Sports Media Veteran to Lead Next Phase of Growth for Pac-12 Networks

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Conference announced today the appointment of widely-respected sports media executive Mark Shuken as the new President of the Pac-12 Networks. Shuken, who will lead the next phase of growth for Pac-12 Networks, brings a track record of success in driving growth and value for sports networks to the new position, including having run sports networks for major media companies Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Liberty Media and Fox Sports. Shuken is set to join the Pac-12 officially on September 6, 2017.

“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,” said 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.”

“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,” said Shuken. “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.”

Prior to joining the Pac-12 Networks, Shuken served in a number of sports media leadership roles at major media companies, including having worked directly with many Pac-12 universities. At Time Warner Cable Sports Networks, Mark led the creation and branding of three regional sports networks for the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Dodgers and LA Galaxy. As President and CEO of DirecTV Sports Networks, he led branding, content, cross-promotional and acquisition strategies to increase asset value and subscriber acquisition. As President and CEO of Liberty Sports Group, Mark created and led the stand-alone division of regional sports networks 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. Previously, Shuken also served as President of Rivals Networks, a leading digital network of over 600 sports websites, where he increased gross revenues by 400% and entered into distribution deals with major digital media companies.

Since its launch in 2012, the Pac-12 Networks has delivered innovative and significantly increased national exposure for Pac-12 sports and student-athletes. The Pac-12 Networks serves as a showcase for Pac-12 Universities and supports efforts to attract the very best student-athletes to the conference, and field winning teams that win championships.

About Pac-12 Networks

Pac-12 Networks is the innovative TV and multimedia company of the Pac-12 Conference and is the first such company to be wholly owned by 12 universities. Pac-12 Networks incorporates one national and six regional television networks, plus extensive digital content accessible through social media, university websites and Pac-12 Now, its TV Everywhere service. Each year, Pac-12 Networks offers live coverage of 850 sporting events, making it one of the top live sports producers in the country. In addition, Pac-12 Networks creates extensive original programming, provides visibility for marquee football and basketball events as well as traditionally under-served women’s and Olympic sports. Pac-12 Networks also provides training and paid internships for thousands of students of the Pac-12’s member universities, preparing them for careers in media. With headquarters in San Francisco’s SOMA District, Pac-12 Networks draws on the creative, entrepreneurial and technological culture of the Bay Area and nearby Silicon Valley. For more information, go to http://pac-12.com/networks

About the Pac-12 Conference