Francois McGillicuddy
President
Francois McGillicuddy sets the strategic direction and leads the business and content operations of the Big Ten Network, a joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and FOX Sports. McGillicuddy was named as the second president in network history in December of 2018.
Under his leadership, the Big Ten Network has driven consistent revenue growth and achieved its most profitable years on record, while also setting numerous viewership records for the most-watched seasons in network history across 10 different sports. Additionally, BTN experienced its most-watched telecasts across 18 different sports during McGillicuddy's tenure - including football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball and wrestling - as well as the network's most-watched studio program (B1G Tailgate) and original program (The B1G Moment).
In 2022, McGillicuddy oversaw the creation of Big Ten Corporate Partnerships (BTCP), BTN's dedicated, in-house team leading the Big Ten Conference's league-level corporate sponsorships and partner activations. BTCP offers strategic corporate sponsorships, partnership activations, television and digital media inventory and adverting opportunities associated with the Big Ten Conference.
In addition to increasing the network's live event count to an all-time high, over 2,300 per year, McGillicuddy also placed an emphasis on storytelling. Under his supervision, the network introduced several new franchises, including The B1G Trip, The B1G Story and B1G Trailblazers as well as sport-specific programming such as On The Mat (wrestling), At The Net (volleyball), On The Court (women's basketball), At The Plate (baseball and softball) and On The Ice (men's hockey).
In 2021, McGillicuddy oversaw the relaunch of B1G+, the network's streaming service and home for non-televised games, on-demand archives and 14 school channels. In each year since the B1G+ platform was reimagined, it has set a record for both subscribers and revenue.
In order to broaden and diversify the network's on-air talent pool, he launched the BTN Broadcasting Experience, an annual program bringing former Big Ten student-athletes to Chicago for a broadcasting tutorial. In the first year of the program alone, four candidates from the program developed into on-air talent for the network.
McGillicuddy led a rebranding of the network in 2020, which unveiled a new look and brand identity. The transformation provided brand consistency and highlighted the network's position as the home for Big Ten Conference events, news and storytelling.
To better position the network for the current media environment, McGillicuddy modernized the Big Ten Network's office space with an expansion and redesign which included updated television and digital content studios, as well as additional office and meeting space to accommodate a growing workforce and its needs.
A 20-year media executive, McGillicuddy previously served as SVP and General Manager of FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio, which became two-time winners of Regional Sports Network of the Year during his tenure. He oversaw all aspects of those channels, including studio and live event production, programming, advertising sales, marketing and team relations, while also working with FOX's affiliate sales and marketing group on distribution matters. He managed the company's relationships with the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Crew. He assumed the position in February 2013 and managed the acquisition and integration of SportsTime Ohio into the FOX Sports portfolio of regional sports networks.
McGillicuddy joined FOX Sports Ohio from FOX's national cable channel SPEED, where he served as Vice President, Finance and Business Operations from 2006 to 2013. Prior to working with FOX, he was an executive at Cablevision Systems Corporation in New York, serving as Vice President, Finance for Rainbow Media regional networks and as Director, Strategic Planning for Madison Square Garden. His work at Cablevision included strategic initiatives for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, MSG television network and Radio City Music Hall. His background also includes positions with Universal Music Group, Acclaim Entertainment and The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.
He holds an MBA from Columbia University, an MFA from the University of Alabama, and a BA in Economics from Hobart College.
