Fox has hired data scientist Mainak Mazumdar as its first executive VP, chief advertising research and analytics officer to build out the company’s audience-based data offering. The move is designed to bolster Fox's cross-portfolio sales capabilities, increasingly the norm in digital video buying.

Mazumdar will report directly to Marianne Gambelli, Fox’s president of ad sales, with the mission of merging Fox’s sales offering across its media assets, including Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment and Tubi. Mazumdar will oversee Fox Entertainment’s existing ad sales research team as well as collaborate with research and technology teams across Fox Sports, News and Tubi. 

The hire will bring Fox into step with other media companies, such as NBCUniversal and Disney, that currently offer ad buying that spans their entire portfolio of assets based on audience data. That practice is increasingly in demand as TV becomes more digital and marketers look to simplify and maximize buying due to economic headwinds.

Prior to joining Fox, Mazumdar served as Nielsen’s chief data and research officer, where he worked on the measurement company’s Audience ID system and its new Nielsen One product. Previous roles included research positions at ad tech companies Simulmedia, GfK and Google’s DoubleClick. Mazumdar is also a board member for the Advertising Research Foundation and is a member of the U.S Census Scientific Advisory Committee.

“In this constantly evolving media ecosystem, we know that a clear, data-powered, platform-wide approach to monetize at scale will serve our clients, and our business, in the most meaningful way,” said Gambelli in a statement. “I am delighted that Mainak has decided to bring his leadership, and his wealth of expertise in data science, research and analytics, to Fox.”