Funayama joined NESN as a freelance Boston Red Sox reporter in April 2007. In her first year with NESN, she covered Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. Funayama captured the attention of NESN after she helped Matsuzaka's struggling translator during Matsuzaka's introductory press conference.[4]
Funayama joined NESN full-time in September 2008 as the Bruins in-game reporter and host of The Buzz, a Bruins countdown show formerly hosted by Hazel Mae. In June 2013, NESN announced that they would not renew Funayama's contract.[5] She was replaced by Jamie Erdahl.[citation needed]