Winik to Leave NBA Entertainment

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

National Basketball Association executive Gregg Winik will look to play ball on another court.

The league’s executive vice president of programming and executive producer for NBA Entertainment announced Thursday that he will leave the league at the end of the 2005-06 season to launch a new-media company.

In his current position since 1997, Winik has overseen the NBA’s content creation across all media and has been instrumental in helping to extend the NBA brand worldwide. He also was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the league’s digital-cable service, NBA TV.

“Gregg has played a key role in the growth of the NBA for 16 years, helping to build NBA Entertainment into one of the largest providers of sports programming in the world,” NBA commissioner David Stern said in a prepared statement. “We are thankful for his longtime service and contribution and are fortunate that he will continue his association with the NBA through his new company.”

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.