About
MVN is an independent sports media company relying on the volunteered time of people to “blog,” or write on the internet, about their favorite sports team or any derivation thereof. MVN also has a podcast network, which can be thought of as blogging, except in voice form. MVN continues to aggressively explore what a sports blog network can do on the internet, and prides itself on being the first and largest sports blog network on the internet. With such a distinction comes awesome responsibility, and while other networks have sprung up, MVN continues to pave the way and will continue to pave the way during this exciting time in history, where “convergence journalism” is becoming the preferred media.
The Most Valuable Network, LLC company was started December 31st, 2003 by Evan Brunell and Frank Palmieri (since departed) and was originally intended to be a simple collection of friends writing about their favorite baseball teams. MVN took the next step when Dave Cohen, a software programmer with IBM, decided to join the network in the spring of 2004. Cohen created the MostValuableNetwork.com web site (this web site has since been transformed into the company web site). MVN unwittingly transformed from a collection of friends talking about their favorite baseball teams to a web site leading the way in the Internet revolution of media and providing “a nice example of grassroots journalism,” as noted by David Pinto.
Since then, MVN has continually grown and pushed the envelope as the original leader of a sports blog network. MVN became a Limited Liability Company in the state of Massachusetts in December of 2004 with Evan Brunell as President and Dave Cohen as Vice-President. MVN bought out All-Baseball.com, the first widely known conglomeration of baseball blogs, in March 2005. In July 2005, MVN bought out 360ThePitch.com, bringing into the fold a podcast network. 360ThePitch has since been turned into a live Internet radio site dubbed MVN Radio.
Another seminal event occurred in 2006 when Dave Cohen left the company to pursue more vigorously a career at IBM. Undeterred, the webmaster of 360ThePitch.com, Brandon Rosage, was brought on in a full-time capacity and completely revamped the MVN layout to send MVN into the next phase: becoming the best source (in addition to being the original source) for independent sports blogging media. Moving to the new domain of MVN.com also marked this seminal event. It is at this time that Evan Brunell’s father, long an ardent fan and supporter of the company Brunell helped start, was brought in as Executive Vice President. Dan Benton, long an “organizational soldier” and invaluable to MVN, was promoted to Director of Communications.
MVN has been linked to and covered in various media entities; from USA Today to the Miami Herald. From the Edmonton Sun to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. From the Northeastern Voice to Time. From iTunes to AOL Sports, and numerous other publications.
To view five featured stories of MVN, follow the links:
Blogs come into play, MVN thrives under Brunell: Worcester Telegram and Gazette, 8/23/07
Northeastern student hopes to build the next ESPN: Northeastern Voice, 8/12/07
Living a dream, Idea between friends blossoms into network: Tantasqua Town Common, 8/16/07
Sturbridge student takes on ESPN: Sturbridge Villager, 8/24/07
Blogs and baseball, BoSox fanatic finding success on the even playing field of the Internet, 1/15/05
For additional inquiries, feel free to e-mail the President of MVN, Evan Brunell, at evan@mvn.com.
For all website inquiries, please contact Brandon Rosage at brosage@mvn.com.
The organizational tree can be found here.
