record with USA Today Sports and Yahoo! Sports is impressive, helping to create two destinations for sports fans online and through mobile. This is a big hire for Fox Sports Digital, one that stands to make the venture a key part of our sports media diet.
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About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.