Dick Ebersol
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol[1] (/ˈɛbərsɒl/; born July 28, 1947) is an American television executive and a senior adviser for NBC Universal Sports & Olympics.[2] He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large-scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts.[1]
Early life[edit]
Ebersol was born in Torrington, Connecticut, the son of Mary (née Duncan) and Charles Roberts Ebersol, a former chairman of the American Cancer Society.[3][4][5] He and Josiah Bunting III are half-brothers.[6] In 1967, aged 20, Ebersol began his long history with the Olympics when he temporarily dropped out of Yale University to join Roone Arledge and ABC Sports as television's first-ever Olympic researcher.[7]
Career[edit]
Move to NBC[edit]
In 1974, he joined NBC as Director of Weekend Late Night Programming. In 1975, at the suggestion of Paramount Pictures executive Barry Diller, Ebersol and NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached Lorne Michaels for help in creating a show to fill the Saturday night time slot. Michaels's idea for a variety show featuring high-concept comedy sketches, political satire, and music performances eventually became Saturday Night Live.[8]
Named as Vice President of Late Night Programming at age 28, Ebersol became NBC's first vice president under the age of 30. After a brief departure, he returned to SNL in 1981 as executive producer and remained until 1985, spanning the Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal eras.[1][9] In 1983, Ebersol formed No Sleep Productions, an independent production company that created Emmy Award-winning NBC shows Friday Night Videos and Later with Bob Costas.[9] Together with Vince McMahon, Ebersol produced Saturday Night's Main Event.[1] When Ebersol left SNL in 1985, he devoted his time to his production company until rejoining NBC in 1989.[9] He served as senior vice president of NBC News.
NBC Sports[edit]
Ebersol became president of NBC Sports in 1989,[1][9][10] and was promoted to chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics in June 1998.[9][10][11] He served as executive producer for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, his first Olympics since Munich in 1972 for ABC.[12]
His early tenure at NBC Sports was highlighted by a string of sports-property acquisitions and renewals, including the NFL, NBA, Notre Dame football and MLB, through the formation of the joint-venture Baseball Network.[13] During the 1995–96 television season, for the only time in history, the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals and Summer Olympics were telecast by the same network. It was following this run in 1996 that The Sporting News named Ebersol the "Most Powerful Person in Sports."[13] By January 1998, NBC had become the home of four Super Bowls in six years.[14]
In 1993, he secured the rights to the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.[15]
In August 1995, he acquired the rights for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. It marked the first time that rights for consecutive Olympics were awarded at the same time. Later that same year, he spearheaded NBC Sports' acquisition of the exclusive media rights for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2006 Winter Olympics.[16] The agreements marked the first time that the same network had been awarded the rights to five consecutive Olympics.[13][17][18]
In 2003, Ebersol led NBC to acquire the exclusive U.S. media rights to the 2010 Winter Games and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[10][19] In December 2003, Ebersol agreed to a nine-year contract to continue running NBC Sports & Olympics through 2012.[9] He assumed the title as Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics in May 2004 when NBC and Universal merged.[20]
Ebersol produced: