The content and commerce solutions provider in collegiate athletics, Learfield IMG College, announced former Ticketmater exec Cole Gahagan as the new President of Content for Multimedia Sales & Enterprise Solutions.
Currently, Gahagan is the Chief Commercial Officer for Fanatics, Inc., and previously, he worked as the Chief Revenue Officer for Ticketmaster and was the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at Live Nation. In his new role, Gahagan will focus on innovation and creative solutions for the collegiate market, something CEO Greg Brown thinks Gahagan will excel in due to his “natural connection with our business areas.” Gaghan has received honors for his work, and was named on the “Top 25 Digital Power Players” list by Billboard Magazine and the “Forty Under 40” by SportsBusiness Journal in 2017.
“As our company continues to evolve and deliver innovative ideas for our partners, Cole’s background in both college sports and professional sports, and his insight related to content, data, licensing and entertainment, will be invaluable to Learfield IMG College moving forward,” Brown said in a statement. “One of the benefits of our scale is the ability to attract great talent to our team to deliver strong results for our clients and partners.”
Gahagan will report to Brown and focus on the company’s multimedia rights content and sales, as well as a handful of other services like ticketing, licensing, and venue technology enterprises. He is “thrilled” to join the team, noting that the college sports business is “changing rapidly, with more required focus on digital mediums, fan connectivity and data.”
“Those very disciplines have been at the center of my previous roles, and when paired with Learfield IMG College’s track record and reputation, I’m beyond optimistic for the thought leadership and innovation to schools, brands, and partners.”
Learfield IMG College creates opportunities for fan engagement with licensing and multimedia sponsorship management, ticket sales, branding, and professional concessions expertise. The company, which originated in 2008 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas, advocates for intercollegiate athletes and the student-athlete experience.
To learn more about Learfield IMG College, visit their website.