Universal Sports Names Sternberg, Miller as New Chiefs

David Sternberg, former EVP and COO of Emerging Networks for Fox Cable Networks, has been named CEO of Universal Sports and Perkins Miller, formerly SVP, Digital Media for NBC Sports and Olympics, has been named COO of the company.

Universal Sports is coming off a year in which the channel’s distribution increased by more than 700%  and sales grew by more than 300%.

“With such tremendous growth in the business during the last two years, we recognized the need to bring in an experienced executive team to build on this momentum,” said Claude Ruibal, chairman and founder of Universal Sports. “I am thrilled to have a seasoned cable executive like David to lead the company forward, and to add Perkins’ skill and experience in business development, marketing, sales and digital media.”

“Claude and Carlos Silva and their team have done a great job securing critical rights and producing a first-rate television network in a remarkably short period of time,” said Sternberg. “Perkins and I are eager to build on this achievement and ensure that the millions of Olympic sports fans across the country can find their home on Universal Sports.”

Since June 2008, when NBC and InterMedia Partners officially announced their partnership with Universal Sports (formerly the World Championship Sports Network), distribution has grown from 1.5 million to being available today in more than 57 million television households.
Sternberg most recently served for nearly seven years as EVP and COO of Emerging Networks for Fox Cable Networks and GM of three U.S. networks: FUEL TV, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.  The three services rank among cable and satellite television’s fastest-growing sports networks.  Before joining Fox Sports International as Director of Business Development in 1998, Sternberg served as a management consultant in Price Waterhouse LLP’s Entertainment, Media and Communications Strategy Group in Los Angeles.
Miller was most recently Senior Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Sports and Olympics and General Manager for Universal Sports Network, where he oversaw all digital media initiatives for NBC Sports and NBC Olympics as well as NBC’s interests in Universal Sports. Miller has also managed NBC’s investment in Universal Sports since 2008. Prior to joining NBC, Miller was vice president and managing director for Time Warner’s Mountain Sports Media, overseeing business affairs for the magazine, film, and TV production group.