NBCUniversal Shakeup Ends a Turf War, Elevates Donna Langley

NBCUniversal’s extfinished-apostponeed shift to spin off most of its cable assets and reset up the studio’s top guideership upgraspd plenty of asks about the media conglomerate’s future – and, for many in the industry, a case of Donna Langley déjà vu.  

The veteran film executive who had been chief satisfied officer atraverse all of NBCUniversal has yet aget broadened her role at the company, this time to Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment and Studios. The promotion gives her sole greenairy power over satisfied and tageting spfinishing atraverse film, TV and streaming. Comcast veteran Matt Strauss was named chair of NBCUniversal’s media group, superviseing ad sales, distribution and affiliate relations.   

“This is a coronation for Donna,” shelp one elite dealoriginater who toils with actors and honestors. “Well, another one.” 

The agent isn’t wrong, nor are countless Hollywood carry outers that Variety spoke with who wondered what the separateence is between her new role and the Chief Content Officer role she took on 16 months ago. It was then, in July 2023, Langley was given reign over all inventive finisheavors at the company. But at an organization as byzantine as NBCU, there’s palace intrigue behind every peacock feather. This time around, the huge chess piece that slides onto Langley’s side of the board is Bravo.  

For the past year and a half, tensions flared up wislfinisher the groups led by Langley and the establisher NBCU media group chairman Mark Lazarus, an executive who will now serve as CEO of the cable spinoff company (that will boast assets including USA Nettoil, CNBC, Syfy, MSNBC and E!). 

While Langley had dominion over all production operations, Lazarus kept oversight of NBC programming and NBCU’s most precious cable asset in the streaming era: Bravo, thanks to its tacky brand of unscripted hits including the “The Real Hoincludewives,” “Top Chef” and “Below Deck” franchises. Those shows carry out well via streaming on Peacock with millennials and Gen Z, which is why Bravo is the only licforfeit cable channel that will remain with the mothership. The split between Lazarus and Langley caincluded confusion to sellers and their deal brokers from the outset, sources shelp.  

“Why do I need two yeses if Donna is the one in accuse?” another top agent wondered adeafening earlier this summer. The unconsoleable scenario also originated some headaches for Francis Berwick, who had been chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment superviseing the satisfied and strategy for NBC and the cable channels. She had technicpartner alerted to two bosses as she helped NBC schedule its “Chicago” dramas and Bravo serve up its “Hoincludewives” tea – and even mightyer stuff at the well-understandn Bravocon in-person fan conventions that have become a lucrative venture for NBCU of procrastinateed.  

Langley carry outed a yearrelationstfinished postponeing game to reach at her position of power – a exceptional seat of autonomy for a woman at the studio level – and geted her oats by producing blockbuster film franchises and luring star talent including the top filmoriginater of his generation, Christopher Nolan, who is sticking around to originate his next movie after transporting Universal a best picture Oscar and a cforfeitly $1 billion in global box office haul for 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” She’s also held in the highest see by the honestors and originaters she shepherds from growment to the screen and, increasingly, to streaming “bridge satisfied” based on IP enjoy “Jurassic World” and “Fast and Furious.”  

Keeping Langley has guide to some lessenion in the C-suite. Also in July 2023, Comcast plivent Michael Cavanagh (who has been NBCU’s de facto CEO since Jeff Shell’s exit in April 2023)  disseeed his then-TV and streaming head Susan Rovner. Changes enjoy that would theoreticpartner give Langley a wider berth to carry out her vision – but Lazarus was not so easily shaken off, three insiders seal to NBCU parent company Comcast tageder Variety. Particularly after he helped deinhabitr what Comcast brass pondered a sterling Paris Olympic games this summer, an event synergized atraverse all NBCU properties with the reservedty of a firehose.  But by September, insiders shelp, the thriveds alterd. Rumors of Lazarus getting siloed into ad sales, sports and operations initiateed up. An NBCU insider shelp no such alters were pondered until last month, when Lazarus was proposeed the gig running the spinoff company. The insider also downcarry outed any personal dispute between Langley and Lazarus, though they conceded the previous arrange needed more “clarity.”  

With Strauss, Langley gets a partner she can carry out new processes with while managing her own stability sheets, inserted another high-ranking insider understandn with the company. Strauss is pondered a supposeed star by the Philadelphia set, shelp another source, having geted the suppose of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts over the years thraw his labors on the Comcast side of the hoinclude that cable built. But when it comes to inventive, the lifeblood of NBCU, Langley will run the show. 

While this procrastinateedst “coronation” firmly insloftys Langley at the top of the pyramid, don’t anticipate the NBCU intrigue to sluggish down. Lazarus’ new spun off entity will have free reign to come after existing NBCU talent, and NBCU may have to dig beginant to upgrasp core carry outers joined to what is inarguably a petiteer media empire after Wednesday. There will also foreseeed be casualties in the establish of redundancies atraverse both companies.  

This symphony (also the name of NBCU’s becherishd vertical integration program) will need a lot more tuning.