Media industry veteran Jennifer Chun has been hired by the NBA as part of the league’s drive to add staff with an eye on forthcoming media-deal negotiations.
Chun joins the NBA from Time Warner Cable, where she had worked since 2011, most recently as senior vice president of content acquisition. She began at the NBA last week, working as senior vice president of global media distribution and reporting to Bill Koenig, president of global media distribution for the NBA. She also will work closely with David Denenberg, the NBA’s senior vice president of global media distribution and business affairs.
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Chun’s job is a new position at the NBA and follows the league last fall signing its nine-year, $24 billion media-rights deal with Turner and ESPN. That deal calls for the NBA and ESPN to create an over-the-top network.
“We have a lot going on, and as my portfolio has expanded a bit, we needed to bring on some people,” Koenig said. “Obviously we did our big network deal, but we have a lot of NBA TV and League Pass affiliation deals coming up in a year or two and we have the over-the-top part that I want her to focus on.”
At Time Warner Cable, Chun worked on business related to NBA TV and League Pass.
“Those are my touch points to the league,” she said. “I am definitely hoping to be helpful there, and they are great products.”
Prior to joining Time Warner Cable, Chun worked for Fox Cable Networks and News Corp. Digital Media.
Chun leaves Time Warner during the pending sale of the company to Charter Communications, but Chun said the sale had no bearing on her decision to leave the company and join the NBA.
“In fact, it was the most bittersweet departure I have had,” said Chun, who was a SportsBusiness Journal/Daily Game Changers honoree in 2013. “I think they have an exciting future no matter what happens with Charter.”
Koenig said he will continue to add to his staff.
“I’m not sure we will be hiring senior people like Jennifer, but we will round out the team,” he said.
While at Time Warner, Chun reported to Time Warner Cable’s chief video and content officer, Melinda Witmer — who is married to Koenig.
“I got to know Jennifer because she was on the NBA TV and League Pass accounts regardless of who her boss was at Time Warner, but I got to know her better because of her dealing with Melinda,” Koenig said.
For Chun, the familiarity between her old boss and her new boss is simply part of the job.
“I said to Melinda that I feel extra pressure to live up to what she told Bill about me,” Chun said.
