# Mark Lazarus

> Mark Lazarus is CEO of Versant, the media company separated from Comcast in January 2026. A former Turner Entertainment Group president and NBCUniversal Media Group chairman, he built his career in advertising, sports rights and television operations. His current strategy is to reinvest cable cash flow in the company’s news, sports, golf and entertainment businesses and expand digital and transactional revenue.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Versant Media
- **Organizations:** Versant Media Group, NBCUniversal (former), Turner Broadcasting System (former), CSE (former), Boys & Girls Clubs of America, East Lake Foundation, Hilton Grand Vacations
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts in political science, Vanderbilt University
- **Known for:** Inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2024., Helped recruit Charles Barkley to Inside the NBA while at Turner., Led sports businesses that negotiated rights agreements with the Olympics, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, Premier League and PGA TOUR.

## Career timeline

- **1990** — Joined Turner Sports.
- **1999–2003** — President of Turner Sports.
- **2003–2008** — President of Turner Entertainment Group.
- **2008–2010** — President of Media and Marketing at CSE.
- **2011-01** — Started at NBCUniversal overseeing cable sports assets.
- **2011-05** — Succeeded Dick Ebersol as chairman of NBC Sports Group.
- **2011-06** — NBCUniversal secured US media rights to four Olympic Games through 2020 for $4.38 billion.
- **2023** — Became chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.
- **2024-11** — Selected to lead Comcast’s planned cable-network spinoff.
- **2024-12** — Inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
- **2026-01** — Versant completed its separation from Comcast, with Lazarus as CEO.

## Achievements

- Inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2024.
- Helped recruit Charles Barkley to Inside the NBA while at Turner.
- Led sports businesses that negotiated rights agreements with the Olympics, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, Premier League and PGA TOUR.
- Oversaw NBCUniversal’s TV and streaming platforms as Media Group chairman.
- Leads Versant as an independent publicly traded media company.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Versant announced a multiyear Verizon distribution renewal on October 2.
- **2026-10** — On October 6, Versant scheduled third-quarter results for November 3, with a call hosted by Lazarus and Anand Kini.
- **2026-08** — Versant reported Q2 revenue of $1.644 billion and net income attributable to Versant of $211 million.
- **2026-08** — Versant completed its acquisition of Full Swing on August 3.
- **2026-04** — At Semafor World Economy, Lazarus argued for less political interference in media businesses.

## Links

- Website: https://www.versantmedia.com/leadership/mark-lazarus

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mark-lazarus
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16