It probably wouldn’t come as much of a shock to most that the first television advertisement ever broadcasted was done so in conjunction with a sporting event.
Just prior to the first pitch between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies on July 1, 1941, viewers saw a map of the United States appear on their television screens, overlaid by a Bulova clock. They then heard the slogan, “ America runs on Bulova time.”
The ad, which ran on New York City’s NBC affiliate WNBT – now WNBC – cost the Bulova Watch Company the “hefty” sum of $9 for a precious 20 seconds. Inflation being what it is, that would equate to roughly $127 today. That total does not seem like much, especially considering that in 2007 the average cost of a single 30-second spot during the Super Bowl was $2.6 million.
Before television, radio proved that people were willing to buy air to sell their products. Today, selling air is a lucrative enterprise to say the least, one that Kyle Sherman is intimately familiar with as the executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports Net.
“ I’m responsible for advertising sales on our group of regional sports nets (RSNs), in addition to many other affiliated RSN’s like MSG (New York Knicks and New York Rangers), YES (New York Yankees and New York Nets), NESN (Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins), and Comcast Sports Net,” Sherman said. “We reach about 80 million homes in the U.S. with home team coverage of Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League games. I also have responsibility for ad sales of the Big Ten Network.”
Sherman, a native of New Orleans, was once a film major at Loyola in the Crescent City but decided a change in curriculum was in order. He chose LSU to do so, and earned his bachelor’s in business and public administration in 1984. A 13-year career in broadcast television sales followed before Sherman joined Fox Sports Net in 1998 as senior vice president of ad sales for the Western Region. In 2000, he was promoted to run all national ad sales and in 2007 was promoted to oversee all national and regional ad sales.
“ We work hard to provide sports marketing solutions for national and regional advertisers,” Sherman said. “We reside in a space in-between media and sponsorship since we have elements of each as part of our arsenal. The essential message about Fox is that we will be one of the few entertainment companies standing at the end since we have been aggressive both as content providers and as distribution owners. We’ve expanded our distribution and content with strategic acquisitions like MySpace and the Wall Street Journal, including wsj.com, that ensure our transition to a digital future.”
According to Sherman, his own future was enhanced when he made the decision to attend LSU.
“Certainly as a point of entry into business, a degree was necessary,” Sherman said. “What LSU provided was a fundamental understanding of business, not just the media business, but real business. That diversity allows me to work smartly with my clients since they feel I understand their particular issues and challenges. I’m also challenged to understand and react to financials, and LSU prepared me for that as well.”
As he recalls Saturday nights in Death Valley, all-night study sessions supplemented with trips to Denny’s, and the Tiger Arcade for “some Mrs. Pac Man,” Sherman remembers friends and professors who shaped his worldview. More than 20 years later, his professional life and collegiate world intertwined a bit as LSU competed for the Bowl Championship Series National Championship earlier this month against Ohio State University. The game was carried by Fox.
Sherman attended the game, donning purple and gold. He was not responsible for the airtime sold for the championship game and has had to control his exuberance regarding the outcome a bit among his professional colleagues. After all, he is responsible for the Big Ten Network, of which the Buckeyes are a member institution, and so he “avoided upsetting some really terrific people that I work with from that conference.”
Along with his wife, Lori, Sherman calls the West Coast home with daughters Courtney and Sarah. Considering no one from his mother’s side of the family had ever left Louisiana, moving to California was intimidating.
“Although I miss many things about the great state of Louisiana,” Sherman said, “the center of gravity for my business and family is here, so here I stay.”
Despite the fact that he is so far away from his original home, Sherman is cognizant of his alma mater and what the role of its alumni should be in increasing its success.
“I would hope that the alumni are used as a resource for the life skills and knowledge acquired in our business careers,” Sherman said. “With all the great knowledge taught at LSU, it is necessary to build a bridge of reality to the business world so students can pick up some sage advice and perspective as they launch their careers. Also, we should reach out to graduates who are interested in our particular field to interview and see if there’s a path available to recruit. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention financial commitments as well...My check is in the mail.”
Now that he lives in Manhattan Beach, just outside of Los Angeles, Sherman is hoping for what many have looked forward to since 2003 – a title game match-up between the Tigers and USC. He has a bit more at stake in that potential game than most though.
“My wife went to USC so I’m pulling for a USC-LSU BCS so we can be the talk of the neighborhood,” he said.
One thing is for certain. If that match-up does come to pass, and if he is responsible for it, Sherman will definitely be able to get much more than $9 for every 20 seconds of air he sells.
