As David Wisnia takes over at NESN, he already understands its unique relationship with a passionate fanbase

It’s been a whirlwind three weeks since David Wisnia officially began his tenure as president and CEO at NESN, succeeding Sean McGrail.

But he’s already developing a genuine sense for what Boston sports fans want, even if his words also sound like what they would want to hear.

“I know the level of passion is second to none,’’ he said in a recent conversation at the network’s Watertown headquarters. “I grew up in LA, and there are some strong teams there, some deeply dedicated fanbases, but I don’t think it comes close to what you see here.

“Just in the short time I’ve been here, there is a true demand for the content, a true passion for the content, and the community that surrounds these teams and brands is amazing. You put all of that together, and you have a great opportunity to continue to grow.”

Wisnia, jokes that he’s a “recovering attorney,’’ having started in the media industry by handling such matters as rights and distribution deals at Fox Sports. But he has a broad and impressive range of sports and entertainment experience as an executive at premium companies, including CBS and MGM Studios. He joined NESN from the globe management consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, where he was a managing director.

Here are a few of Wisnia’s thoughts on specific matters relevant to NESN viewers:

Globe: NESN’s bread and butter is obviously the live broadcasts of Red Sox and Bruins games. NESN produces some complementary programming now, but is there a chance we will see new shows focused on the Red Sox and Bruins?

Wisnia: We have really iconic strong brands in the Red Sox and Bruins, so the question is, “How do we build off those brands?” We already have built in viewership and audience already, so how do we complement that? How do we build off that? How do we bring in a new audience during our day parts, for example, and look at other parts of our schedule that represent an opportunity?

I’ve already had a lot of meetings [about] how to create more touch points around these brands. Obviously, you want to make sure your economics are there, that there’s a critical mass of audience to justify the investment in that kind of content. But new shoulder programming is definitely something we’re looking at.

Globe: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has suggested that baseball needs a more national, rather than regional, strategy with its individual team broadcasts. NESN, with its strong intertwined ownership situation and a big market, is in position of strength compared with most regional sports networks. What are your thoughts on the state of RSNs and NESN’s status in that landscape?

Wisnia: I think, taking a step back, the entire sports entertainment ecosystem is in a transition. Whether it’s theatrical or whether it’s cable or whether it’s sports or whether it’s general entertainment, everybody is evolving and those transitions are ugly. Candidly, it’s just an ugly period of time. But I think we stand differently. We’re unique, in that you know we own the IP so we have tremendous latitude how we want to monetize it and maximize the value of NESN to our fanbase. I think that sets us apart.

Regarding any nationalization, I think the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, the big-market teams, would be exceptions there. Given that we have significant profitable businesses right now, it would have to be pretty compelling for us to consider any sort of move.

Globe: I think if you polled NESN viewers about their frustrations, you’d get some common answers: Bugginess with the NESN360 app, a rush to get to commercial breaks on Red Sox broadcasts in particular, too many commercials and reads overall. What would you say to viewers who have become frustrated with certain aspects of the NESN experience?

Wisnia: Look, I’ll say this, and this goes throughout my career: The consumer experience is paramount. It has to be seamless, it has to be frictionless, it has to be easy to them. There are a lot of alternatives out there to consume their time and their money, so we have got to make it as easy for them as possible, as enjoyable for them as possible. That’s something that’s at the top of my list, making sure that we’re doing that and then day out.

Globe: Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley were together for 19 years on the Bruins broadcasts, with Judd Sirott succeeding Jack this year. For a long time, Red Sox fans had Jerry Remy and Dennis Eckersley as analysts, with Don Orsillo and then Dave O’Brien on play-by-play, but that booth has been more chaotic lately, with more voices. Where do you stand on having consistent, familiar voices in the booth?

Wisnia: It’s definitely something that’s on the radar in the discussions I’m in with our production team. I think there is value in some sort of consistency across the board. It goes back to broadcast television. People get used to custom, they get used to habit, and there’s a comfort in seeing the same broadcasters. That’s true when it comes to local news, and I think it applies to sports as well. Not that we don’t want to mix it up and try new things and experiment, but as we continue to evolve, I think that’s something that’s important, to have consistency in the broadcast booth.

Chad Finn

Sports columnist

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Chad Finn is a sports columnist for Boston.com. He has been voted Favorite Sports Writer in Boston in the annual Channel Media Market and Research Poll for the past four years. He also writes a weekly sports media column for the Globe and contributes to Globe Magazine.

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