The son of first-generation American immigrants, Petitti grew up in Queens, NY, playing baseball and regularly heading to the ballpark with his father, a New York City police officer. He went on to play Division III ball at Haverford College, catching behind the plate for four years before heading to Harvard Law School. After receiving his law degree, Petitti served a short stint at the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft before kicking off his career in broadcasting in 1988 as a general attorney for ABC Sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came into it with no background in [broadcasting] at all,\u201d recounts Petitti. \u201cI was learning as fast as I could over those first couple years. That\u2019s when I learned what went into creating a telecast in terms of programming, production, sales, and so on. Plus, I loved the ABC Sports broadcasts as a kid, and, suddenly, I was going into an office every day with pictures of Jim McKay, Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Keith Jackson on the walls. Just to be in that space that early in my career was pretty remarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petitti\u2019s legal career would come to an end when he took a position in the programming department at ABC Sports, eventually working his way up to VP of programming. He oversaw the acquisition and scheduling of college football and basketball, track and field, and NASCAR events and led the charge to expand coverage of the Little League World Series on ABC and the ESPN family of networks.<\/p>\n
His biggest contribution at ABC Sports was likely his work alongside Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer in creating college football\u2019s first No. 1 vs. No. 2 postseason championship game. After years of tireless negotiations with college commissioners, presidents, and athletic directors, the vision became reality in 1998 with the formation of the Bowl Championship Series to determine college football\u2019s national champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest issue was that the Rose Bowl had an enormous tradition of having [exclusively] the PAC 10 and the Big Ten involved. He was able to bring them to the table to at least listen,\u201d says Kramer. \u201cIt changed everything we had known as far as the postseason was concerned in college football.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Tiffany Network Revival: Rebuilding CBS Sports into a Powerhouse<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sportsvideo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Screen-Shot-2023-12-01-at-1.57.57-PM.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn 1997, Petitti joined CBS Sports, teaming with newly appointed President Sean McManus to rebuild the Tiffany Network sports portfolio after it lost its NFL rights package. As senior VP, business affairs and programming, his management responsibilities included all contract negotiations and future acquisitions. In addition to playing an instrumental role in returning the NFL to CBS, he built up such core events as The Masters, NCAA March Madness, SEC football, the PGA TOUR, and US Open tennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cSean was essentially charged with rebuilding CBS Sports, and the way to do that was to get the NFL back,\u201d says Petitti. \u201cI helped to lead the team and worked closely with Sean, spending every day for more than a year [strategizing about] how to get the NFL back and make CBS Sports stronger. It was an amazing experience to be part of that CBS Sports resurgence. With Sean leading the way, we changed the course of CBS Sports from that point forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 1999, Petitti\u2019s career took an unexpected detour when CBS Television CEO\/President Mel Karmazin asked him to take over as VP\/GM of WCBS-TV New York despite his having no experience in local television. Though new to the local-news game, Petitti went on to oversee the transformation and reshaping of the CBS flagship station, including acquiring the over-the-air rights to broadcast New York Yankees games and helping to guide he station through the tumultuous days of 9\/11 in 2001.<\/p>\n
Though continuing in a \u201cspecial advisor\u201d role to McManus during three years at WCBS-TV, Petitti would return to CBS Sports full-time in 2002, serving as executive producer and, eventually, executive VP. It was during this period, he says, that he \u201creally fell in love with production and storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTony Petitti has always had one of the most innovative minds from the production side of the business,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman Ken Aagaard, who worked alongside Petitti as VP, operations and engineering, at CBS Sports. \u201cHis desire to see a high-frame-rate camera on a golfer\u2019s swing created and initiated a staple of these types of cameras on all sports events. He was always capable of providing a vision and direction of how best to use technology. He instantly could see how new and different elements, graphics, and music can enhance the storytelling. Nobody better at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
All Baseball, All the Time: The Birth \u2014 and Growth \u2014 of MLB Network<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sportsvideo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Screen-Shot-2023-12-01-at-2.04.43-PM.png\")
<\/a>In 2008, Petitti left CBS for the opportunity to launch a cable sports network from scratch at MLB Network. Named president\/CEO in July 2008, he was tasked with assembling a team and building out a 24\/7 cable operation in less than six months to meet the launch date of Jan. 1, 2009.<\/p>\n\u201cFrom the very beginning,\u00a0which was Jan. 1 of that year, he did remarkable work and turned the network into the ultimate television destination for baseball fans across the country and around the world,\u201d says MLB Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig, who hired Petitti to run the network. \u201cTony\u2019s work was a great benefit to the game. Congratulations to Tony \u2014 it is certainly well-deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petitti led the creation, buildout, and launch of MLB Network in 50 million homes \u2014 at the time, the largest launch of a cable network in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s unique combination of creative and business vision made him the perfect person to chart MLB Network\u2019s launch,\u201d says Rob McGlarry, who succeeded Petitti as the network\u2019s president\/CEO in 2014. \u201cBeing part of his team in those early days, when everything was new \u2014 including graphics, broadcasters, production technology, sets, and programming schedules \u2014\u00a0is something for which I will be forever grateful.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s passion inspired everyone to try to make MLB Network better each day they came to work,\u201d McGlarry continues. \u201cI\u2019ve often joked with him that he made everyone feel like they were the most important person at the company, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2008 to \u201914, Petitti\u2019s vision touched every aspect of content and operations: programming, on-air talent, production team, studio creation, technical facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t walk around MLB Network without seeing Tony Petitti,\u201d says Susan Stone, senior VP, operations and engineering. \u201cHis legacy is in every corner of Studio 21, in every corner of Studio 42, and in every corner of Studio 3, including\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nPetitti\u2019s strategy for launching the network involved building a marquee primetime studio show and \u201cworking backward from there.\u201d That program,\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>, helped revolutionize the industry with a first-of-its-kind studio, on-air talent doing live demos on a regular basis, and whip-around style rarely seen in sports television at the time.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen he told me in October 2008 that we were going to do a show from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. or the last out on the West Coast, we all sort of went, \u2018Gulp,\u2019\u201d remembers Stone. \u201c[He said] the show was going to be like March Madness as if we are walking the dog between baseball games, and we did it. That\u2019s what\u00a0MLB Tonight\u00a0<\/em>has become. It\u2019s our flagship [program] and a big part of our legacy, as are so many things at MLB Network from the vision of Tony.\u201d<\/p>\nIn the Commissioner\u2019s Office: Innovation On and Off the Diamond<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIn 1997, Petitti joined CBS Sports, teaming with newly appointed President Sean McManus to rebuild the Tiffany Network sports portfolio after it lost its NFL rights package. As senior VP, business affairs and programming, his management responsibilities included all contract negotiations and future acquisitions. In addition to playing an instrumental role in returning the NFL to CBS, he built up such core events as The Masters, NCAA March Madness, SEC football, the PGA TOUR, and US Open tennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cSean was essentially charged with rebuilding CBS Sports, and the way to do that was to get the NFL back,\u201d says Petitti. \u201cI helped to lead the team and worked closely with Sean, spending every day for more than a year [strategizing about] how to get the NFL back and make CBS Sports stronger. It was an amazing experience to be part of that CBS Sports resurgence. With Sean leading the way, we changed the course of CBS Sports from that point forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 1999, Petitti\u2019s career took an unexpected detour when CBS Television CEO\/President Mel Karmazin asked him to take over as VP\/GM of WCBS-TV New York despite his having no experience in local television. Though new to the local-news game, Petitti went on to oversee the transformation and reshaping of the CBS flagship station, including acquiring the over-the-air rights to broadcast New York Yankees games and helping to guide he station through the tumultuous days of 9\/11 in 2001.<\/p>\n
Though continuing in a \u201cspecial advisor\u201d role to McManus during three years at WCBS-TV, Petitti would return to CBS Sports full-time in 2002, serving as executive producer and, eventually, executive VP. It was during this period, he says, that he \u201creally fell in love with production and storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTony Petitti has always had one of the most innovative minds from the production side of the business,\u201d says Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Chairman Ken Aagaard, who worked alongside Petitti as VP, operations and engineering, at CBS Sports. \u201cHis desire to see a high-frame-rate camera on a golfer\u2019s swing created and initiated a staple of these types of cameras on all sports events. He was always capable of providing a vision and direction of how best to use technology. He instantly could see how new and different elements, graphics, and music can enhance the storytelling. Nobody better at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
All Baseball, All the Time: The Birth \u2014 and Growth \u2014 of MLB Network<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/a>In 2008, Petitti left CBS for the opportunity to launch a cable sports network from scratch at MLB Network. Named president\/CEO in July 2008, he was tasked with assembling a team and building out a 24\/7 cable operation in less than six months to meet the launch date of Jan. 1, 2009.<\/p>\n\u201cFrom the very beginning,\u00a0which was Jan. 1 of that year, he did remarkable work and turned the network into the ultimate television destination for baseball fans across the country and around the world,\u201d says MLB Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig, who hired Petitti to run the network. \u201cTony\u2019s work was a great benefit to the game. Congratulations to Tony \u2014 it is certainly well-deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petitti led the creation, buildout, and launch of MLB Network in 50 million homes \u2014 at the time, the largest launch of a cable network in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s unique combination of creative and business vision made him the perfect person to chart MLB Network\u2019s launch,\u201d says Rob McGlarry, who succeeded Petitti as the network\u2019s president\/CEO in 2014. \u201cBeing part of his team in those early days, when everything was new \u2014 including graphics, broadcasters, production technology, sets, and programming schedules \u2014\u00a0is something for which I will be forever grateful.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s passion inspired everyone to try to make MLB Network better each day they came to work,\u201d McGlarry continues. \u201cI\u2019ve often joked with him that he made everyone feel like they were the most important person at the company, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2008 to \u201914, Petitti\u2019s vision touched every aspect of content and operations: programming, on-air talent, production team, studio creation, technical facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t walk around MLB Network without seeing Tony Petitti,\u201d says Susan Stone, senior VP, operations and engineering. \u201cHis legacy is in every corner of Studio 21, in every corner of Studio 42, and in every corner of Studio 3, including\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nPetitti\u2019s strategy for launching the network involved building a marquee primetime studio show and \u201cworking backward from there.\u201d That program,\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>, helped revolutionize the industry with a first-of-its-kind studio, on-air talent doing live demos on a regular basis, and whip-around style rarely seen in sports television at the time.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen he told me in October 2008 that we were going to do a show from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. or the last out on the West Coast, we all sort of went, \u2018Gulp,\u2019\u201d remembers Stone. \u201c[He said] the show was going to be like March Madness as if we are walking the dog between baseball games, and we did it. That\u2019s what\u00a0MLB Tonight\u00a0<\/em>has become. It\u2019s our flagship [program] and a big part of our legacy, as are so many things at MLB Network from the vision of Tony.\u201d<\/p>\nIn the Commissioner\u2019s Office: Innovation On and Off the Diamond<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>In 2008, Petitti left CBS for the opportunity to launch a cable sports network from scratch at MLB Network. Named president\/CEO in July 2008, he was tasked with assembling a team and building out a 24\/7 cable operation in less than six months to meet the launch date of Jan. 1, 2009.<\/p>\n\u201cFrom the very beginning,\u00a0which was Jan. 1 of that year, he did remarkable work and turned the network into the ultimate television destination for baseball fans across the country and around the world,\u201d says MLB Commissioner Emeritus Bud Selig, who hired Petitti to run the network. \u201cTony\u2019s work was a great benefit to the game. Congratulations to Tony \u2014 it is certainly well-deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Petitti led the creation, buildout, and launch of MLB Network in 50 million homes \u2014 at the time, the largest launch of a cable network in history.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s unique combination of creative and business vision made him the perfect person to chart MLB Network\u2019s launch,\u201d says Rob McGlarry, who succeeded Petitti as the network\u2019s president\/CEO in 2014. \u201cBeing part of his team in those early days, when everything was new \u2014 including graphics, broadcasters, production technology, sets, and programming schedules \u2014\u00a0is something for which I will be forever grateful.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony\u2019s passion inspired everyone to try to make MLB Network better each day they came to work,\u201d McGlarry continues. \u201cI\u2019ve often joked with him that he made everyone feel like they were the most important person at the company, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n
From 2008 to \u201914, Petitti\u2019s vision touched every aspect of content and operations: programming, on-air talent, production team, studio creation, technical facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t walk around MLB Network without seeing Tony Petitti,\u201d says Susan Stone, senior VP, operations and engineering. \u201cHis legacy is in every corner of Studio 21, in every corner of Studio 42, and in every corner of Studio 3, including\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Petitti\u2019s strategy for launching the network involved building a marquee primetime studio show and \u201cworking backward from there.\u201d That program,\u00a0MLB Tonight<\/em>, helped revolutionize the industry with a first-of-its-kind studio, on-air talent doing live demos on a regular basis, and whip-around style rarely seen in sports television at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he told me in October 2008 that we were going to do a show from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. or the last out on the West Coast, we all sort of went, \u2018Gulp,\u2019\u201d remembers Stone. \u201c[He said] the show was going to be like March Madness as if we are walking the dog between baseball games, and we did it. That\u2019s what\u00a0MLB Tonight\u00a0<\/em>has become. It\u2019s our flagship [program] and a big part of our legacy, as are so many things at MLB Network from the vision of Tony.\u201d<\/p>\nIn the Commissioner\u2019s Office: Innovation On and Off the Diamond<\/strong><\/h3>\n