Now, she’s become part of “the great resignation,” as she moves to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to become vice president of CBS SportsLine, a position created just for her.
“I was happy in Columbus, but, like everyone else during the past two years, have been looking online, and saw this great job in Fort Lauderdale,” she said, noting that she woke to temperatures in the teens in Columbus, then asked Alexa for the temperature in Fort Lauderdale, “and I’d hear it was 74 or 78, and that kept me motivated,” she admitted. “I applied for one position, and it took four months and 11 interviews with 25 people, finally narrowing the field to just two of us.
“Then, I was surprised when the man who would be my boss said he was creating a position for me – a whole new brand of CBS Sports. I waited six more months while he worked to create the position, and whenever I was ready to call it quits, I came back. Every meeting we had was by Zoom, and I interviewed with people all over the country.
As COVID took its toll, Anderson, like most people in the entertainment and news business, saw that the field was taking a hit while “streaming went through the roof and offered new revenue.
“The revenue for online betting on sports, plus streaming sports and movies through CBS Paramount Plus, increased 38% above projections.”
In her new position as VP of CBS SportsLine, Anderson will create channels in Singapore and London, then other global locations as needed. “I’ll create the channel, and will be project manager,” she said. “It’s a whole new brand of CBS Sports for me, a global brand, and it doesn’t get much higher.
“I don’t think anyone is ever prepared for something so new, but it’s exciting, and I’m not afraid to ask questions to keep the ball rolling when things fall apart.”
Online sports betting is legal in 26 states now, and Anderson predicts all states will adopt it, in addition to streaming. “There’s too much money involved,” she said. “It’s a global market and we have to think globally – the world wants soccer and cricket, not just football and basketball.
“The process was so unconventional and took 11 months, but I learned so much about myself. I’ve always had an issue with being second – every woman struggles with that, but this position didn’t even exist six months ago, and I’ll be leading a whole new division. I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions, and I’m ready. I just turned 50, so this is perfect timing, a celebration for the second half of my life.”
Anderson’s parents, Alicia and Elton, still live in Dayton. “Mom’s taking it well, and (helped) me pack, but Dad isn’t – I told him maybe he shouldn’t have made me an overachiever. But even in Columbus, I was so busy that we didn’t visit often.”
Maybe, when temperatures in Dayton hover around 0, her parents will be more inclined to visit their daughter in Fort Lauderdale, if she’s not traveling to her studio sites around the world.
“Although Fort Lauderdale will be my home base, I’ll be working 70% in the U.S. and 30% around the globe.”
Contact this writer at virgburroughs@gmail.com.
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