Sphere Entertainment has announced that Marcus Ellington has joined the company as executive vice president, ad sales and sponsorships for Sphere.
In this new role, Ellington will focus on maximising revenue, creating growth opportunities, and managing client relations across Sphere’s marquee assets, including the Exosphere – the venue’s fully programmable LED exterior.
As the world’s largest LED screen, the Exosphere is seen not only by the millions of visitors annually to Las Vegas, but also is widely recognised globally via social media. As part of his role Ellington will drive new brand-centric opportunities for the Exosphere, including those that extend the platform’s reach across experiential activations such as drone shows.
He will also be responsible for developing broader Sphere-wide marketing partnerships. Ellington will be based in New York and report to Jennifer Koester, Sphere’s president and chief operating officer.
Koester said: “The Exosphere is more than a landmark on the Las Vegas skyline, it is a first-of-its-kind digital canvas for brands to story tell and connect with their audiences in new ways. Marcus is an innovative leader with a proven track record of working with premier brands across a range of industries, which will be an asset as we continue evolving how brands can partner with Sphere to create impactful experiences unlike anywhere else.”
Ellington said: “Throughout my career I have worked with premier brands to create transformative partnerships at the intersection of technology and entertainment. Sphere is an unparalleled platform for brands, and I look forward to working with our team to fully leverage the breadth of opportunities this next-generation medium can offer.”
Ellington joins Sphere from Google, where he held sales and partnership roles of increasing responsibility over more than a decade with the company. Prior to joining Google, Ellington worked at Interactive One where he led a business development sales team focused on helping brands reach U.S. multicultural audiences. He began his career at CBS where he developed integrated marketing solutions for brands with some of CBS’ most exclusive content.
