Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley has been promoted to chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group & chief content officer, taking charge of the new unified division in a role which adds oversight of television and streaming content strategy to her purview.
Langley is one of four operational heads at NBCU under Comcast president Mike Cavanagh, who said on Thursday (July 6) he will not name a new CEO following the recent departure of Jeff Shell.
She will now oversee NBCU’s creative teams including Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (Universal Pictures, Focus Features and DreamWorks Animation) and Universal Studio Group, which comprises Universal Television, Universal Content Productions, Universal Television Alternative Studios, and Universal International Studios.
The British executive has earned wide respect in the industry for steering the studio’s film business through choppy waters and making decisive moves.
She was the driving force in leading the industry back into production during the pandemic with the UK shoot of Jurassic World: Dominion, and, in another move triggered by Covid, was the first studio head to make a revenue-sharing deal with AMC which reduced the exclusive theatrical window prior to a film playing on VoD platforms.
Langley’s talent relationships run deep and have allowed her to bring in-demand filmmakers into the fold such as British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who spent more than two decades at Warner Bros. Nolan’s upcoming Oppenheimer will get a considerable exclusive theatrical release in the US when it opens on July 12.
Cavanagh said, “Donna has been shaping the cultural conversation and creating the framework for what a modern-day studio can accomplish through bold content, impactful marketing and business model innovation.”
Under the new structure the three other operational heads are Mark Lazarus, Cesar Conde, and Mark Woodbury.
Lazarus becomes chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group in charge of the company’s TV networks and streaming platforms, distribution and monetisation. His remit includes the NBC Sports Group and NBC affiliate relations.
Conde leads a “broadly expanded” NBCU News Group, while Woodbury heads Universal Destinations & Experiences Group. Pearlena Igbokwe will continue to lead the four TV studios under the Universal Studio Group umbrella.
Susan Rovner is stepping down as chairman of entertainment content, NBCUniversal television and streaming. Frances Berwick will be promoted to chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, a new role reporting into both Lazarus and Langley which will see Berwick add original content across broadcast, cable and Peacock to her current responsibilities running the linear entertainment networks.
The core leadership team will include: Kimberley Harris, EVP of Comcast Corporation and general counsel of NBCUniversal; Anand Kini, EVP of corporate strategy, Comcast Corporation and CFO at NBCUniversal; Adam Miller, EVP of NBCUniversal who oversees communications, human resources, operations and technology; and Craig Robinson, EVP and chief diversity officer.
Universal currently ranks second for the year-to-date in terms of studio global market share behind Disney and is approaching $3bn at the box office. The Super Mario Bros Movie is the highest grossing film of 2023 so far on $1.34bn worldwide and will begin streaming exclusively on Peacock on August 3.
Peacock’s paid subscriber based is currently around 22million. The streamer is expected to hit peak losses this year before Comcast executives anticipate it will move into a growth phase.
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