NBC Sports Chicago Names Ed McGregor as New VP of Content Strategy

NBC Sports Chicago named veteran multimedia executive Ed McGregor to the position of Vice President of Content Strategy. The announcement was made by Kevin Cross, Senior Vice President/General Manager, NBC Sports Chicago, to whom McGregor will report.

As Vice President of Content Strategy, a position previously held by Cross prior to his promotion to SVP/GM in January, McGregor will lead NBC Sports Chicago’s comprehensive and growing portfolio of multi-platform content including, live events, programming, digital media, news, and original content.

“As our media landscape continues to evolve, it is imperative that we continue to innovate and enhance the fan viewing experience on every platform,” said Cross. “Ed’s vast experience, leadership skills, and collaborative spirit will be critical assets in helping us achieve our objectives from both a strategic and revenue-generating standpoint.”

Previously, McGregor spent the past 16 years at ESPN, most recently as Director of Content Integration (2014-18). In this position, he helped lead the network’s efforts to create, optimize, integrate, and monetize content in partnership with linear TV/digital video producers, digital/print media editors, radio/podcast producers, social/mobile staff, and multimedia sales groups. As co-founder of the network’s Content Sharing Initiative (CSI), McGregor’s collaborative efforts helped propel ESPN to record-breaking content consumption across its digital properties.

From 2002-2014, McGregor served as Deputy Editor for ESPN The Magazine/ESPN.com, where he executive produced the massively-popular “theme” issues for the magazine, reaching an audience of over 100M. In addition, McGregor also headed the magazine’s NFL and MLB departments, co-directing print/digital coverage with a team of 20 editors and writers. He also fostered a collaborative partnership with ESPN Films, and most notably served as a producer in the “30 for 30” documentary Catching Hell about the 2003 NLCS Game 6 incident and life aftermath of Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman. McGregor also earned a national Sports Emmy nomination as a coordinating producer for the network’s digital series entitled “Anatomy of a Pitch,” which utilized slow-motion cameras to break down the mechanics of several Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers.

Earlier in his career, McGregor held a pair of positions in New York, first as Editorial Projects Manager for Sports Illustrated (1996-2000), which followed with his role as Editor-in-Chief with Preview Sports (2000-2002). He began his career in the sports media industry as Manager of Publications for the Chicago Cubs (1988-1996).

Some of the industry honors McGregor has received include: Associated Press Sports Editors Award for Multimedia Presentation (“Anatomy of a Pitch”), three-time winner of the ASME National Magazine Award for General Excellence (ESPN The Magazine), Time Inc. President’s Award (Sports Illustrated), and two-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism (feature and column writing).

A native of Burr Ridge, Ill., McGregor received degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Sports Management (master’s) and Journalism (bachelor’s).