Lydia Stephans Explained

Lydia Stephans should not be confused with Lydia Stephens.

Lydia Murphy-Stephans
Nationality:American
Sport:Speed skating
Birth Date:19 October 1960
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, United States
Birth Name:Lydia Stephans

Lydia Murphy-Stephans (born October 19, 1960) is an American speed skater, television producer, sports media pioneer, and CEO of SportsBubble.[1] [2] [3] She competed in the women's 1000 metres at the 1984 Winter Olympics.[4] Following a short international career in speed skating, Murphy-Stephans worked for several television networks, including ABC Sports,[5] and has gone on to win multiple Emmy Awards.[6] She was the first woman to run a national sporting network in the United States.[7]

Biography

Murphy-Stephans was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1960.[2] She was inspired to take up speed skating, after watching the 1972 Winter Olympics on the television.[8] In 1976, Murphy-Stephans won the junior National Short Track Championship title.[8] Six years later, she won the senior National Short Track Championship title and the North American Short Track Championship in the following year.[8] In 1982, she graduated from National Louis University, and three years later, earned a master's degree at Northwestern University.[2]

Between 1980 and 1984, Murphy-Stephans won four medals, one silver and three bronze, at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.[9] At the 1985 Winter Universiade, she also won two silver medals.[2] At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Murphy-Stephans competed in the women's 1000 metres event, finishing in 13th place.[10] Following the Olympics, Murphy-Stephans served as the national short track coach at the US Olympic Education Center.[8] In 1994, she was inducted into the National Speedskating Hall of Fame.[8]

In 1986, Murphy-Stephans began working at ABC Sports,[2] where she later became the first female vice-president of the organisation.[2] [11] While at ABC, she was in charge of their show Wide World of Sports.[12] By the end of the 1990s, Murphy-Stephans had moved to the television network Oxygen, in the role of President and Executive Producer.[2] Three years later, she moved on to the MSG Network as their Executive Vice-president.[2] In 2006, Murphy-Stephans had left MSG to form her own company, Peace Tree Media.[2] [13]

In 2022, Murphy-Stephans founded SportsBubble, an internet-based company that provides software, marketing and services.[1] With the launch of SportsBubble, Murphy-Stephans released the company's first product, the WatchSports app.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Steinberg . Brian . 2022-05-11 . SportsBubble's New App Helps Fans Navigate Maze of Games . 2022-06-06 . Variety . en-US.
  2. Web site: Lydia Stephans . Olympedia . April 3, 2022.
  3. Web site: Women measure progress by what is to come . Tampa Bay Times . April 3, 2022.
  4. Lydia Stephans Olympic Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418120754/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/lydia-stephans-1.html . dead . April 18, 2020 . February 2, 2018.
  5. Web site: NETWORKS MAKE SURE WE'LL ALL GET OUR FILL OF FIGURE SKATING . Chicago Tribune . February 4, 1994 . April 3, 2022.
  6. Web site: Pac-12 Enterprises President Gary Stevenson Departs; Lydia Murphy-Stephans Elevated to President of Pac-12 Networks . SVG News . April 23, 2013 . April 3, 2022.
  7. Web site: Lydia Murphy-Stephans breaking ground in Pac-12 . ESPN . July 17, 2012 . April 3, 2022.
  8. Web site: Lydia Stephans . https://web.archive.org/web/20160507103357/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Speedskating/About/Hall-of-Fame-Content/Skaters/Lydia-Stephans . dead . May 7, 2016 . Team USA . April 3, 2022.
  9. Web site: Hall of Fame . Northbrook Park District . April 3, 2022.
  10. Web site: 1,000 metres, Women . Olympedia . April 3, 2022.
  11. News: From the Ice All the Way To Viewers . The New York Times . March 16, 1997 . April 3, 2022 . Elias . Justine .
  12. Web site: Lydia Murphy-Stephans wants to lead Pac-12 Networks into the digital future . Los Angeles Times . September 9, 2016 . April 3, 2022.
  13. Web site: Lydia Murphy-Stephans Stepping Down As Pac-12 Networks Prez To Open Own Company . Sports Business Journal . April 20, 2017 . April 3, 2022.
  14. Web site: JohnWallStreet . 2022-05-23 . Lydia Murphy-Stephans Launches TV Guide for Sports Streaming Age . 2022-06-06 . Sportico.com . en-US.