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The Big Ten is close to tabbing former television and Major League Baseball executive Tony Petitti to serve as its next commissioner, according to multiple reports. Petitti will step into the role vacated by former commissioner Kevin Warren, who left to take over as president of the Chicago Bears in January and negotiated a new seven-year media rights deal for the league with CBS, Fox and NBC that is valued at approximately $1.2 billion annually before his departure.
Petitti has developed a storied career in the sports industry through the years. He took over as chief operating officer of Major League Baseball after Rob Manfred was elevated to commissioner of the league in 2015. Prior to that, Petitti served as president and chief executive officer of MLB Network, overseeing the launch the network and running day-to-day operations during its infancy.
He held the role until 2020 when he left to join Activision Blizzard in the roie of president of sports and entertainment. His primary focus at Activision Blizzard was oversight of the companies esports, consumer products and film and television ventures.
Petitti was a titan at CBS Sports beginning in 1997 when he was hired away from ABC to serve as senior vice president of business affairs and programming. He was named executive vice president of CBS Sports in 2005, and was an integral part of the network’s NFL coverage before leaving to join Major League Baseball.
Petitti’s experience with MLB Network, his connections across the sports industry and recent work in the emerging esports market will help the Big Ten move forward in an ever-evolving industry. The multiple ways in which individuals…
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