Pac-12 Networks Taps RSN Veteran Mark Shuken as President

The former TWC and DirecTV Sports Networks exec replaces Lydia Murphy-Stephans, who stepped down in June

The Pac-12 Conference has appointed veteran regional-sports-network executive Mark Shuken as president, Pac-12 Networks. He previously served as SVP/GM, Time Warner Cable Sports Networks (2011-2016); president/CEO, DirecTV Sports Networks (2009-2011); and president/CEO, Liberty Media (2007-2009) and in a variety of top leadership roles at Fox Sports RSNs and Rivals Networks. Shuken, who will join the Pac-12 officially on Sept. 6, takes over for Lydia Murphy-Stephans, who stepped down in June to launch her own media consultancy.

Mark Shuken speaks at SVG’s 2016 RSN Summit in Chicago.

“Mark Shuken has consistently delivered growth across all areas of the sports-media business, and his track record of success and effective leadership makes him the right choice to take our Pac-12 Networks to the next level,” says Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott.  “In a rapidly changing media landscape, Pac-12 Networks is well-positioned to take advantage of new technologies, platforms, and consumer habits, and Mark’s creative leadership skills and expertise will enable us to continue to best serve our fans and university members.”

Says Shuken, “I am thrilled to join the Pac-12 Networks, which I believe have a great opportunity to reach new audiences and deliver even more value for our universities and student-athletes. The athletic departments in the Pac-12 and student-athletes deliver incredible sporting moments and championships year in and year out. I’m really excited to work with them to further the Pac-12 Networks’ best-in-class media platforms for our fans. The Pac-12 Networks’ wholly owned model gives us a unique ability to innovate across digital and linear content, production, programming ,and distribution, and I’m looking forward to working closely with our networks-management team to explore new ways to do so.”

Previously, Shuken served in a number of sports-media leadership roles at major media companies and has worked directly with many Pac-12 universities. At Time Warner Cable Sports Networks, he led the creation and branding of three RSNs for the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Dodgers, and LA Galaxy.  As president/CEO of DirecTV Sports Networks, he led branding, content, cross-promotional, and acquisition strategies to increase asset value and subscriber acquisition.  As president/CEO of Liberty Sports Group, he created and led the standalone RSN division and doubled revenues. Prior to that, at Fox Sports Net Northwest, he was responsible for a significant increase in distribution, ratings, and brand presence, including through innovative programming strategies and partnership agreements with both professional and collegiate teams. As president of Rivals Networks, a leading digital network of more than 600 sports websites, Shuken increased gross revenues by 400% and entered into distribution deals with major digital-media companies.