I
f there's a rights deal brewing at NBC, Wendy Bass will be involved with it. That means, in recent years, Bass has been looked to to provide astute legal analysis for the network's deals with the NFL and the English Premier League.
Wendy Bass
NBC SPORTS GROUP,
VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS
“There were a lot of drafts being passed back and forth, trying to get the words right to reflect the business understanding,” Bass said of the network’s “Thursday Night Football” negotiations, in particular.
“Wendy is a person who you enjoy seeing across the table but would much prefer to have her on your side,” said Cathy Yancy, vice president of rights, policies and compliance for the NFL Media Group. “I’ve always admired Wendy’s willingness to take the time to dig in and understand the issues and come up with creative solutions.”
Bass now is spending her time on one of the most complicated rights considerations of all: local streaming with NBA, MLB and NHL games on NBC's regional sports channels. “The NBA will happen; on MLB, we’re getting close. And with the NHL, I don’t know,” she said. “I think they finally are coming.”
Bass’ responsibilities go beyond media rights, though. After all, most big-time sports rights are tied up into the next decade, so that gives Bass a chance to help NBC navigate the future of media, particularly with its direct-to-consumer offering NBC Sports Gold. “From a legal side, they need to find out from us what our rights are and what we can do,” Bass said. “We work closely with our digital team on that.”
— John Ourand
