Versant has tapped former TelevisaUnivision and WarnerMedia executive Rob McGovern as its new senior vice president of ad sales for digital platforms and ventures, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
McGovern will report directly to and support Versant’s executive vice president of ad sales strategy and monetization Tom Winiarski in leading ad sales partnerships across its direct-to-consumer brands including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango at Home, GolfNow, GolfPass and SportsEngine.
Those partnerships are separate from NBCUniversal’s agreement to sell Versant’s advertising inventory for CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, SYFY and USA Network.
McGovern, who has over 30 years of media industry experience, most recently served as TelevisaUnivision’s SVP of multimedia sales. Other previous leadership roles include SVP of National Sales at Outfront Media, SVP of Client & Partnerships at WarnerMedia, and senior positions at Turner Broadcasting and Discovery Communications.
“He brings with him industry knowledge, strategic insight, and leadership experience that will be invaluable as we continue to grow our digital business and expand key partnerships,” Winiarski said in a memo to staff.
McGovern will be based in Los Angeles at 10 UCP.
The move comes on the heels of Versant’s investor day presentation, in which the company’s leadership outline its plans to “build beyond cable” following its split from Comcast in January.
As part of that plan, Fandango is launching free, ad-supported streaming on its Fandango at Home platform starting in the second half of 2026. Fandango also plans to grow its U.S. market share by growing its FanClub loyalty program, increasing cross-promotion across Versant’s linear networks, and establishing new partnerships with major circuits and independents. It will also expand internationally through Versant’s acquisition of the cloud-based cinema operating system Indy Cinema Group, which will be integrated into Fandango’s loyalty, payments and ticketing services. Nearly 20 million entertainment fans transacted with Fandango this year.
GolfNow will grow its core business through an expanded salesforce and distribution and product enhancements. It also plans to grow wallet share through upgrades, pricing and perks tied to bookings as well as personalized offers and new membership tiers. It also will look to tap into new audiences through additional international scale. GolfNow already exceeds 50% market penetration in the UK and Ireland.
In addition to Indy, Versant will also acquire FAST channel and free over-the-air digital broadcast networks provider Free TV Networks as it looks to expand its forms of distribution. Free TV Networks operates four distinct networks, with Versant planning to add original series to their programming schedule over time. Around 20 million households access TV exclusively over the air, representing about 16% of all U.S. households. About 20% of Oxygen’s audience accesses the network through an antenna.
Financial terms of the Indy Cinema Group and Free TV Networks acquisitions were not disclosed.
At the same time, Versant isn’t ruling out asset sales, confirming TheWrap’s previous reporting of a strategic review of alternatives for SportsEngine. An insider familiar with the discussions told TheWrap that the company received initial interest from about 80 parties. That number has been narrowed to about 10 parties in recent weeks. The insider pegged the youth sports technology platform’s valuation at around $400 million to $500 million.
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