Sinclair ousts Tennis Channel CEO – over ties to Dr.’s new media company Phil

According to a report, longtime Tennis Channel chairman and CEO Ken Solomon was ousted by parent company Sinclair because of his ties to Dr. Phil.

Sinclair, the nation’s second-largest television station operator, balked at Solomon’s advisory and board member role for Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media company, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend.

The change comes as Sinclair tries to unload the Tennis Channel, which ended its coverage of the US Open on Sunday. Solomon’s last day online is Monday.

Anonymous sources told The Journal that Solomon’s work with Dr. Phil was seen as a “growing distraction”.

People close to Solomon countered that the executive has held similar roles outside the company throughout his tenure at Tennis Channel, a post he has held since 2005 without complaint.

They added that the CEO received support from Sinclair for his involvement with the talk show host, which dates back to late last year.

Sinclair sources claimed that Solomon’s role became more time-consuming and hands-on as the collaboration progressed.

Another point of tension appeared to be Sinclair’s desire for Solomon to work at the Tennis Channel offices in Santa Monica, California, although the former chairman had recently purchased property in Dallas. McGraw’s company is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

People close to Solomon said the purchase is a horse farm for Solomon’s wife and that he still has a home in Los Angeles.

Baltimore-based Sinclair bought Tennis Channel in 2016 from a group of private equity funds for $350 million.

It has hired investment bank Moelis to sell the network — which was valued at $750 million in 2022 — along with a number of local TV stations.

Solomon, who will benefit from the sale as an interested party, has been heavily involved in the proceedings, working with the bank to meet with potential buyers, The Journal said. Sources told the publication that the sale is ongoing, with a deadline for final offers to be set in the coming weeks.

Insiders were shocked to hear of Solomon’s departure from the network he helped build.

“Ken is the Tennis Channel,” said Micky Lawler, who ran the Women’s Tennis Association for nearly a decade. “He’s always ahead of the curve, I just can’t imagine not having him there.”

That sentiment was echoed by legendary tennis player and Tennis Channel commentator Martina Navratilova, who said the leader’s “level of passion is matched only by his business acumen and vision for the future.”

Solomon helped build the network’s streaming service Tennis Channel Plus and its ad-supported streaming platform T2.

About 35 million US homes subscribe to television packages that include the Tennis Channel. When Sinclair bought the network, it had earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of between $15 million and $20 million. This year, it is expected to have Ebitda of $137 million on revenue of $325 million.

However, Sinclair, like other broadcasters, has seen sharp declines in viewership due to cord-cutting and competition from streaming services. It is looking to offload up to 60 of its 185 stations.

Earlier this year, Sinclair also agreed to pay $495 million to settle a legal battle against Diamond Sports, which alleged the media giant took $1.5 billion from the company before it filed for bankruptcy. Sinclair has denied the allegations.