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Ware joins Tennis Channel

April 9, 2014

LOS ANGELES — Tennis Channel has appointed Adam Ware to the newly created position of senior vice president, head of digital media. He will be based in the network’s Los Angeles headquarters and see to the continuation of its extensive digital growth of late, including its Tennis Channel Everywhere app and the ongoing rollout of TV Everywhere accessibility. Ware has worked with Tennis Channel’s Web and distribution teams in the development of both projects since early 2013 as an outside consultant to the network. Now moving into a full-time position, he will report to Ken Solomon, Tennis Channel chairman and CEO, and Bill Simon, Tennis Channel COO and CFO.

“Adam’s long career in the television industry, track record in launching new entertainment products, and innovations in the mobile and digital space make him an ideal fit to continue Tennis Channel’s rapid expansion in these areas,” said Solomon. “These platforms have already changed the way we’re bringing tennis to our viewers and there’s a huge opportunity for the game itself to grow further with them. In many ways, the technology that is emerging today has finally caught up with our sport which, by its very nature, simply has too much great content for linear television alone, even in the case of a channel dedicated entirely to the sport.”

Tennis is unique among America’s traditionally favored sports in that there are balances between men and women, singles and doubles; overlapping events and multiple, simultaneous matches; and a wide variety of global time zones. This is significantly different than baseball, football, basketball, hockey or soccer, which typically feature most games in the evenings or on weekends.

Instead, tennis’ far-ranging, daylong tournament nature is tailor made for mobile applications that allow fans to keep up with continuous, live play throughout the entire day. Because of this the sport, and its biggest stars, are essentially always on. To that end, a number of distribution partners have included Tennis Channel in their first wave of TV Everywhere authenticated networks, among them DIRECTV and Verizon FiOS.

In addition to mobile growth, Ware will focus on utilizing the network’s abundance of tennis rights to expand its video-on-demand (VOD) library of content.

Ware has extensive television experience, much of it focused on sports and multicultural media, and a sizeable list of new-network launches on his resume. These include FOX, UPN, Mnet America and LATV. He most recently acted as founder and principal of Aware Media Consulting, a boutique firm that offered strategic counseling to media companies with a particular emphasis on digital media and emerging audiences. In that capacity Ware was intimately involved in the development of select mobile and digital platforms for Tennis Channel, including the launch of the network’s app in 2013. Additional Aware Media Consulting clients included AOL, Comcast Cable, Liberty Media, Boston Ventures Investment Partners and the United Talent Agency.

Previously Ware served as acting CEO of Mnet America, a U.S.-based television network dedicated to Asian Americans and Asian pop culture. While there he oversaw the channel’s launch and growth to reach 20 million homes. Ware has held senior leadership positions within numerous television organizations, including FOX, UPN and USA Broadcasting.

Ware attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and lives in Beverly Hills, Calif., with his family.