After a tumultuous year of layoffs and massive internal change, NBCUniversal’s chairman of television and streaming Mark Lazarus believes the company’s “more unified approach” is going to pay off both in the short and longer term.Speaking during a keynote conversation at the virtual NATPE Miami conference, Lazarus acknowledged that the re-organization to centralize NBCU’s content efforts under one roof was an “aggressive move” for the company, but one which was needed to become a runner in the streaming arms race.“It...
NBCUniversal
Mark
Lazarus
Chairman, Television & Streaming
Lazarus supervised a massive restructuring of NBCUniversal’s TV operations in 2020 that included the ouster of the NBC broadcast network’s top leader. Lazarus helped recruit Warner Bros. TV alum Susan Rovner in November 2020 to head a newly configured content biz combining NBC and its sibling entertainment cablers. NBCU cable veteran Frances Berwick was tasked with leading a consolidated distribution, marketing and sales unit. The goal is to keep Rovner’s group laser focused on developing content for more than a half-dozen platforms. As Lazarus marked his 10-year anniversary at NBCUniversal, he also grappled with the transformation of linear channels he helped launch, including the plan to drop the curtain on NBC Sports Network by year’s end as NBCU’s larger USA Network loads up on sports.