"He brings to us a number of skills," said former committee head Peter Ueberroth. "We need to shore up and expand our partnerships with major companies in the United States, and Larry walks those halls well, or better than I do."

It was EA’s ties with the former MLB commissioner that got Probst the job.

"The EA Sports brand is one of the most recognized brands in the video games industry," Probst commented. "I’ve been doing that for 15-plus years. As a consequence of that, I have had a lot of exposure to commissioners, leaders in sports."