Bleacher Report Launches Lead Writer Program to Enhance Reader and Writer Experience for Sports Fans

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bleacher Report, one of the fastest-growing sites and the Web's fifth largest sports media destination with nearly 20 million monthly unique users, today announced the launch of its new, Lead Writer Program. Lead Writers will help give direction and guidance to the company's vast contributor base, as well as shape content and conversation with readers through social media platforms.  

"Bleacher Report is powered by our strong contributor base and we're constantly looking at ways to improve the experience for our writers and readers," said Dave Finocchio, Co-Founder and Vice President of Content and Product at Bleacher Report. "The Lead Writer Program will help Bleacher Report solidify its reputation as a thought leader in sports media."

As part of this new program, Bleacher Report has tapped an initial class of five Lead Writers who bring a unique grasp of all things sports, pop culture and media.

Lead Writers include:

• Dan Levy, National Lead Writer – As host of the critically acclaimed On the DL podcast, former writer at SportingNews.com and contributor to WashingtonPost.com, Levy is well versed in the world of Web 2.0 publishing and social media platforms. With more than a decade of experience in the sports media industry, Levy has become a trusted and respected voice.
• Matt Miller, NFL Draft Lead Writer – Founder of the NFL draft site, New Era Scouting, Miller's work has been featured on NFL.com, SI.com and USA Today as well as utilized by NFL, CFL, and AFL teams. Miller is known for his in-depth scouting analysis and real-time breakdowns.
• Dan Rubenstein, College Football Lead Writer – Co-founder and co-host of The Solid Verbal, the Web's most popular independent college football podcast, Rubenstein formerly hosted and produced the SI Tour Guy video series for Sports Illustrated and wrote weekly columns for SI.com'sExtra Mustard page. Dan is known for creating original college football content across all mediums.
• Josh Zerkle, NFL Lead Writer – Co-founder of the popular NFL blog, Kissing Suzy Kolber, former contributing writer for Deadspin and WashingtonPost.com, Zerkle's trademark contrarian opinions will lead Bleacher Report's robust NFL coverage.
• Bethlehem Shoals, NBA Lead Writer – Bethlehem Shoals is the founder of the wildly influential NBA blog FreeDarko and a co-author of FreeDarko's two books. He is a regular contributor to GQ.com and has also written for Sports Illustrated, Deadspin, and AOL FanHouse. 

Earlier this year, Bleacher Report hired King Kaufman from Salon.com to oversee and manage writer development as part of a commitment to provide sports fans with the highest quality coverage and content of their favorite teams. Today, the Company has 750 columnists and 6,000 contributing writers across US, Canadian and European sports teams and topics.

About Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report (B/R) is the Web's leading publisher of original and entertaining sports content and is one of the fastest growing sports media Web sites in the US.  Since launching in 2008, B/R's Web site has grown to an audience of nearly 20 million monthly unique visitors.  The company's distinguished editorial team leads 7,000 writers, and directs Bleacher Report's unique data-driven approach to creating and programming content.  The result is first-rate sports commentary that gives B/R's audience the stories they want to read in real-time around the teams and topics they are most passionate about.  

B/R's editorial content is syndicated to a number of national and regional publishing partners including USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Philly.com, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle and Seattle PI.  In addition, more than 1.5 million users have subscribed to B/R's sport-and-team-specific email newsletters, which provide a demand driven mix of content that engages a broad array of sports fans.

To learn more about Bleacher Report, visit http://bleacherreport.com/about

SOURCE Bleacher Report