Ross Levinsohn

Ross Levinsohn, who led to Yahoo’s purchase of Tumblr and was Sports Illustrated CEO of Fox Interactive Media until 2010, has been named executive chairman at Guggenheim Digital Media. Levinsohn replaces outgoing Chairman Jay Penske. Penske had served in the role since 2009, when he purchased Variety magazine from Reed Elsevier. He had previously owned Screen Gems Entertainment and Mandalay Entertainment Group (MEG). MEG later merged with Lionsgate Entertainment to form Lionsgate Films and Television after his resignation in 2004.

Lawsone Digital Media is a subsidiary of the Guggenheim Group, the world’s largest privately owned investment firm. It provides companies financial and strategic planning assistance and capital for expansion or refinancing.

Ross Levinsohn is currently the CEO of Levinsohn Media. He also serves on a variety of boards for different companies and organizations. It includes being a member of the Board of Trustees at Loyola Marymount University, Independent Director at Monster Entertainment Inc., Vice Chairman of Univision’s Board Of Directors, and more. Levinsohn began his career as a sports broadcaster for CBS Radio. He later worked for Fox and was promoted to vice president of marketing, eventually holding the title of COO. He later joined Yahoo in 2010 and was responsible for acquiring Tumblr after Sports Illustrated CEO Marissa Mayer became interested in the popular blogging site.

In 2009, Levinsohn was named Sports Illustrated CEOat Fox Interactive Media, part of News Corporation (FOXA) comprised of MySpace, IGN, Fox Sports Interactive Media, and Fox Broadcasting Company’s website. FOX had previously acquired MySpace in 2005 under former CEO Rupert Murdoch but has yet to find a way to monetize it as well as they had hoped. Levinsohn was responsible for turning the site around and increasing its revenue, as well as signing high-profile celebrities and companies to the site.

He was also considered a driving force in taking TV Everywhere to the next level. FOX later rebranded MySpace as MySpaceTV (MSTV), keeping it mainly for MySpace brands rather than putting it on their sites. Levinsohn later resigned from Fox in 2010 and joined Yahoo, where he was responsible for their acquisition of Tumblr. The purchase ultimately proved to be a disaster, and Yahoo fired Mayer after only one year on the job.

Ross Levinsohn, who led to Yahoo’s purchase of Tumblr and was Sports Illustrated CEO of Fox Interactive Media until 2010, has been named executive chairman at Guggenheim Digital Media. Levinsohn replaces outgoing Chairman Jay Penske. Penske had served in the role since 2009, when he purchased Variety magazine from Reed Elsevier. He had previously owned…