Could Prince Harry be looking to secure a big TV deal for the Invictus Games? Duke of Sussex hires sports TV exec who has overseen live coverage of the Olympics and World Cup as new CEO ahead of first winter games in Canada
Prince Harry has made a TV exec the new CEO of his first winter Invictus Games and will head to Canada with Meghan Markle next week amid claims the appointment helps them push for a big new broadcast deal, MailOnline can reveal today.
Scott Moore is replacing the Duke of Sussex‘s friend and former aide Nick Booth, who took over on a temporary basis last year amid chaos at the top when two bosses were abruptly sacked in the Autumn.
Mr Moore’s appointment emerged as Harry embarked on a 11,000 mile round trip to the UK to see his father for 45 minutes after he was diagnosed with cancer.
The Duke of Sussex did not see his estranged brother Prince William and is already back in Montecito with his wife and children before the couple head to Vancouver and Whistler next week for the Invictus ‘one year to go’ celebrations on Valentine’s Day. Canada is where Harry and Meghan fell in love while she filmed Suits in Toronto.
New Invictus 2025 CEO Scott Moore has a reputation for doing big sports TV deals and overseeing coverage of numerous Olympic and Paralympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games while a boss at CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster.
Experts have said that his appointment is a big hint that Harry and Meghan will be using their ‘star power’ and his links to win a big broadcast deal for Invictus 2025, which will feature winter sports for the first time – probably with Netflix getting first refusal.
Invictus Dusseldorf last September had its ceremonies and sports streamed via its website. The BBC also showed events via the red button and iPlayer but it was not shown widely on German TV.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: ‘Harry’s latest move with the hiring of Scott Moore shows that he is one step closer to launching the Games with a big TV deal.
Prince Harry has made a TV exec with 40 years of experience, Scott Moore, the new CEO of the Invictus Games in 2025. Experts says Mr Moore is a dealmaker who has managed coverage of the Olympics and the football World Cup
The couple clearly enjoyed being back in Canada in December at a NHL game. It is the country where Meghan worked as an actress and they fell in love. They are heading back next week
‘We have seen lately how Amazon, Netflix and now Disney have secured the rights to big sporting event TV and they know that there is money and also subscriptions up for grabs with the right sports.
‘Now that the Invictus Games has expended to hosting a winter event too its beginning to shadow both the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games and can become a major television event with the likes of Scott behind it.
‘Harry and Meghan have the star power to drive the games and as we know its harrys sweet spot and something he is clearly passionate about. The documentary he made for Netflix wasn’t the hit hoped for but it did do what it needed to do and inform and educate people about the games, their purpose and their importance too’.
But if Harry is pushing for a more global audience, and wider coverage in North America, Netflix will be at the front of the queue with Disney also expected to bid and the couple will hope the new CEO’s influence could help them after their Invictus documentary was considered a flop.
Mr Moore’s appointment came after CEO Peter Lawless and Chief Commercial Office Bill Cooper left abruptly in the Autumn.
Insiders told MailOnline they were both sacked ‘for no reason’ and warned that while Scott is a ‘star hire’ there are concerns about the management of the Games with just 12 months to go.
One insider told MailOnline: ‘Scott has loads of experience. In my mind the only clouds on the horizon are: how late they are in sorting out the disturbance they unnecessarily created, and how little local representation they have in senior leadership, but I think that is intentional on Nick’s part’.
Nick Booth, described as Harry’s former ‘right hand man’, stepped in as interim CEO. Mr Booth, who also heads up a Canadian national charity called the True Patriot Love Foundation, ran The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry between 2010 and 2017. He also helped initiate Harry’s creation of the Invictus Games for injured veterans. Harry and William’s Foundation broke apart after he married Meghan Markle.
From Monday ‘One Year to Go’ events will be held for Invictus Games 2025.
There will be sporting and cultural events in the centre of Whistler for the week. Harry and Meghan will jet in on February 14.
New CEO Scott Moore said: ‘I am thrilled to join the team at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.
‘I view this opportunity through the lens of a mission, and I simply could not think of one more important than this.
‘I’m impressed with the existing team, and I look forward to jumping in and working together to deliver a world-class Games’.
The Duke of Sussex with Nick Booth when he ran The Royal Foundation with Harry and William, a former royal aide to him and his brother. Mr Booth was running Invictus 2025 in Vancouver-Whistler for a few months after the last CEO left abruptly
The last CEO Peter Lawless (pictured with Justin Trudeau) left abruptly. Insiders claim he was sacked. Invictus says he was ‘transitioned out’ and will be an ambassador
MailOnline revealed in December how One of Prince Harry’s most trusted British aides, who also served the Prince and Princess of Wales for years, had taken over the running of the next Invictus Games in Canada amid turmoil at the event.
Nick Booth stepped into the top job after two senior executives, CEO Peter Lawless and Chief Commercial Office Bill Cooper, left abruptly in the Autumn.
The executives at the top of Invictus Vancouver were never told why they were sacked and believed they were performing well, another insider claimed.
Bill Cooper, who was in the role of Chief Commercial Officer for ten months until he left in October
‘There is less than a year to go. Senior staff have been sacked without reason and until now they had an interim ceo. Invictus celebrates its ten-year anniversary in 2024 and has done great things for injured veterans. Harry and the Foundation have to get a grip to ensure his legacy is not tarnished’, the source said.
Bill Cooper and Peter Lawless have both declined to comment on their departures.
One insider said: ‘Eliminating their positions as part of a re-shuffle came as a surprise and disappointment given that they had been working on the project since the bid and their areas of responsibility were in a good state of health at the time of dismissal’.
A source said that Nick Booth, a former royal aide to William and Harry, was instrumental in the change at the top and is still driving change.
‘I don’t think the decision was made by Harry. I think it was driven primarily by True Patriot Love Foundation who preside over the local Board of Directors that was set up for the staging of the 2025 Games. They are the domestic controlling party for this specific set of Games and such decisions would be led by them’, they said.
‘Nick Booth is in charge and they were given no reason for termination. It can only logically be that True Patriot Love want more control – they clearly want a very hands on involvement despite having a local organizing committee’.
Last year another whistleblower said that morale amongst Vancouver-Whistler staff was now ‘at an all time low’. He said: ‘Nick used to work at the Royal Foundation before leaving and heading to Canada. Harry trusts him implicitly, but the changes have unsettled staff, especially after two such well-liked bosses left.’
Mr Booth, who also heads up a Canadian national charity called the True Patriot Love Foundation, ran The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry between 2010 and 2017. He also helped initiate Harry’s creation of the Invictus Games for injured veterans.
The Royal Foundation set up by Harry and William was originally opened in 2009 by the brothers, with Kate joining when she became the Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and Meghan on becoming the Duchess of Sussex in May 2018.
