Mike Levy
Encyclopedia
Mike Levy it is an internet entrepreneur and the current chairman and CEO of OPENSports.com a sports web site founded in 2008. Prior to OPEN Sports, Levy was the founder and former president, chairman and CEO of SportsLine.com, Inc., a leading Internet sports media company and publisher of CBS Sportsline
, NFL.com, PGA Tour.com and NCAASports.com.
Prior to launching OPEN Sports, Mr. Levy was the Founder and CEO of SportsLine, Inc., a leading sports media company and publisher of CBS SportsLine.com, NFL.com, PGA Tour.com and NCAA Sports.com.
Mike Levy founded Sportsline in February, 1994. Sportsline was listed on NASDAQ
from November, 1997 through December, 2004 when it was acquired by CBS
.
At Sportsline, Levy forged alliances with CBS Sports
, AOL
, the NFL, the NBA, MLB, the PGA Tour
, the NCAA, various players’ associations and many superstar athletes including Tiger Woods
, Michael Jordan
, Shaquille O’Neal, Joe Namath
, John Elway
, Jerry Rice
, Mike Schmidt
and Wayne Gretzky
.
Levy took Sportsline public in 1997 raising $32 million. In 1998, Sportsline raised $150 million in a secondary offering and in 1999 raised $150 million in a convertible bond offering.
From 1978 through 1993, Levy was CEO of Lexicon Corporation, a company he co-founded to develop and market the world’s first electronic language translator. Under Levy, Lexicon went on to develop data communications terminals for the Department of Defense
and Fortune 500 clients, and financial transaction terminals for major credit card issuers, banks and large retailers. Sports-Tech International, Inc., a Lexicon subsidiary developed the video analysis systems which were used by NFL and NBA teams, and over 150 collegiate sports programs.
From 1969 through 1977 Levy held engineering design and management positions with Racal Datacom and Harris Corporation. Levy holds six patents for innovative high-tech products and received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1969.
Levy was selected as one of The Sporting News
"100 most powerful people in sports" for three consecutive years (1999–2001). In 1999, he was given the "Annual Achievement in Technology and New Media Award" by UJA Federation of New York. In 1998, Levy was inducted by Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. In 1997, Levy received the “Florida Entrepreneur of the Year Award” sponsored by Ernst & Young
and the “1997 Interactive Entrepreneur Award” by the Interactive Services Association.
CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com was founded in 1994 as SportsLine USA, and today is a CBS-owned website that provides sports scores, news, statistics, live and on-demand video, mobile apps, e-commerce, fantasy sports products, services, and information..Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBSSports.com it is...
, NFL.com, PGA Tour.com and NCAASports.com.
Career
Mike Levy is the founder and CEO of OPEN Sports Network, Inc., a next-generation sports internet service that offers breaking sports news, statistics, scores, social media tools, user generated content and fantasy sports applications. OPEN Sports recently entered into an agreement with FOX Sports to provide state of the art fantasy products on the FOXSports.com web site.Prior to launching OPEN Sports, Mr. Levy was the Founder and CEO of SportsLine, Inc., a leading sports media company and publisher of CBS SportsLine.com, NFL.com, PGA Tour.com and NCAA Sports.com.
Mike Levy founded Sportsline in February, 1994. Sportsline was listed on NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
from November, 1997 through December, 2004 when it was acquired by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
At Sportsline, Levy forged alliances with CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
, the NFL, the NBA, MLB, the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, the NCAA, various players’ associations and many superstar athletes including Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Shaquille O’Neal, Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
, Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
and Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
.
Levy took Sportsline public in 1997 raising $32 million. In 1998, Sportsline raised $150 million in a secondary offering and in 1999 raised $150 million in a convertible bond offering.
From 1978 through 1993, Levy was CEO of Lexicon Corporation, a company he co-founded to develop and market the world’s first electronic language translator. Under Levy, Lexicon went on to develop data communications terminals for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and Fortune 500 clients, and financial transaction terminals for major credit card issuers, banks and large retailers. Sports-Tech International, Inc., a Lexicon subsidiary developed the video analysis systems which were used by NFL and NBA teams, and over 150 collegiate sports programs.
From 1969 through 1977 Levy held engineering design and management positions with Racal Datacom and Harris Corporation. Levy holds six patents for innovative high-tech products and received his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1969.
Levy was selected as one of The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
"100 most powerful people in sports" for three consecutive years (1999–2001). In 1999, he was given the "Annual Achievement in Technology and New Media Award" by UJA Federation of New York. In 1998, Levy was inducted by Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. In 1997, Levy received the “Florida Entrepreneur of the Year Award” sponsored by Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
and the “1997 Interactive Entrepreneur Award” by the Interactive Services Association.