NEW YORK—Christopher Martinez, who joined Hearst Television in 2021 as OTT director of sales, has been promoted to the newly created role of vice president, advanced advertising. He will continue to report to Jonathan Sumber, Hearst Television’s vice president, digital sales.
“Chris understands the nexus between digital advertising and legacy media,” Michael J. Hayes, Hearst Television president said. “Working with Jon Sumber and colleagues on Hearst Television’s digital team, in concert with our stations across the country, he has helped expand not only our digital footprint but marketing partners’ businesses with proven, high quality, brand-safe, results-driven ad products and strategies.”
Martinez’s new role encompasses digital-ad product development, platform integration, and oversight of the company’s digital ad-tech stack and emerging platform strategy while continuing to work closely with clients and partners.
Article continues below“Chris’s new position is central to Hearst Television’s digital monetization strategy and will serve as a connective point between product innovation and real-time market conditions,” Sumber said.
Martinez began his advertising sales career with Katz Television Group in 2014, gaining experience in the linear TV space as a sales assistant before moving into the role of account executive. He received the inaugural Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) Next Award for Television Sales in 2017 and one year later was promoted at Katz to manager of integrated video for Hearst’s OTT product, Hearst Anyscreen. Since he joined Hearst Television as OTT director of sales in 2021, the company has tripled its OTT revenue.
Martinez has been active within Hearst Television mentoring programs. He is an alumnus of Seton Hall University, where he studied Diplomacy & International Relations, with minors in Spanish and Economics. He is also a graduate of the Hearst Management Institute, Hearst’s executive leadership development program, and sits on a number of industry committees within the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
