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Jon D. Litner 43 is responsible for the strategy programming and day-to-day operations of the rapidly growing Comcast SportsNet family of sports networks. Mr. Litner a veteran sports media executive is applying expertise gained from the ranks of national and regional sports television and the professional sports business to expand Comcast SportsNet into new markets and new technologies. He became president on May 1 2007.
Comcast SportsNet’s eleven channels are distinguished by their comprehensive regional focus including live game coverage and entertaining sports news talk analysis features and other original programming. Comcast SportsNet’s networks are: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia Comcast SportsNet Chicago Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic Comcast SportsNet West Comcast SportsNet Northwest (launching Oct. 2007) SportsNet New York FSN Bay Area FSN New England The Mtn. MountainWest Sports Network CSS and Comcast Local Detroit. Collectively Comcast SportsNet’s channels will deliver more than 2 400 live games to 38 million sports fans around the country.
Previously Mr. Litner served as president of SportsNet New York (SNY) the official television home of the New York Mets and Jets. As president he was responsible for the development launch and growth of SNY which went on the air in March of 2006 and produced the largest year-to-year MLB viewership increase in 2006 during its inaugural season.
Before he launched SNY Mr. Litner was the executive vice president chief operating officer of the National Hockey League from 1999 to 2005 where he managed U.S. and Canadian broadcasting digital media public relations special events new business development game scheduling and in-house television production.
Mr. Litner began his career in sports television at Capital Cities/ABC Inc. and held several senior-level legal and business positions from 1991 to 1999 including programming acquisitions and talent negotiations. Mr. Litner negotiated ABC Sports’ acquisition of MLB television rights for 1994 and 1995 oversaw ABC’s coverage of college sports motor sports boxing and Wide World of Sports programming and played a leading role in creating the Bowl Championship Series and a college football national championship game. While at ABC Mr. Litner worked on the creation of the Baseball Network a joint venture with NBC and served as vice president of business affairs for the Baseball Network in 1994 and 1995.
Mr. Litner is a 1985 graduate of Yale University where he was an Oaklawn Foundation Scholar and a two-sport varsity athlete earning letters in baseball and football. Mr. Litner earned his legal degree from Cornell Law School in 1988. He is a three-time recipient of Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” Sports Executive Award and was inducted into the Sports Business Journal’s Hall of Fame in 2001. Mr. Litner is a member of the Little League International Board of Directors and serves on the March of Dimes New York Sports Luncheon Committee.
Mr. Litner and his wife Polly have three children | 