Former NBA China CEO Tapped to Lead Friend MTS

Derek Chang
Derek Chang (Image credit: Friend MTS)

LONDON, U.K. & PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Friend MTS announced the appointment of Derek Chang as the company’s chief executive officer. Former CEO Jonathan Friend, founder of Friend MTS, will serve as chief product officer and continue to drive growth through the creation of the company’s proprietary solutions. 

Change previously served as CEO of NBA China, and has held leadership positions with several recognized sports, media and entertainment providers. He will be based in London.

“As we continue to innovate with groundbreaking solutions that our valued customers and partners have come to expect, now is the time to transition to our next leader and we are thrilled to welcome Derek to the helm of Friend MTS,” said Friend. “With deep expertise in the global sports and entertainment space, Derek brings invaluable insight to leveraging technology to create an impactful footprint for an ever-evolving media and content ecosystem.”

“It is my privilege to join Friend MTS as we ramp up our innovation of the technology essential to protect the needs of a complex global media industry,” said Chang. “We are at the forefront of rapid changes in consumer behavior, new business models and technology, and will ensure that creators, owners and distributors worldwide will have the formidable tools necessary to protect their valuable content.”

Prior to leading NBA China’s business, Chang was head of International Lifestyle Channels for Scripps Networks Interactive, and had served as executive vice president, Content, DIRECTV. He also held senior roles for Charter Communications, the YES Network and TCI Communications. Chang currently serves on the board of directors for Liberty Media Corp. and Isos Acquisition Corp., and formerly served on the board of Starz.