Kasey Champion joins Ankler Media in rapid expansion into consumer sponsorship sales

Champion was previously publisher of DEADLINE, where she worked for six years

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Ankler Media, the most incisive and trusted voice covering the entertainment industry, has announced Kasey Champion as its new head of consumer sales. She joins Ankler Media as a consultant after six years at DEADLINE, where she rose to the rank of publisher. In her new role, Champion will be developing and implementing strategic sales plans and objectives to achieve sales targets and revenue goals for non-endemic entertainment brands, while also supporting Head of Revenue London Sanders with her wide array of clients, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Disney.

Champion has been a trailblazer in the industry for more than 30 years, consistently exceeding sales targets and crafting revenue-generating products. While at DEADLINE, Champion rose steadily with promotion after promotion. Prior to DEADLINE, Champion worked at the Los Angeles Times for 27 years where her responsibilities included managing revenue for multiple consumer categories totaling $30M. 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by consumer brands interested in aligning with the influential audience of The Ankler directly through events, podcasts and newsletters in 2025. We are thrilled to work with an industry veteran like Kasey who will serve as the bridge between best-in-class brands and the best and most credible editorial covering the entertainment business,” says Janice Min, CEO and editor-in-chief, Ankler Media.

Champion added, "As the advertising market evolves and transparency becomes increasingly important, consumer brands are moving away from broad-scale media to channels that facilitate direct communication and truly resonate with their intended customers. This is why joining the Ankler was an easy decision. They are the fastest-growing media company in the industry and have cultivated a niche audience of influential consumers."

In this position, Champion will identify and prioritize sales opportunities, target markets and customer segments based on market analysis, competitive landscape and business objectives, as well as maintain relationships with key customers, partners and stakeholders to address their needs and foster long-term partnerships. 

The Ankler has experienced a meteoric rise, up 400 percent year-over-year in ad revenue in 2024, and up more than 500 percent in subscription revenue since launching as a Y Combinator company in January 2022. With 82,000 subscribers across its titles and more than 1.3 million podcast downloads, The Ankler has expanded into live events and is now the third largest business publication on Substack, having both predicted and ridden the wave of change in the entertainment industry. While much of the media industry continues to contract, Ankler Media is steadily growing with its masthead now including contributors Manori Ravindran, Claire Atkinson, Peter Keifer, Erik Barmack, Ashley Cullins, Sean McNulty and The Optionist’s Andy Lewis, as well as staffers Elaine Low, Katey Rich, Richard Rushfield and executive editor David Lidsky. 

About Ankler Media:

The Ankler newsletter originally launched in 2017 and quickly became a trusted voice in coverage of the entertainment business, widely circulated among the most influential leaders in the industry. Called a “hit Hollywood newsletter” by The New York Times, The Ankler is an uncompromising alternative to traditional trade reporting and aims to shed light on the often underreported and untold aspects of the industry. The Ankler is the flagship brand within Ankler Media, which was formed in January 2022 and is helmed by Janice Min, CEO and editor-in-chief, and Richard Rushfield, editorial director and chief columnist. With numerous newsletters and podcasts, Ankler Media provides daily insights, analysis and news about the ever-evolving world of entertainment. You can read more from The Ankler here: https://theankler.com

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