2016 Hall of Fame Inductees to Be Honored at Cynopsis Sports Business Summit in NYC

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Billy Bean, Lesa France Kennedy, Peter King and Bill Rasmussen will be awarded on June 22

'We are honored to welcome 4 of the industry’s true trailblazers, who have each left an impact on the business & have opened doors for the public to view sports as never before,' said Chris Pursell, Director of Sports Content & Editor of Cynopsis Sports.

Cynopsis Sports, the leading daily publication for sports media executives, is proud to induct four distinguished executives in the 2016 Hall of Fame at the fifth annual Cynopsis Sports Business Summit on Wednesday, June 22 at New York Athletic Club in New York City. The honorees from MLB, International Speedway Corporation, ESPN and Sports Illustrated have each transformed how sports and pop culture intersect.

“We are honored to welcome four of the industry’s true trailblazers, who have each left an impact on the business and have opened doors for the public to view sports as never before,” said Chris Pursell, Director of Sports Content and Editor of Cynopsis Sports.

As MLB’s Vice President of Social Responsibility & Inclusion, Billy Bean is the only openly gay Major League Baseball player (current or former) alive today. After playing in the Major Leagues from 1987-1995, he now provides awareness of baseball’s social responsibility initiatives, with a particular focus on LGBT inclusion, and to communicate resources to all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees, and stakeholders throughout MLB to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and supportive workplace for everyone.

Lesa France Kennedy is Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors for International Speedway Corporation and Vice Chairperson of NASCAR. Kennedy's conscious leadership, authenticity and incredible vision make her one of the most influential leaders in the motorsports industry, In 2013, Kennedy launched ISC’s largest development project to date – DAYTONA Rising, a $400 million re-creation of the company’s flagship motorsports facility, the Daytona International Speedway. In January 2016, Daytona International Speedway became the world’s first modern motorsports stadium, revolutionizing the sport and fan experience.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year and considered one of the most authoritative and respected football writers in America. The author of six books, he has covered the NFL for nearly three decades. His role in launching dedicated vertical TheMMQB.com set the pace for the future of sports platforms, drawing on his access to players, coaches, league officials and others around the game. In addition, King serves as NFL Insider for NBC’s Football Night in America.

Bill Rasmussen’s legacy in sports has resonated not only throughout the country, but around the world as he gave the world its first 24-hour television network for sports. As the Founder of ESPN, he broke the advertising barrier to cable television by signing Anheuser Busch to the largest cable TV advertising contract ever. As a life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen’s innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting are tremendous and include the creation of “Sports Center,” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, and coverage of the College World Series.

Executives from sports brands, networks and leagues will share key perspectives on growing brands, monetizing value and building communities by tapping into the unrivaled passion of the sports fan. The June 22 Summit will feature a lineup of speakers from brands, networks and companies such as AEG Global Partnerships, BTN, Bruin Sports Capital, CSE, FIBA, FOX Sports, Instagram, Intel, LiveLike VR, MLB, NBC Sports Group, NeuLion, Octagon, Oculus VR, the PGA TOUR, Sportradar US, Tennis Channel, VICE Sports, Whistle Sports Network and many more. See full speaker list.

The Summit, sponsored by NeuLion, Phoenix Marketing International, Sportradar, and rEvolution, will be held at the New York Athletic Club in New York City and will feature keynotes from FIBA and Intel, plus content-rich sessions focused on the state of the industry, virtual reality, OTT and more. For more details, go to http://www.cynopsissportssummit.com.

For questions about registration, contact Sarah Martinez at sarah(at)cynopsis(dot)com or go to http://www.cynopsissportssummit.com. For sponsorship information, contact Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mike Farina at mike(at)cynopsis(dot)com.

About Cynopsis Media:
Cynopsis Media is what the TV industry reads first every day. The Cynopsis Media family of products includes the media industry's most-read daily, Cynopsis, plus sister dailies Cynopsis Digital and Cynopsis Sports, the Cynopsis Jobs board and special reports. Serving TV, agency and brand professionals, Cynopsis Media produces conferences, webinars, and awards programs that are second to none. Find out more at cynopsis.com.

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