Hurst was previously at the BBC for the past three years, working as BBC Sport’s digital development director. In that role he was the editorial and social media lead for BBC Sport’s interactive services and it included overseeing BBC Sport’s editorial development plans for the Rio Olympics.

Hurst has also worked for the International Cricket Council and English Premier League.  

Hurst was instrumental in growing BBC Sport’s Facebook fan base organically from 150,000 in 2013 to 10.5 million in 2015 and also managed a number of high profile partnerships and initiatives with leading global providers such as Facebook, Twitter and Google, around major events such as the World Cup, the Olympic Games, F1, Wimbledon and The Masters.

At Nielsen Sports, he will play a leading role growing its range of products including Social24, its social media valuation and brand optimisation tool for rights holders and brands across a range of sports.

Max Barnett, global head of digital, Nielsen Sports, said: "Chris is a fantastic addition to the UK team and brings with him a wealth of experience across the digital landscape.

"He has worked with some of the biggest rights holders in UK sport, understanding fully the demands of the industry and delivering best in class solutions that have helped far exceed the expectations of clients."