Last month saw Glenn Adamo, VP NFL Media Operations, NFL Films & Broadcasting, end his long run with the league to launch Ivanhoe Media & Entertainment, dubbed as an independent consulting business focused on all aspects of media creation, production and delivery. The departure leaves a legacy at the league that ranges from generating over $2 billion in revenue through the creation of flex scheduling to developing the NFL’s largest deal ever with Westwood One Radio to initiating the digital overhaul of NFL Films.
Now, Adamo has his eyes on the technological world, dedicating his new company to leverage his knowledge and relationships to assist companies in their media strategy, execution and revenue generation. Cynopsis Sports asked Adamo about his decision to leave the NFL, the temptations of the digital sector and his goals with the new company.
Adamo on launching Ivanhoe: After 37 years, and I have a pretty varied career path, I felt that with everything happening in the world today, it was a great opportunity to get out there. With technology and digital media being as important as they are, and as cable continues to contract. I felt it was a great opportunity to start working with media companies and helping them think through their strategy, how to get to market best, how to deliver best in class service, etc. I think I can make a difference. The NFL treated me very well, but this isn’t about the NFL. It is about what will make Glenn Adamo happy.
On NFL Films: I was lucky. The group of people I managed there, and there were like 250 people, all they cared about the quality of what they did on the screen. There was never this worry about if they had a corner office or enough windows. The corporate culture of arrogance and entitlement doesn’t exist there. That and the support of the executives allowed me to do stuff like creating TeamCam for NFL Network, so that we saved millions of dollars; things like doing a digital transition with new Avid machines and cameras, and convincing them to stay in-house to transfer 50-60,000 hours into a digital format to make available to end users.
On pitches: I’ve talked to a bunch where I didn’t think they had a play. I think you have to believe in the technology or media company you are going to represent. Some of them have good ideas, but they don’t know where to go with them: how to get it to market, how to get it to the end user, how to get it to the league. There are, of course, the normal business questions you have to ask. But access and having somebody listen to their problems and be able to transparently say they don’t think it is going to work, such as a quarterback wearing a camera on his helmet that has a 250-foot wire. You have no idea how many of those ideas have come across my desk in the last 13 years.
On tips for companies: Don’t be afraid to collaborate and play to your strengths. A sure-fire way to fail is to try to be everything to everybody. I think that’s where companies fail, thinking, for example, that while they are a graphics company, they can also do all the data for the entire league, assuming that they get just get the resources to make that happen. Those people completely miss the point as to what their strengths are. I can help them strategically partner with people to extend a project out so that it can be really successful, not moderately successful.
