Washington, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which completed the acquisition of NBC Sports Washington on September 20th, today announced a key new hire and additional partners to lead the work on integrating the network into the larger Monumental platform, while also building for the future.
Friday Abernethy has been appointed the new General Manager of the network. Abernethy is a strategic dealmaker with high-impact media experience and a proven ability to inspire, grow, and reimagine businesses. An innovative and collaborative leader known for meeting industry disruption head-on, Friday has managed significant revenue streams, reimagined long-time partnerships, and transformed business models to reflect technological advances. Abernethy will oversee day-to-day operations of the network while working with existing leadership to build best-in-class linear and digital services for current and new partners alike.
“I’m incredibly pleased to announce the appointment of several reputable industry professionals and agencies who will augment our existing leadership team, provide complementary skillsets and experiences, and accelerate our transition to our future state,” Zach Leonsis, President, Media & New Enterprises for Monumental Sports shared. “Our organization has worked tirelessly to prepare for a thoughtful and competent approach to fully integrating this network into our platform. These announcements demonstrate the wherewithal and level of seriousness with which we approach this transition.”
Monumental seeks to reimagine how local networks connect with sports fans, given changing consumption habits and new and emerging technologies. To achieve this, they have partnered with industry leaders in their respective fields to bring something truly new to sports fans and the sports industry.
Rebranding: To support the network’s rebrand effort, Monumental has retained Washington, DC metro area-based HZ, a brand experience agency.
Advertising: Monumental has partnered with industry leader, Playfly, to drive unwired and national advertising sales across its linear broadcast channel and the digital platforms.
Production Facility: Diversified has been engaged to design and deliver a brand-new production facility near Capital One Arena. Serving as the prime technology partner, Diversified provides all scenic, lighting, AV, and broadcast and digital technology solutions within the new facility.
Digital Platform and Tech Solutions: ViewLift, a leading end-to-end digital platform providing OTT distribution solutions for content owners across multiple device platforms, including web, mobile, connected TV devices, smart TVs and gaming consoles, is the digital partner for Monumental. Monumental has tapped ViewLift to design, integrate, develop, and launch a robust digital experience for Mid-Atlantic sports fans across all major streaming devices. The new digital platform will ultimately replace existing infrastructure provided by NBC Universal and Monumental Sports Network.
Leonsis continued, “Acquiring our local media network provides us with an exceptional opportunity to take a step back, collaborate with existing leadership, and invest into the future. We could not be more excited to debut the results of this significant undertaking to fans and partners alike later in 2023.”
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About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit monumentalsports.com.
About HZ
HZ is a brand experience agency focused on creating unified, distinct and relevant branded experiences across any and every possible touchpoint. Headquartered in the Washington, DC metro area since 1987, HZ joined the WPP network as part of BCW Group in 2018, bringing their nimble creative approach to some of the world’s most beloved brands. With expertise spanning across brand identity, campaigns, digital experiences and content, our clients include the Washington Wizards, Volkswagen, Dollar General, Kawasaki, AvalonBay, Organic Valley, Johnson & Johnson and others. Visit hzdg.com to learn more.
About Playfly Sports
Fan Focused, Data Driven. Playfly Sports is the emerging leader in sports marketing, media and technology. By connecting more than 2,000 brand partners with approximately 83% of all U.S. sports fans, Playfly Sports delivers scalable, data-oriented marketing and media solutions. Playfly Sports operates at local, regional and national levels with a growing portfolio of multi-faceted, fan-focused divisions. Capabilities include exclusive MMR management, media and sponsorship activation, valuation, consulting, and development, custom advertising creative and digital content production, all along with new revenue-driving platforms and technologies.
Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports has made an immediate impact on the sports industry. The company is now home to more than 700 team members located across 31 U.S. states dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. Playfly Sports: Fan Focused, Data Driven. Follow Playfly Sports on social media @PlayflySports or visit playfly.com.
About Diversified
Diversified is a leading global technology solutions provider delivering a comprehensive suite of solutions to help a diverse clientele achieve the highest performance levels, enhance their operations, increase productivity and drive ROI. With solutions that are experienced by millions every day, our mission is to enable a digital future—connecting people, technology and experiences, where and when it matters most. Founded in 1993, we’re a global organization serving local needs. Learn more at onediversified.com.
About ViewLift
ViewLift is a full-service digital content distribution platform empowering media companies, sports leagues and teams, broadcasters and others to monetize their content through native branded apps on major OTT devices including web, mobile, TV-connected devices, Smart TVs and gaming consoles. ViewLift operates across the digital ecosystem, understanding each device’s unique requirements and best practices. ViewLift offers clients a range of monetization models on a proprietary platform with advanced analytics, tracking performance in real-time. To learn more please visit viewlift.com.
