Meet Howard Zalkowitz

- Founder

Howard Zalkowitz, the founder of SportsZalk Media, brings a unique and comprehensive background in sports production and content leadership. With experience spanning international, national, and regional sports media, Howard has led a wide array of production and content, including live games, live studio productions, edited specials, documentaries, and short-form, multi-platform snackable content.

Throughout his career, Howard has honed his expertise in content and production planning for both tentpole events and season coverage, managing league/team relations, staff building and development, talent contracts and feedback, technical vendor relations, and OpEx budgeting for departments, shows, and events.

A Storied Career in Sports Media

Howard's career took off during his time as a production executive at Turner Sports (now TNT Sports), where he played an integral role in numerous groundbreaking cross-departmental initiatives. Some of his notable achievements include:

NBA Digital Migration: Part of the core team responsible for the move of NBA Digital and NBATV from Secaucus to Atlanta.

Turner-CBS NCAA Tournament Coverage: Part of the leadership team that launched the historic 4-network coverage of the NCAA Tournament.

NBA on TNT All-Star Weekend and MLB Postseason on TBS: Leading content and production planning for some of the most-watched events in sports broadcasting.

At NESN, Howard spearheaded the production, content, and program planning for Red Sox and Bruins coverage, including Red Sox Spring Training, Bruins training camps, regular season games, and NHL Playoffs/MLB Postseason. He was also a member of the Sports Video Group Regional Sports Network (RSN) Advisory Senior Committee and contributed to the development of customizable broadcasts during the pandemic as a member of the NHL and MLB Broadcasting Committees. As part of the NESN senior leadership team, Howard played a key role in the launch of SportsNet Pittsburgh, the RSN of the Penguins and Pirates that is run by NESN. 

Expert in Live Sports Productions and Multi-Platform Content

Over the years, Howard has been a producer or production executive on numerous live sports productions across a diverse range of events, including:

  • NBA, MLB, NHL, and Wimbledon
  • Track and Field, Equestrian Show Jumping, Boxing, and Irish Hurling at Fenway Park
  • NCAA Tournament, NASCAR, PGA Championship, and The Open Championship

 Additionally, Howard developed NBA All-Star HORSE, a signature event on TNT in 2009 and 2010 won both years by Kevin Durant.

 Howard has also been instrumental in creating multi-platform content that connects fans to their favorite teams, leagues, and athletes. Prominent examples of his work include:

  • NBA Planet: A series of international features and talent discussions on Inside the TNT and TNT.com showcasing the NBA’s global prominence.
  • TNT NBA Fundamentals: A series of short-form videos of NBA stars demonstrating their favorite drills, such as Steve Nash’s passing and Ray Allen’s shooting, which continue to attract millions of views on YouTube years after their initial airing.
  • TNT NBA All-Decade: A comprehensive awards series to celebrate the 2000s decade, featuring short-form videos, a landing page on NBA.com, fan voting, Inside the NBA discussion, and a special reveal show during All-Star Weekend.
  • Bruins Centennial Content Plan: A multi-platform strategy for NESN and NESN.com that included a 4-part docuseries, social media trailers, digital-exclusive shorts, and a weekly studio segment focused on an All-Centennial Team player.

Award-Winning Documentaries and Specials

A distinguishing feature of Howard’s career has been his leadership in overseeing award-winning documentaries and edited specials. At Turner Sports, Howard was the showrunner on the annual All-Star Saturday programming, including an edited special typically focused on dunks. At NESN, Howard executive produced critically acclaimed documentaries like “Bell Biv DeVoe at Fenway Park” and the @1000 documentaries of Bruins stars. Under Howard’s leadership, NESN produced “NESN Clubhouse”, a weekly kids-themed baseball show, and numerous edited and studio-taped specials

These diverse projects are a testament to Howard’s ability to craft compelling sports content that resonates with audiences and celebrates the culture of sports.

A Strong Foundation in Sports Broadcasting

Howard began his career as an Olympic Researcher for CBS during the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games, where he contributed to the production of one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events.

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