Dick Ebersol | |
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| Born | Duncan Richard Ebersol (1947-07-28)July 28, 1947 (age 78) Torrington, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | American television executiveNBC |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingCharlie |
DuncanRichardEbersol[1] (/ˈɛbərsɒl/; born July 28, 1947) is an American television executive and a senior adviser forNBC Universal Sports & Olympics.[2] He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large-scale television events such as theOlympic Games andNational Football League broadcasts.[1]
Ebersol was born inTorrington, Connecticut, the son of Mary (née Duncan) and Charles Roberts Ebersol, a former chairman of theAmerican Cancer Society.[3][4][5] He andJosiah Bunting III are half-brothers.[6] In 1967, aged 20, Ebersol began his long history with the Olympics when he temporarily dropped out ofYale University to joinRoone Arledge andABC Sports as television's first-ever Olympic researcher.[7]
In 1974, he joined NBC as Director of Weekend Late Night Programming. In 1975, at the suggestion ofParamount Pictures executiveBarry Diller, Ebersol and NBC presidentHerbert Schlosser approachedLorne Michaels for help in creating a show to fill the Saturday night time slot. Michaels's idea for a variety show featuringhigh-concept comedy sketches, political satire, and music performances eventually becameSaturday 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 toSNL in 1981 as executive producer and remained until 1985, spanning theEddie Murphy andBilly Crystal eras.[1][9] In 1983, Ebersol formedNo Sleep Productions, an independent production company that createdEmmy Award-winning NBC showsFriday Night Videos andLater with Bob Costas.[9] Together withVince McMahon, Ebersol producedSaturday Night's Main Event.[1] When Ebersol leftSNL in 1985, he devoted his time to his production company until rejoining NBC in 1989.[9] He served as senior vice president ofNBC News.
Ebersol became president ofNBC 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 the1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, his first Olympics since Munich in1972 forABC.[12]
His early tenure at NBC Sports was highlighted by a string of sports-property acquisitions and renewals, including theNFL,NBA,Notre Dame football andMLB, through the formation of the joint-ventureBaseball Network.[13] During the 1995–96 television season, for the only time in history, theWorld Series,Super Bowl,NBA Finals andSummer Olympics were telecast by the same network. It was following this run in 1996 thatThe 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 the2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt 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 the2004 and2008 Summer Olympics, and the2006 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 the2010 Winter Games and the2012 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 Universalmerged.[20]
Ebersol produced:
It is currently the second-most viewed program of all time.[25] The Super Bowl milestone was made possible in 2005 when Ebersol spearheaded the effort to return the NFL to NBC by negotiating a six-year agreement that included moving the NFL primetime broadcast package fromMonday night toSunday night, flexible scheduling for the first time ever, and Super Bowls in 2009 and2012.[1][26]
On May 19, 2011, Ebersol resigned from NBC Sports.The New York Times stated that he intended to stay at NBC through the end of June 2011.[27] It was later reported that Ebersol would return to NBC Sports in time for the beginning of the2011 NFL season to serve in a senior adviser role.[28]
Ebersol served on the board of directors of theAlliance of American Football (AAF), a professional American football league co-founded by his son Charlie andBill Polian.[29] Ebersol and his son were both ousted from the board of directors whenThomas Dundon purchased the league.[30]
Ebersol has often been in the top 10 honorees onThe Sporting News' annual list of the 100 most powerful sports figures, including in 1996 when he was named the Most Powerful Person in Sports.[13] In 1992, Ebersol was awarded the Olympic Order, an honor periodically bestowed by the International Olympic Committee to recognize remarkable contributions to the Olympic Movement.[31]
In 2005, Ebersol was inducted into both the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.[32][33]
In 2008, NBC won the Peabody Award for its coverage of the Beijing Opening Ceremony along with Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who served as the event's creative director.[34] At the 2009SportsBusiness Journal awards ceremony, Ebersol won Sports Executive of the Year and NBC Sports won Best in Sports Television.[35]
On April 27, 2009, the six "Commissioners of American Sport" –Roger Goodell (NFL),David Stern (NBA),Bud Selig (MLB),Gary Bettman (NHL),Tim Finchem (PGA Tour) andBrian France (NASCAR) – were part of a presentation that concluded withMuhammad Ali awarding Ebersol the Emmy Award forLifetime Achievement from theNational Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.[11]
In May 2010, Ebersol was the commencement speaker atSacred Heart University for its graduating class of 2010. He was presented with aDoctor of Humane Letters by University President Anthony J. Cernera.[36]
Ebersol is the 2014 recipient of thePaul White Award, the highest award presented by theRadio Television Digital News Association.[37]
Ebersol was previously married to formerWheel of Fortune hostessSusan Stafford from 1976 to 1981. They had no children. He has been married to actressSusan Saint James since 1981.[38] They have three sons together,Charlie, Willie, and Teddy, who died in a plane crash in 2004. Saint James has two children from a previous marriage.[citation needed]
On November 28, 2004, a private charter jet, aBombardier Challenger CL-600,[39] carrying Ebersol and two of his sons, Charlie and Teddy, crashed during an attempted takeoff fromMontrose Regional Airport in Colorado. The jet's captain, Luis Polanco, flight attendant Warren T. Richardson III, and Teddy Ebersol were killed. Dick and his older son, Charlie, along with the first officer, survived, though seriously injured.[40] Charlie was thrown clear of the plane and rushed back inside and managed to pull his father to safety.[41]
On June 10, 2006,Teddy Ebersol Field was dedicated along theCharles River inBoston.[42]
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