This month Colorado Law honors one of its east coast alums, Matt Bond, who has spent the past twenty years working as an executive in the television industry. Bond is currently Executive Vice President of Content Distribution for NBCUniversal, where he is in charge of the company’s large portfolio of content and oversees the distribution of NBCUniversal cable channels and owned-and-operated television stations to cable operators. In addition to a number of contributions Bond has made to our academic community over the years, Colorado Law is especially thankful for the scholarship fund he recently established. The Matt Bond Endowed Scholarship Fund will be used to provide scholarship support to students who demonstrate financial need and who have overcome adversity in their lives, with a preference for first-generation college students.
Born in Las Vegas, Bond moved to Denver when he was seventeen and stayed for twenty-two years. He considers Colorado his home. He attended the University of Denver for his undergraduate studies, earning dual degrees in Finance and Marketing, then returned to Boulder for law school and excelled at Colorado Law. Bond began his career as a litigator, primarily focused on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. After several years in the legal field, he got his start in the television industry when he accepted a position with Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI), which at one time was the largest cable operator in the United States. Bond started with TCI in 1992 as Assistant Director of Programming, and would eventually become TCI’s Executive Vice President of Programming. Subsequent to TCI’s merger with AT&T Broadband, he also held the titles of Executive Vice President, Programming for AT&T Broadband and President of Satellite Services, Inc. (an AT&T Broadband subsidiary), where he managed the delivery of video programming services.
Following his time with TCI and AT&T Broadband, Bond served as Executive Vice President of Distribution for the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network (YES), where he helped launch the regional sports network in the early 2000’s. In 2002, he left the YES Network to serve as Executive Vice President of Content Acquisition for Comcast Corporation. In that role he was responsible for overseeing the company’s content acquisition efforts, including the negotiation of programming agreements for cable systems servicinig more than 24 million customers. He also led content acquisition for new media rights and strategic multiplatform initiatives, including On Demand Online. Bond remained at Comcast until 2010 when, following its acquisition of NBCUniversal, he moved to his current position.
Bond likes to come home to his house outside of Steamboat Springs whenever he can to add new fourteeners to his life list of mountains summited or to ski Steamboat with his family. He also enjoys painting artwork on surfboards as a hobby and has a house in Saint Augustine, Florida.
Five Questions for Matt Bond
What is your fondest memory of being a student at Colorado Law?
Living in Boulder, one of the nicest places in the world. I have found few places better in all my travels.
What do you know now that you wish you had known in law school?
Timesheets are not fun.
What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?
Practical experience is the best teacher, even if difficult or unpleasant at the time. Whichever area of the law you select, it is important to seek out challenging experiences. And, always be bigger than the moment.
Who was the biggest influence on your career?
Leo Hindery, the CEO of Tele-Communications, Inc., who hired me for the lead programming role for what was then the world’s largest cable company. The rest of my career was built on that event.
Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
Successful launch and carriage of the YES Network, a groundbreaking network model at the time.
Quote about your experience hiring CU Law Students (Interns)
“They are much smarter than I was at the time, or now.”