Media Executive
Seattle, WA
Kathy Payne is a media executive who has spent her 30+ year career as a lawyer and business executive working for large media and tech companies. She has been at the forefront of transforming the consumer television business experience negotiating video content rights from major media companies.
Kathy spent the last three and a half years of her career leading the content acquisition team for Amazon’s Prime Video Channels. In that role, she oversaw content acquisition, partner management and operations for the Prime Video Channels business. At Amazon, she helped grow that business to offer customers over 160 video channels (such as HBO, Showtime, Starz, Britbox, CBS All Access and more) which they can choose on an a la carte basis. Prior to Amazon, Kathy was the Chief Programming Officer at Suddenlink Communications (which was acquired by Altice Communications), and prior to that, she was the VP of Content Acquisition and an Assistant General Counsel at Cox Communications. In these roles, she was responsible for video content strategy and negotiations across traditional and emerging video platforms.
Kathy obtained her BA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, magna cum laude, and her JD, also from Duke, with honors. Throughout her career Kathy has consistently mentored the next generation of women leaders and served for seven years on the board of the cable industry’s 10,000-member flagship women’s leadership organization, Women In Cable Telecommunications, including chairing the board. She is the recipient of several industry and corporate awards for leadership and commitment to customers. In her spare time, Kathy loves the outdoors, adventure travel and spending time with her husband, David Payne, and two daughters, a Stanford graduate, and a graduate of George Washington University.
DCI Fellow: David Payne