Rick Westhead, long time Canadian Sports/business reporter now with TSN broke the story here in Canada, that former TSN producer turned President, Argos President, and Rogers Media CEO, Keith Pelley who took the European Tour by surprise when he came out of the pack to be hired as their CEO in 2015 two years after convincing the Rogers family to cough up $5 billion over 12 years for the NHL rights, luring them away from his former employers at Bell Media / TSN is returning home to yet another high profile gig, this one as CEO of MLSE.
He brings home his family from a 8 1/2 year stint, based in the very leafy lanes of Surrey, England where he was given the keys to the world of golf, and days after R&A CEO Martin Slumbers announced his retirement at the end of 2024.
Pelley was well received initially by the European Tour players and media, always ready to listen to veteran players and staffers alike, and soon in typical Pelley fashion for those of us who know him made moves to innovate and improve.
He had this to say. “This role with MLSE, and the chance to be involved with my hometown sports teams in Toronto, was the one opportunity that I simply could not resist. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do at some point in my career and I’m very grateful to be given that chance.
It has been an incredible honour to be the Chief Executive of this wonderful institution for the past eight and a half years.
“When I came over from Canada back in 2015, I set out to create a culture of innovation and to grow our prize funds and our Tour for our members by ensuring that we appealed to new, younger and more diverse audiences.
“We have done that and so much more because our players, staff, partners, broadcasters and fans have all fundamentally bought into that philosophy that we are in the entertainment industry. I would therefore like to thank everyone for their support and commitment to innovation and evolution in our sport.
Under Pelley’s leadership, the European Tour group introduced the Rolex Series, DP World’s title partnership of the group’s main Tour, the G4D Tour for Golfers with a Disability, mixed events with the LET and LPGA, and staged the two most successful Ryder Cups to be played on European soil, in Paris in 2018 and Rome in 2023.
However, recently following a difficult time with COVID, and now a game changing relationship with the Saudi's, the DP World Tour under his leadership has become perceived by many as a feeder tour for the PGA Tour, with too many events, for far less money, waiting for whatever his counter part PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan agrees to become the new norm in the men's pro game.
Allowing the top 10 players on the European Tour to have full status on the PGA Tour every year under the Strategic Alliance has been considered suicidal for the tour by his critics and some of his sponsors.
Guy Kinnings currently Pelley's deputy will become CEO as of April 2nd.
However Pelley has a DNA that is well known here, always ready to make his mark and move on in a career that has been wildly successful for the former TSN producer.
Remember, the man who had a sign on his desk while here saying 'The Pelley way" has already been the President of TSN, and Rogers Media (SNET) who share ownership of MLSE along with Larry Tannenbaum, so is well familiar with the protagonists involved, some might say "better the devil you know"
I have contacted my friends and colleagues in Britain and will write more of their insight in the days to come, an early comment from a respected veteran of the European Tour " Not so sure he'll be missed to be honest"
I worked with Keith both at TSN and Rogers so have known him well since he was producing Sportsdesk back in 1989.
He has a son Jason who is on a golf scholarship at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
For those of us who have lived in the UK, Keith and his family lived in luxury, Virginia Waters in Surrey, England is the UK HQ for the European Tour, kind of like Rosedale /Forest Hills here in Toronto, so life was good, involved daily with Europe's most famous sports figures, celebrities, politicians, movers and shakers, not bad for the kid from Etobicoke. who went to Martingrove Collegiate.
He will take with him friendships and memories he would never had without taking on the job, and that for me would be priceless.
Expect an official announcement as soon as tomorrow..
Bryan Angus
No comments:
Post a Comment