YES Network Promotes Michael Spirito

Michael Spirito has been promoted to vice president, business development and digital media at the YES Network. Spirito joined YES in June 2006 as director, business development, and took on enhanced responsibilities when he became director of digital media and business development in October 2007. He will continue to report to YES COO Ray Hopkins.

Spirito oversees all digital media efforts at YES, including overall management of YESNetwork.com, and also takes the lead in exploring the network’s new business opportunities.

“Michael has done a tremendous job advancing YES’ business in the two years he has been here,” said Hopkins. “He is astute at recognizing trends and identifying where and how YES can build value as a company, and he will now play an even bigger role as we continue to aggressively pursue digital and other growth opportunities.”

Since joining YES in 2006, Spirito has negotiated and consummated deals with Yahoo!, Google, YouTube, The New York Times, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, STATS LLC, ROO Media and Joost, among others. He has also researched and formulated strategies for all new business opportunities, including those impacting YES’ distribution on cable, satellite, the telcos and numerous other new media platforms.

Spirito and his team have transformed YESNetwork.com into a key asset for YES, boasting a wealth of broadband content such as Yankees video highlights, streaming video, Yankees and Nets audio podcasts and Post-Game Plus, a Yankees post-game show produced exclusively for YESNetwork.com users.

Prior to joining the YES Network, Spirito earned a master’s degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in May 2006. While pursuing his master’s degree, he spent time at YES as special assistant to YES CEO and President Tracy Dolgin and Hopkins. Before entering Stanford, Spirito was a founding member and senior manager of Time Warner Inc.’s first centralized strategy and investments group, a $500 million media and entertainment investment fund.

Earlier, Spirito was an investment banking analyst in the Media and Telecommunications Group at Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation. Spirito graduated from Amherst College magna cum laude in May 1998 with a B.A. in economics.