Nexstar Media Group is continuing its wave of new hires, nabbing this week two former executives from NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery to beef up its advertising sales team.
NBCU veteran Brad Epperson is joining Nexstar as EVP of platform operations and technology. He’ll be responsible for leading the company’s ad operations, including campaign management, targeting, delivery and optimization. He’s also charged with developing advanced platforms and systems for advertising.
Epperson spent over two decades at NBCU, where he oversaw business operations for the company’s various linear channels, such as the NBC Network, Telemundo, MSNBC and CNBC. He also managed operations of NBCU’s digital assets on platforms like Peacock, YouTube and Apple News.
Todd Braverman, formerly part of WBD, has been hired as Nexstar’s EVP and head of national sales. He is tasked with identifying go-to-market sales strategies for Nexstar’s agencies, clients and audiences, in addition to helping advertisers reach viewers across all of Nexstar’s linear and digital platforms.
Braverman first joined WBD in 2008 as an account executive for Turner Broadcasting’s Adult Swim, Cartoon Network and truTV channels, eventually moving up to SVP of agency sales at WBD. According to Nexstar, Braverman played a key role in launching HBO Max’s ad-supported tier as well as in leading the WarnerMedia sales team through upfront negotiations.
Nexstar rounded out its new advertising team by internally promoting Lori Tavoularis – who previously served as the company’s chief revenue officer and EVP of revenue operations – to chief business officer. In her new role, Tavoularis will spearhead the development of Nexstar’s marketing solutions and enhance the company’s measurement and insight capabilities.
Nexstar said the newly formed advertising team is geared towards a “data-driven, multi-platform approach.” All three executives will report to Michael Strober, who was named Nexstar’s CRO in December.
“I am delighted to have Todd, Brad, and Lori join me as we transform Nexstar’s go-to-market strategy,” Strober said in a statement. “Each of them possesses the requisite skills and domain expertise to build a next-gen, agile media sales organization. Collectively we all share a common belief to challenge the status quo and to foster a culture of entrepreneurial spirit which has been a hallmark of the company since its founding.”
Nexstar made headlines last fall when it obtained a majority stake in The CW Network, enabling Nexstar to beef up the network’s executive leadership. The company appointed Dennis Miller as head of The CW, then named Brad Schwartz as president of CW Entertainment and Beth Feldman as SVP of network communications.
Nexstar CEO Perry Sook boasted the company’s advertising reach during Q3 earnings, noting “on the local level, there is no one in the TV industry with greater sales resources and consumer reach.” He added snagging majority ownership of The CW pushed Nexstar into the AVOD space.