Diane Penny will become Marquee Sports Network’s senior vice president and general manager next Monday, the network announced today. Penny takes over for former general manager Mike McCarthy, who stepped down late last year to focus on his health. He remains a consultant to the network.
Penny, a native of Villa Park, comes to Marquee after leading media and innovation for the new Professional Women’s Hockey League. Previously, she was senior vice president and general manager of NBC Sports Northwest, where she oversaw day-to-day operations. She also was a producer for NBC at the Beijing Olympics.
“I am excited to return home to Chicago and bring my passion and hands-on leadership to the network, where we will continue the mission to deliver engaging content and award-winning productions to super serve Cubs fans,” Penny, an Illinois graduate, said in a statement. “Like many in the area, the Cubs were the first team I grew up following, and it’s a dream role to now have this opportunity to join Marquee Sports Network.”
Penny joins Marquee at a challenging time. Regional sports networks across the country have dealt with the effects of cord-cutting and the emergence of streaming. Marquee launched a direct-to-consumer service in July. Marquee is on more stable ground than Diamond Sports Group’s Bally-branded networks, but it has been seeking to cut costs.
Marquee did not send its announcers to a majority of Cubs spring-training games this year, preferring to focus resources on regular-season game coverage. Broadcasters called the action out of the network’s studio. Marquee’s original programming, such as the roundtable show “The Reporters,” has been on hold, awaiting a new general manager.
McCarthy was with Marquee from its inception after a long run at MSG in New York, where he became network president in 2000. He also was CEO of the NHL’s Blues and COO of the NBA’s Bucks.
