Mark Lazarus (businessman)
Mark Lazarus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lazarus in 2011 | |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University (BA) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse | Liz |
| Children | 3 |
Mark Lazarus is an American media executive and businessman. He is the current prospective CEO of Versant, a spin-off company of NBCUniversal. He previously was the chairman of NBCUniversal and NBC Sports Group. Prior to his work with NBC, he was the president of Turner Entertainment Group and president of media and marketing of Career & Sport Entertainment.
Biography
[edit]Lazarus was born on a military base in West Germany to John and Barbara Lazarus. His grandfather was Paul Lazarus, who worked for Warner Bros. and United Artists. He grew up in New York City in a media-focused family that includes brothers Paul and Craig, who are executives for NBC Sports Group and ESPN, respectively. Mark graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in political science.[1][2]
Lazarus joined Turner Sports in 1990. He was one of the original members of Turner's sports broadcasting team. He would later become the president of Turner Sports from 1999 to 2003, during which time he was able to recruit Charles Barkley, with whom he became a friend, to Inside the NBA. He was later the president of Turner Entertainment Group from 2003 to 2008.[3] During his time with Turner, he secured broadcasting deals with Major League Baseball, NASCAR, Wimbeldon, and The Open Championship.[1]
Lazarus was also the president of Career & Sport Entertainment (C&SE).[2] He joined the company in 2008, where he worked on TV concepts, as well as marketing, PR, and event services for C&SE's clientel.[4] He left the company by 2010.[5]
Lazarus joined Comcast/NBC in 2010.[5] would go on to serve as the chairman of NBCUniversal Broadcast. He later became chairman of NBC Sports Group, starting in May 2011. He replaced Dick Ebersol, who initially recruited Lazarus, as chairman.[6] Prior to becoming chairman, he was the president of NBC Sports Cable Group, beginning in 2016.[3][7] During his time with NBC Sports Group, he created partnerships with various organization, including the Olympics, the NFL, NASCAR, and the Premier League.[1][8] He was also the chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.[9] He became the chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group in 2023.[10]
On October 31, 2024, Mike Cavanagh announced on the company's 2024 third-quarter earnings call that it would consider a spin-off of its cable networks.[11] The separate entity, classified as a tax-free spin-off is scheduled to be completed in 2025, pending regulatory approval.[12] This coincided with the promotion of Donna Langley to head the Entertainment & Studios group while Matt Strauss being promoted to chairman as Lazarus and Anand Kini plan to step down after the spin-off's completion to head the separate entity.[13] In January 2025, Lazarus was announced as the new CEO of this company, called "SpinCo", with Kini being announced as both the CFO and COO of the company.[14] On May 6, 2025, it was announced that the company would be referred to as "Versant."[15]
Lazarus was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2024.[1][16]
Lazarus met his wife Liz while at Vanderbilt; They have 3 children together.[1] Lazarus, in addition to his business ties, is on the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the East Lake Foundation and Hilton Grand Vacations.[2][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Mark Lazarus". Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Mark Lazarus". NBCUniversal. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "Mark Lazarus". SVG Summit. 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Dempsey, John (July 9, 2008). "Career Sports taps Mark Lazarus". Variety. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Mark Lazarus Joins Comcast Corporation". ComCast. December 6, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (December 18, 2011). "More Low-Key Than His Predecessor, NBC Sports Chief Still Aims High". The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (January 14, 2019). "NBC Sports executive Mark Lazarus to become chairman, NBCUniversal Broadcast, Cable, Sports and News". Awful Announcing. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Sherman, Alex (May 8, 2025). "CNBC Sport: Versant CEO Mark Lazarus outlines his sports strategy". CNBC. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Swift, Andy (August 3, 2022). "Days of Our Lives Moving to Peacock, Will No Longer Air on NBC". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ Weprin, Alex (July 6, 2023). "NBCUniversal Shake-Up: Donna Langley, Mark Lazarus, Cesar Conde Upped; Susan Rovner Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (31 October 2024). "Comcast Looking At Forming A New Stand-Alone Company For Its Cable Networks, President Mike Cavanagh Says". Deadline. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ "Comcast Announces Intention to Create Leading Independent Media Business Through Spin-Off of Select Cable Television Networks". Comcast. 20 October 2024.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (20 October 2024). "Matt Strauss, Donna Langley Expand Roles at New NBCUniversal". Variety.
- ^ "Comcast's Future "SpinCo" CEO Mark Lazarus Announces Key Appointments for Company's Corporate Leadership Team". NBCUniversal. January 9, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
- ^ Comcast Spinoff Will Be Called Versant, Mark Lazarus Announces
- ^ LoRé, Michael (December 17, 2024). "Mark Lazarus, Tommy Roy inducted into Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame". PGA Tour. Retrieved June 22, 2025.