As we approach Memorial Day, we are recognizing various executives in sports media who have worked with veterans. This is the first in the series.
Jamie Horowitz has had an extensive career in the sports media industry. Today, he is WWE’s executive vice president of digital and development. His role involves combining high-performance content strategies with an effective business model and distribution strategy. He also serves as an advisor to Peyton Manning at Omaha Productions.
We are recognizing him today due to his support of veterans. He has worked with a variety of organizations to help Veterans thrive in civilian life. Here are some of the ways Horowitz has helped those who served our country.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Starting in 2013, Jamie Horowitz served on the board of directors for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. His wife, Kara, ran communications at IAVA for many years. IAVA is a leading nonprofit organization in the United States that provides post-9/11 veterans with the resources and tools they need to integrate into society and feel empowered. These veterans can access 24/7 free, confidential assistance. Since launching in 2004, the organization has supported over 1.2 million veterans and provided over 7,300 individuals with personalized support from social workers.
When asked about his work at IAVA, Horowitz said: “I chose IAVA as the first veterans charity to work with due to three reasons. First, my good friend from [Amherst] college, Paul Rieckhoff, was the founder and face of the organization. Second, my wife [Kara] would come home from work every day incredibly inspired by the mission. And third, my grandfather Walter [Bachenheimer], who served in the 82nd Airborne in World War II, had a special connection with Rieckhoff. Watching Rieckhoff talk about veterans with my grandfather made helping IAVA particularly meaningful for me. Walter — and all of us — were inspired watching Paul and IAVA unite and empower post-9/11 veterans.”
American Corporate Partners
In 2015, Horowitz began working with a second nonprofit also dedicated to helping veterans when he began collaborating with American Corporate Partners. ACP’s free mentoring program connects post-9/11 veterans, active duty spouses, and eligible military spouses (protégés) with corporate professionals (mentors) for customized mentorships. ACP assists veterans and eligible spouses on their path toward fulfilling, long-term careers, whether the veteran is job searching or newly employed.
Said Horowitz: “I was honored to work with ACP and be paired with some amazing veterans through the years. Anything they learned from me paled in comparison to what I learned from them.”
Operation Mend
In the past four years, Horowitz and Kara also started working with Operation Mend in Los Angeles. Operation Mend was established in 2007 as a partnership between UCLA Health and the United States military. Its mission is to help heal post-9/11 military, veterans, and family members by “providing innovative, comprehensive, world-class care for the physical and psychological wounds of war,” says its website.
Horowitz and his wife serve as a buddy family. “We were inspired by Operation Mend’s stated vision — ‘to heal humankind, one patient at a time, by improving health, alleviating suffering and delivering acts of kindness,’” said Horowitz. “It’s an amazing organization, filled with big success by doing all the small things the right way.”
Industry Executive Guests at IAVA Fundraiser
A few years ago, Horowitz and Kara held a fundraiser at their home in Pacific Palisades, California. The event aimed to raise money for IAVA and provide veterans with valuable resources.
More than 150 guests traveled to Jamie Horowitz’s fundraiser and helped the couple raise more than $100,000 for IAVA and support veterans throughout the country. These guests included media industry executives like:
- Matt Rice from the United Talent Agency (UTA)
- Nick Khan and Ted Miller from the Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
- Josh Pyatt from William Morris Endeavor (WME)
When prominent names in media support nonprofits like IAVA, they set the tone for others to follow. Notable individuals can inspire others in the industry to assist veterans, allowing nonprofits like IAVA to assist more and more individuals.
Sports Stars Show Their Support for Veterans
The Fox Sports team, of which Jamie Horowitz was then president, also appeared at the fundraiser to show their support. A dozen Fox Sports executives attended and Fox Sports stars Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe, and Colin Cowherd formed a sports-themed panel at the fundraiser. Jamie Horowitz moderated this panel with his 8-year-old son, Jake.
Jamie Horowitz and His Career Highlights
Jamie Horowitz has had an extensive career in the media industry. Today, he is WWE’s executive vice president of digital and development. His role involves combining high-performance content strategies with an effective business model and distribution strategy.
He’s held a variety of high-profile roles, including EVP of content at DAZN, North America. This role also involved a high level of content strategy and creation. While at DAZN, he oversaw the licensing of The Pat McAfee Show and the creative development and production of MLB’s ChangeUp. He also co-directed a successful film, One Night: Joshua vs. Ruiz, alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Jamie Horowitz is also known for his role as the president ofFox Sports National Networks. During his tenure with Fox, he managed Fox Sports 1 and 2’s programming, marketing, and scheduling. While there he successfully recruited big names like Cowherd, Bayless, Sharpe, Nick Wright, and Joy Taylor to join him at the fledgling network.
Before that, he worked as a leader in content development for ESPN. Some of the best-known shows he created and managed include First Take With Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, SportsNation With Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle, and Olbermann With Keith Olbermann.
Jamie Horowitz’s career first took off when he worked as an Olympic researcher for NBC Sports leading up to and during the Sydney Summer Games in 2000.
The Impact of the Fundraiser for Veterans
When leaders like Jamie Horowitz champion veterans organizations, it can help them gain more visibility. By expanding their reach, nonprofits like IAVA and Operation Mend can attract more supporters and members.
With events like Jamie Horowitz’s fundraiser and support from industry executives and sports stars, nonprofits like IAVA and Operation Mend can continue to provide the support and resources that veterans and other individuals need.
You can join Jamie Horowitz in supporting veterans by making a one-time or recurring donation to IAVA and Operation Mend. These donations are tax-deductible and can provide lifesaving help.
