The Action Network Signs Darren Rovell to Multi-Year Deal

The Action Network announced today that Darren Rovell has joined the company as a Senior Executive Producer. He’ll be covering all angles of the sports betting world—from big bets to bad beats to high-profile personalities to market moves—as well as helping to develop best-in-class product ideas.

“Over the past several years my coverage of sports gambling has shifted from occasionally to nearly daily,” Rovell said. “This is a dynamic sector that will impact everything from data and media rights to sponsorship and fan engagement and I felt the only way to cover this business was to go all in.”

Rovell joins The Action Network after 18 years covering the increasingly connected worlds of sports, entertainment and business. In two stints at ESPN, from 2000-06 & 2012-18, he regularly wrote for ESPN.com and contributed to ESPN shows, including SportsCenter and Outside The Lines. He also served as a business correspondent for ABC News, where he made appearances on the network’s flagship shows, including “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight” and “Nightline.”

While at CNBC from 2006-2012, Rovell anchored five primetime documentaries, including “Swoosh! Inside Nike,” which was nominated for an Emmy. Rovell also contributed to NBC News, where he earned an Emmy as a correspondent for the network’s Presidential Election coverage.

Rovell has more than two million followers on Twitter and, in 2016, was named the top influencer on Twitter for Super Bowl Bowl 50, according to influencer marketing company Onalytica. In 2018, SportsBusiness Journal ranked Rovell the sixth most influential sports media personality on social media.

“Darren is a tireless creator whose proven ability to bring sports business into the mainstream turned him into a massive influencer,” says Patrick Keane, CEO of The Action Network. “As more states legalize sports betting and more fans want to engage in the conversation, he has the talent and the drive to do the same for our industry.”

“Darren has a gift for making any kind of content accessible to the broadest audience,” says Chad Millman, Chief Content Officer at The Action Network. “He is a digital native whose enthusiasm and passion for finding ways to connect with users has kept him at the leading edge of conversations in sports.”

Rovell is the author of two books, including “First In Thirst: How Gatorade Turned The Science of Sweat Into A Cultural Phenomenon.” The book was named by Soundview Summaries as one of the 30 best business books of 2005. He is also a partner in Tastemaker Capital, a food and beverage venture capital fund that invests in early stage startups.

Launched in January 2018 by The Chernin Group, The Action Network provides users premium storytelling and analysis, real-time odds, in-depth information on the betting markets, personalized alerts and the ability to track their bets via their website and a mobile app offering.