Storytelling is the root of all human history – passed from one generation to the next. Compelling, vibrant, emotional, dramatic, moving – great stories touch us in so many ways. And always, without exception, leave us wanting more. Here, Pete Radovich, 41-time Emmy Award winner and the Creative Director of CBS Sports, takes us on a journey that explains the fine fabrics that weave the tapestry of a great story and the immense power it carries.
A Croatian-American, born and raised in Queens, New York to immigrant parents, storytelling is the core of what Radovich does at CBS.
“Sports are more emotional than they should be,” says Radovich. “We all live and die with sports. You can be standing in a store, or a bank, anywhere really, and if someone yells out a profanity loudly, you know immediately that that is a sports fan watching or listening to their team.”
“Making people care about the story” is what drives Radovich to produce content. “When I first did this talk about storytelling, I wanted to prove something tangible….how can I show stories that matter.”
Radovich’s favorite content to produce for CBS are “teasers”, also known as game openers. That is what he enjoys producing the most, telling a full story in just 2-3 minutes.
Radovich showcased some of his favorite work for CBS this past year, including a NFL collaboration for the release of Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, a video featuring numerous NFL players and first responders looking back on the pandemic, the story of The Power of Madonnina and Serie A in Milan, and one of Pete’s favorite pieces: a NFL open with his favorite actor, John Malkovich, which was the second most watched NFL segment that season after the Super Bowl and won numerous industry awards.
“Being able to tell a story is an advantage. Whether you can concisely, creatively, emotionally tell a story is how you can get through to people. Three out of every 100 ads keep your attention for one second or more. Same thing with sports TV, a lot of this becomes white noise. Try and be creative.”
Radovich credits his Croatian upbringing and roots to how he got where he is today. “I don’t know how to be American. If someone asks me what it’s like to be Croatian, I can go on for hours. Being multicultural and Croatian helps me tell better stories.”
“I was born creative, I was born to do this. I am willing to take risks – in television, in life in general. People are generally afraid to take chances, but at some point there was a moment that I realized I’d either fail or succeed on my own terms, but I’m not going to fail without trying.”
If you trust yourself and you feel like you have an idea, take a chance. It will be worth it.”
