Sphere Names Marcus Ellington EVP Of Ad Sales & Sponsorships

Marcus Ellington, a 20-year sales and business development veteran, is the executive vice president of ad sales and sponsorship for Sphere, the Las Vegas venue’s eponymous parent company announced.

Ellington will develop and lead the sales and sponsorships organization across Sphere’s assets, including the Exosphere – the venue’s fully programmable LED exterior that is the world’s largest LED screen.

Ellington is charged with developing new brand-centric opportunities for the Exosphere and will also be responsible for developing broader Sphere-wide marketing partnerships. Ellington will be based in New York and report to Jennifer Koester, Sphere’s president and chief operating officer.

“The Exosphere is more than a landmark on the Las Vegas skyline, it is a first-of-its-kind digital canvas for brands to storytell and connect with their audiences in new ways,” said Koester. “Marcus is an innovative leader with a proven track record of working with premier brands across a range of industries, which will be an asset as we continue evolving how brands can partner with Sphere to create impactful experiences unlike anywhere else.”

“Throughout my career I have worked with premier brands to create transformative partnerships at the intersection of technology and entertainment,” said Ellington. “Sphere is an unparalleled platform for brands, and I look forward to working with our team to fully leverage the breadth of opportunities this next-generation medium can offer.”

Ellington joins Sphere from Google, where he held sales and partnership roles across a decade with the company, most recently as Director of Americas Partnerships Solutions. Ellington was responsible for strategic partnerships across Google product areas including Ads, YouTube, Cloud, and Android. He also worked on Google’s Media and Entertainment Ad Sales team, where he oversaw relationships, deal negotiations and ad revenue for the company’s largest media and entertainment partners. Prior to joining Google, he worked at Interactive One where he led a business development sales team focused on helping brands reach U.S. multicultural audiences. He began his career at CBS where he developed integrated marketing solutions for brands with some of CBS’ most exclusive content including March Madness, GRAMMYs and the NFL.