Jennifer Sabatelle has been entrusted with guiding the CBS Sports brand in this era of media disruption. A key advisor to CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus, Sabatelle started at CBS in March 2000 as a programming and marketing coordinator and was promoted to senior vice president of communications in December 2013. In her position, she supervises the overall media relations efforts and strategy at CBS Sports and the CBS cable property CBS Sports Network, including corporate communications, social media, and the promotion of all CBS Sports’ personalities and programming.
In February 2019, Sabatelle oversaw the year-long promotion of Super Bowl LIII featuring shows across the CBS Corporation on multiple platforms including broadcast, cable and premium television, and digital leading up to exclusive game coverage of Super Bowl LIII. In 2016, Sabatelle also oversaw the year-long promotion of the landmark Super Bowl 50 featuring shows from nine CBS divisions with week-long, around-the-clock coverage from San Francisco and the Bay Area. She also led the promotion of a comprehensive redesign of CBS Sports’ iconic logo that implemented a new on-air graphics look for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, which debuted as part of the Network’s Super Bowl Week programming and Super Bowl 50. In addition, when CBS acquired the rights to the NFL’s new Thursday Night Football package in 2014, Sabatelle planned and oversaw the execution of the corporation-wide extensive media plan for the primetime property.
Under Sabatelle’s guidance, CBS Sports and Turner Sports collaborated in 2011 on the most extensive and unprecedented media strategy for the new landmark 14-year partnership to broadcast the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship until 2024. Sabatelle directed the multimedia partnership with CBS Sports, Turner Sports, and the NCAA to address the wide-ranging issues surrounding the introduction of the brand new model for the way the NCAA Tournament was presented on television with every game seen in its entirety on four channels across two networks.
Sabatelle helped institute all social media for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, working closely with CBS Interactive and executives, talent, and production on education, promotion, branding, and breaking news on all properties. In addition, she works closely with all the communication divisions within the CBS Corporation including CBS Entertainment, CBS News, and CBS Radio to cross promote and unify press and breaking news.
Sabatelle planned and coordinated the media strategy for the rebranding of CSTV to CBS College Sports Network in 2008 and of CBS College to CBS Sports Network in 2011. Both successful rebranding efforts resulted in significant coverage that has contributed to the Network's growth across all fronts.
In 2019, Sabatelle was named one of the Cynopsis Top Women in Sports for “Sports Centric Brands,” honoring an executive who has demonstrated an innovative approach to connecting with and engaging the sports audience.
Prior to serving as vice president of communication, Sabatelle was director of communications at CBS Sports since 2007, where she was responsible for CBS Sports’ college-related properties, including the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the SEC On CBS, and regular-season basketball. Sabatelle also oversaw the publicity efforts for CBS College Sports Network, and she worked closely with Showtime Sports on promotion for the CBS Sports-produced Inside the NFL.
Sabatelle served as the liaison between CBS Sports and CBS’s affiliated television stations. In addition, she contributed to the publicity efforts for the Network’s coverage of the NFL, PGA TOUR, including the Masters, the PGA Championship, the CBS Sports Spectaculars and other ancillary programming. Sabatelle was promoted to manager of communications in October 2006 after joining the CBS Sports Communications Department in May 2002 as senior press representative, working on the promotion of the personalities and programming related to NCAA basketball, SEC football, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
She joined CBS Sports in May 2000 as coordinator of programming and marketing. In her role, she was responsible for coordinating more than 600 hours of sports programming per year. In addition, she coordinated schedules and affiliate regionalization for the NFL and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and implemented NFL broadcast policies for the CBS Television Network. She also managed web inventory for NFL, NCAA, and AOL on CBS.com and CBSSportsline.com.
Sabatelle joined CBS Sports from the NFL where she was a broadcast assistant serving as a liaison between the League and its member clubs. In addition, she assisted in the construction of the NFL schedule and managed the NFL Instant Replay Communicators and Technicians. She began her career at Grey Advertising in Public Relations.