Dick Ebersol Exits NBCU

NEW YORK: Veteran NBCUniversal executive Dick Ebersol is exiting his post as chairman of the NBC Sports Group after a reported contract dispute. 

Having spent four decades with the company, Ebersol has run NBCU’s sports broadcasting initiatives for the last 22 years. He is being succeeded by Mark Lazarus, who is currently president of NBC Sports Cable Group.

Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal and executive VP of Comcast Corporation, noted, "Dick Ebersol is an incredible talent whose contributions to the company over the last four decades in sports, news and entertainment are unsurpassed. Dick has masterfully produced everything from the Olympics and Sunday Night Football, to the Triple Crown, NHL games and major golf and tennis events. In the entertainment world, he helped create Saturday Night Live, one of the most significant programs in television. We will miss his intellect, experience, and passion for the television business."

Ebersol said in a statement, "What I have enjoyed most is working so closely with so many truly outstanding and incredibly talented people over decades of producing some of the greatest events in the world. Those relationships are what I cherish most. I have always said this business is about relationships and I have been fortunate enough to have more deep and meaningful friendships than any man could imagine. It has been a sincere privilege to tell so many remarkable stories that have inspired me throughout my entire career. Some of my favorite memories come from reading letters and talking to viewers who also have been moved by such powerful stories. I simply want to say thank you to all of those people who have touched me so deeply throughout my career."