In sports media, the objective is to serve the audience and sponsors by delivering compelling, real-time access to competition. For networks covering year-round global events, that mandate demands tight coordination across every function; leading across ticketing, marketing, partnerships, production, and legal is an operational discipline.
“The biggest challenge is aligning the mission and aligning the priorities. Whatever you do in one part of the business does have a domino effect across the business,” says Peter Steckelman, Senior Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs at Tennis Channel. At the 24-hour multimedia network dedicated exclusively to professional tennis and the tennis lifestyle, Steckelman serves as a primary dealmaker and strategic advisor, overseeing complex media rights agreements, sponsorship and licensing deals, production matters, and enterprise risk across domestic and international markets.
Teams in this space can’t assume that alignment happens once at kickoff. It requires cadence. “Regular meetings where the reminders and the reiteration of the business ‘why’ are essential,” Steckelman says. Depending on the organization, that rhythm may be weekly, monthly, or event-driven. The purpose is to remind teams whether they’re acting as a media rights holder, a production arm, or a commercial partner, and to clarify the priority attached to each initiative.
Match the Pace of the Sport
Alignment becomes more complex in live sports. “You don’t have the ability to pause and stop and binge later,” Steckelman says. During a Grand Slam final, there’s no room for substantive disagreement that derails coverage. If a match stretches into a fifth set or runs long due to weather, then programming, production, social media, advertising, and legal teams must adjust instantly.
“You have to be nimble and active in real time,” explains Steckelman. The audience expects uninterrupted access, and advertisers expect visibility. Those real-time obligations shape culture, which is why organizations succeed “when it mirrors the energy and unpredictability of the sport itself.” Teams are reminded that the schedule on paper is secondary to the competition unfolding on court; social media may need to reengage viewers during a fourth-hour rally; and production may need to fill a rain delay with edited features.
The stakes here are commercial as well as reputational. “The priority for a sports media business is to identify those events and the athletes and honor them by providing that platform,” Steckelman says. Serving that priority consistently builds trust with both fans and partners.
Break Gridlock With Clarity and Accountability
Disagreement across commercial, creative, and operational teams is an inevitable part of the business. “Disagreements can happen, but what it can’t do is lead to gridlock,” he says, emphasizing that leadership in those moments requires firmness without hostility: “I’m telling you, I’m not asking.” That firmness works best when paired with collaboration. Teams should be heard on why they believe a particular genre, event, or rights package drives value.
The sports media landscape offers constant examples of strategic divergence. Some networks prioritize marquee events, while others invest in the full competitive calendar. Each path reflects a different assessment of audience growth, cost structure, and long-term positioning. What matters internally is that once a direction is chosen, the organization moves in a straight line. Without that linear momentum, businesses suffer inertia as content pipelines shrink and audiences seek alternatives.
Give Every Stakeholder a Seat at the Table
Trust accelerates alignment, and Steckelman builds it by treating the people working under him as partners. Giving each department a seat at the table, he shares, transforms meetings from transactional updates into collaborative strategy sessions. “I don’t treat my colleagues as workers doing an assignment for me. I treat them as partners in the ultimate mission.”
This stakeholder model creates both connection and accountability. When teams contribute to the plan, they also own its outcome. If access to five athletes yields only one confirmed interview, the group adapts and extracts maximum value from that opportunity. The conversation happens in the room, not in hindsight. Trust also enables proactive problem-solving. Colleagues feel comfortable walking down the hall to test an idea, clarify a contractual issue, or flag reputational risk.
A More Is More Approach to Growth
As digital platforms multiply and fan engagement evolves, Steckelman is in favor of greater expansion. “More is more,” he says. The goal is to bring the sport in audiovisually and push it out across every viable platform: cable, direct-to-consumer, fast channels, and social media.
Year-round storytelling deepens loyalty. Covering not only the match but the practice session, the recovery, and the off-court moments strengthens the emotional connection between fan and athlete. That connection fuels engagement metrics, which in turn support media rights valuations and advertising revenue.
For Steckelman, cross-functional leadership in sports and media isn’t about controlling every variable. It’s about aligning around purpose, acting decisively, and creating a culture where collaboration moves at the speed of competition.
Follow Peter Steckelman on LinkedIn for more insights.
