EXCLUSIVE: Sky’s head of sports rights leaves company

UK pay-television broadcaster Sky’s head of sports-rights acquisitions, Richard Verow, has left the company.

He decided to leave to pursue another opportunity, Sky told SportBusiness Media on Tuesday.

Verow was commercial director at Sky Sports for the past seven years.

Sky is currently searching for a replacement, but has placed no timescale on filling the position.

Verow’s rights-acquisition responsibilities are being covered, in the meantime, by Sky Sports’ deputy managing director, Jonathan Licht and managing director, Rob Webster.

The acquisitions team are reporting directly into Licht.

Verow worked at Sky for a total of over 12.5 years. Prior to becoming Sky Sports’ commercial director in 2012, he was Sky’s head of legal, responsible for Sports, Bet & Business. He worked as a commercial lawyer at the International Cricket Council before joing Sky.

Verow’s departure comes just months after his equivalent at rival pay-television broadcaster BT Sport, Steve Norris, left for a role at production company Gravity Media.