BOSTON — NESN, New England’s premier sports activities community, on Monday introduced the appointment of David Wisnia as the brand new President & CEO. Wisnia will succeed Sean McGrail, who’s retiring after 40 years of service at NESN.
McGrail, who joined NESN shortly after its inception, has served as President & CEO since 2000 and led SportsNet Pittsburgh, the printed and streaming house of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates, which has been managed by NESN since its acquisition in October 2023. He’ll proceed as Senior Advisor to NESN’s Board of Administrators.
Wisnia, who will start his new position on Oct. 28, is an business veteran with intensive
expertise with among the most well-regarded corporations within the community enterprise, together with Fox Sports activities, CBS and MGM Studios. He joins NESN from Alvarez & Marsal, a world administration consulting agency, the place he was a Managing Director, specializing in media and leisure operations and technique. Wisnia will oversee each NESN and SportsNet Pittsburgh.
“NESN has been house for Purple Sox and Bruins followers for over 40 years,” mentioned Fenway SportsGroup Principal Proprietor John Henry. “We’re grateful to Sean for guiding NESN’s progress by means of vital technological modifications and positioning it for continued success amid immense business disruption. With David’s appointment, we’ve got a top-tier media government with intensive expertise, each domestically and globally, at main corporations within the community enterprise. He shares our imaginative and prescient for NESN’s future and can be certain that shifts within the media panorama don’t change our core objectives: to attach on to our followers, to supply native companies with priceless alternatives to affiliate with our nice golf equipment, and to inform tales about our groups that followers wish to hear. We thank Sean for his exceptional management and welcome David as we look ahead to NESN’s subsequent chapter.”
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“Sean has been an integral and formative a part of NESN’s operation for the final 40 years,” mentioned Fenway Sports activities Group Chairman Tom Werner. “He is one of the completed executives within the enterprise and has carried NESN by means of among the largest broadcast transformations all through the previous 4 many years. Throughout his 24-year tenure as President & CEO, NESN launched a second channel, NESN+, expanded its distribution to a nationwide viewers through its NESN Nationwide product and launched the first-ever direct-to-consumer streaming product for a regional sports activities community, NESN 360. Beneath his management, the community gained over 50 Emmy Awards and has been ranked by Forbes as one of many High 10 Most Invaluable Sports activities Manufacturers on the earth. We’re grateful that he’ll stay a useful resource to NESN and to David all through this transition. With David, we’re assured we’ve got an individual who can skillfully adapt NESN to any future challenges to the enterprise mannequin. Whether or not or not it’s media rights or technological, we all know that with David on the helm, NESN will likely be in good arms to map out a brand new path ahead whereas persevering with the core
mission of serving Purple Sox and Bruins followers.”
“David brings a wealth of data and expertise within the broadcasting business,” mentioned Charlie Jacobs, CEO and Alternate Governor of the Boston Bruins. “We look ahead to working alongside him and the NESN group into the long run. Sean McGrail has been an integral associate with the Bruins for over 4 many years and we’re assured he’ll set David up for nice success transferring ahead.”
Wisnia’s appointment as NESN’s new President & CEO passed off after a nationwide search carried out by NESN’s Board of Administrators and McGrail, led by search agency CAA. He brings a wealth of worldwide expertise within the media business to NESN, having constructed, scaled and circled media belongings for among the world’s most distinguished corporations. All through his profession, Wisnia has held senior roles at main media organizations, together with Fox Sports activities, CBS Company, STAR TV and MGM Studios. As Govt Vice President at MGM Studios, he led the International Networks Group, overseeing the operational and progress technique for MGM’s home and worldwide direct-to-consumer and linear networks. His management spanned programming, affiliate and promoting gross sales, partnerships, advertising, visitors, engineering and operations.
Previous to his position at MGM, Wisnia served as President of Enterprise Operations for TV Information
Community (presently generally known as Pop TV), the place he managed the strategic progress of a community that reached over 80 million households. At CBS Company, he labored intently with the CEO as Govt Vice President of Enterprise Growth, main strategic initiatives to broaden CBS’s media portfolio.
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Wisnia has served on the Board of Administrators for quite a few media and leisure corporations, together with Telecine, Large Play Scoring, TV Information Community and the Championship Gaming Sequence. Along with his numerous and intensive expertise throughout conventional and digital media, he’s well-equipped to drive NESN’s continued progress and management in sports activities broadcasting.
“I’m honored to hitch NESN and construct on the unbelievable basis that Sean has established during the last twenty years,” mentioned Wisnia. “NESN has lengthy been a frontrunner in sports activities broadcasting, and I look ahead to working with possession and the gifted group right here to drive continued progress and ship world-class sports activities protection to our followers.”
Wisnia earned a bachelor’s diploma from the College of California, Irvine, and a J.D. from Tulane College. He additionally holds a management and administration certificates from The Wharton Faculty on the College of Pennsylvania. Fluent in each English and Spanish, Wisnia brings a world perspective to NESN and its future endeavors.
Throughout his tenure as NESN’s President and CEO, McGrail reworked the community into one in every of New England’s premier sports activities media properties. Along with his many accolades, his
dedication to innovation led NESN to develop into the primary regional sports activities community (RSN) to
broadcast in excessive definition and ultra-high definition establishing the community as a pioneer in RSN know-how. He’s an inductee to the Cable Pioneers Corridor of Fame and has a deep connection to charitable endeavors, together with serving to to create the NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, and serving as a member on each the Purple Sox and Bruins Basis Board of Administrators.
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“I’m extremely grateful to all of my colleagues over time who’ve helped set up NESN as one of many nation’s preeminent sports activities locations,” mentioned McGrail. “After 40 years, it was bittersweet to announce my retirement final March, and main NESN & SNP has been one of many nice joys of my life. I’m assured that David will lead NESN & SNP into an thrilling subsequent chapter of sports activities broadcasting.”
