CBC Sports Names Executive Director

TORONTO: CBC English Services has named Jeffrey L. Orridge as executive director of sports properties for CBC Sports, effective April 4.

Orridge will join CBC from Toronto’s Right to Play International, where he was COO and head of global business development. Prior to his role at Right to Play, Orridge was at Mattel, serving as VP of worldwide licensing as well as entertainment and new business development.

Orridge was also the head of legal and business affairs for the first U.S. Olympic basketball Dream Team, for which he received the 1992 Sports Marketer of the Year Award.

"We are delighted to welcome Jeffrey to CBC," said Kirstine Stewart, executive VP of CBC English Services. "He is an exceptional sports executive with a strong background in rights negotiations and strategy development and implementation. He’s grown a number of highly recognizable sports brands and has a strong reputation for partnership building both within and among organizations in the corporate and not-for-profit worlds. He is an excellent fit with CBC Sports and the rapidly-changing sports programming environment."

Stewart continued: "Whether we’re thinking about our core hockey programming, major international events like FIFA World Cup Soccer, our extensive roster of amateur sports or potential future projects, our focus is on innovation and how we create and offer content that connects with Canadians. Jeff understands the current state of play in the industry and has a clear vision of how CBC Sports can continue to lead the way, now and in the future."

Orridge added: "I look forward to joining the CBC team and getting started. CBC Sports is among the best-known and most-respected brands in the history of Canadian broadcasting. We are anticipating an exciting NHL Stanley Cup Playoff schedule, with women’s FIFA World Cup Soccer soon to follow. Our sports schedule overall represents an extraordinary opportunity and value proposition for both our audiences and our advertising partners."