With MTV's record linear and digital growth, global youth brand taps former Bleacher Report president Rory Brown as new Head of Digital and Social

NEW YORK, April 8, 2019

In his new role, Brown will be responsible for building on MTV's resurgence as a top youth media brand, which now includes MTV Studios, live events such as "Spring Break" and the SnowGlobe Music Festival, leading cable channels and top-rated digital and social content. With 250 million followers, MTV currently boasts the largest social footprint among all entertainment brands (ListenFirst). MTV's fast-growing "Wild 'N Out" also boasts the #1 entertainment hip hop channel on YouTube.

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 ten years with the company, Brown helped it grow from a 13-person team and two million monthly unique visitors to more than one billion monthly social interactions, nine figures in annual revenue and more than 450 employees worldwide.

"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."

"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," said Parkes. "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."