NESN President David Wisnia told me that his company remains “active” in discussions to operate or buy local media operations for teams, which join the fold alongside the Red Sox, Bruins, Penguins and Pirates.
“If there’s an opportunity that makes sense for us, for them, we’ll happily have those conversations,” he said. “We’re open for business … whether it’s a partnership or M&A.”
Wisnia called the relationship operating SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) “very successful.” NESN is likely to continue with that operation once the sale of the Penguins closes.
But in looking at other potential teams, Wisnia noted his company needs to be aggressive in the marketplace as these franchises look for solutions. “Everybody has a very challenging dynamic,” he said.
Wisnia added that costs have been cut across NESN and SNP, with overhead down 11% since he became its president in 2024. Churn rates are also down over 50%, and in-market DTC continues to grow.
