By Gigi Marino

A native New Yorker, Rob Stecklow moved with his family to southern Florida the summer before his senior year in high school. Since he was already in the Sunshine State when he was thinking about college, he opted for an in-state school, started looking around and visited Gainesville for the first time during Gator Growl.

“When I got back home, I told my dad, ‘I’ll die if I don’t go there,’” says Stecklow. “I was blown away by the campus, the atmosphere, the stadium, the Growl, everything UF had to offer. I had never seen anything like it.”

Since his days as a UF journalism student working at the campus TV station, Stecklow has scaled the ranks in sports, media and entertainment marketing.

Today, he is the senior vice president of marketing at Paramount+, focused on marketing CBS content on the streaming service. Along the way, he’s held more than a dozen positions at top-tier organizations, including ABC Sports, the NFL, DIRECTV, Verizon and DAZN.

“I’ve always looked for opportunities to grow and learn,” Stecklow says of his multifaceted career. “Whether it was starting out in production or transitioning into marketing, I’ve been lucky to work with great people and brands.”

From UF to the NFL

Stecklow’s early career trajectory took a pivotal turn thanks to a UF connection.

While working at The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 1998, he was seeking a transition into sports, and Stecklow was given a chance by Dave Warren, an ABC Sports executive and fellow Gator, who spotted UF on Stecklow’s résumé.

This initial opportunity at ABC Sports opened the door for a transition in 2004 to the NFL, where Stecklow spent eight transformative years. His colleagues at the NFL affectionately nicknamed him “Gator Boy,” a nod to his alma mater.

During his tenure, Stecklow worked on a dozen Super Bowl commercials, helped launch the Play 60 initiative and was part of the team that developed the NFL Network in its early years. He first started working on NFL Kickoff marketing with Britney Spears in 2003 and has been involved ever since.

“Being at the NFL, you’d walk in every day and see the shield above the door,” he recalls. “It’s hard to describe the pride you feel working for an organization with that kind of cultural impact.”

A Creative Path

Stecklow’s professional journey began in TV production. As a student at UF, he pivoted from becoming an on-air talent to working behind the camera. His first moment of recognition came when a news segment about a minor train crash that he had edited aired on the campus station. “I went back to my dorm room and watched it on TV,” he remembers. “I couldn’t believe I had made something that was broadcast.”

Stecklow gained experience at MTV and the Golf Channel and after graduation joined the production team for the launch of The Daily Show. He recalls the excitement of working with host Craig Kilborn and running around New York City to collect news footage for comedic sketches. From there, he transitioned into marketing while working on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, where he crafted on-air promos to attract audiences.

“That was the first time I thought, ‘I’m not just creating content — I’m trying to get people to do something,’” Stecklow says.

Global Vision

Stecklow’s move to DAZN, a global sports streaming platform, marked a shift to international marketing. As senior vice president of subscription marketing, he oversaw campaigns across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, learning to adapt strategies for diverse markets.

Now at Paramount, Stecklow applies his expertise to promoting their streaming service in a competitive and rapidly evolving landscape. Among his recent notable projects is being an executive producer on the documentary series Pulisic, which chronicles the life and career of U.S. soccer star Christian Pulisic. “It’s an honor to work on content that inspires fans and brings unique perspectives to the sports world,” Stecklow says.

He credits his success to being adaptable and forward-thinking — qualities he developed at UF. “One of the best lessons I learned at UF was how to tell a story,” he says. “Whether you’re writing a script or presenting to executives, it’s about creating a narrative that resonates.”

A Gator for Life

Stecklow’s connection to UF remains strong. He serves on volunteer boards for the university and takes pride in mentoring students. His oldest son, Zach, is now a Gator, following in his father’s footsteps as a sport management major.

“I tell him all the time how jealous I am that he gets to go to all the football games,” he says.

For Stecklow, being a Gator is about more than fond memories — it’s a lifelong network. “Gainesville is where it all started,” he says. “The experiences I had there shaped who I am today.”

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