Mike Cavanagh Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Wall Street gave decidedly mixed reviews to Comcast‘s third-quarter earnings report, even though the numbers beat analysts’ expectations on both the top and bottom lines.

Comcast said chairman and chief executive Brian Roberts‘ pay package for 2023 totaled $35.47 million, up from $32 million the year before. It included a $2.5 million base salary, stock awards valued at about $15 million, $9.2 million in option awards and $8.55 million in what’s called non-equity incentive plan compensation – like a cash bonus.

Comcast execs did some more crowing about Peacock’s landmark AFC Wild Card game this month and said it drove paid signups to the streaming service. They declined to specify how many new customers came aboard but said they’re focused on retaining those — and all — subscribers and scaling up the streamer, which passed $1 billion in revenue and hit 31 million subscribers last quarter.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Peacock is closing out 2023 with some good news: The Comcast-owned streaming service has reached 30 million paid subscribers. Additionally, according to Comcast CEO Mike Cavanagh, the platform saw $2.8 billion in losses this year (coming in under the $3 billion projected by the company back in January), and Cavanagh expects that figure to be the peak losses for Peacock as we head into 2024.

Jeff Shell, whose tenure running NBCUniversal came to an abrupt end last spring, is in advanced talks to join private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners.

Editor’s note: Deadline will update this post as more donations and efforts by major media entities are announced.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Entertainment executive Liz Jenkins has been named to the newly created role of chief business officer for the NBCUniversal Studio Group. The former COO of Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine joins the company with an expansive title to oversee strategy and business operations, reporting to studio chairman and NBCU Chief Content Officer Donna Langley. “Liz has established herself as an industry leader with a deep understanding of the complexities of our business, and her unique perspective and varied experience fuel her drive for innovation,” Langley said of the hire.

Comcast President Mike Cavanagh called the notion that the company could enter the picture as rival Disney looks for a strategic partner for ESPN “very improbable.”

Mike Cavanagh, the president of Comcast who was recently named the de-facto head of NBC Universal, said the company remains “committed to reaching a fair deal [with actors and writers[ as soon as possible, so we can get back to doing what we do best, which making great content together.”

Peacock is phasing in the first price hike in its three-year history, which will increase the rate for the streaming service’s Premium tier by $1 a month and that of Premium Plus by $2 a month.

The news Thursday about Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley’s ascent to bring TV content under her domain doesn’t just speak to the greater NBCUniversal plan to have a more unified strategy across theatrical, TV and streaming.

Donna Langley is a dame in waiting no more. The veteran movie executive, with deep ties to Hollywood filmmakers and a knack for shepherding blockbusters to the screen, ascended to NBCUniversal’s content throne on Thursday, one of the big winners in a sweeping reorganization made by company CEO Mike Cavanagh. In her new role as chief content officer, Langley won’t just be overseeing Universal’s slate of films. She will also take ownership of its TV and streaming creative strategy. It’s an elevation that many industry players saw as inevitable – after all, how much longer could the company keep the in-demand executive without expanding her portfolio?

David Zaslav should be sending a fruit basket right about now to Comcast President Mike Cavanagh.

Anyone looking for a sign of Comcast President Mike Cavanagh’s strategy as the recently installed overseer of NBCUniversal got a bright one Thursday.

NBCUniversal is going through another restructure.

Donna Langley is set to take control of content and creative ops across NBCUniversal’s portfolio of brands, as TV chief Susan Rovner exits the company. The shakeup in leadership is the first major restructuring move made by Mike Cavanagh since he took over ousted Jeff Shell’s position atop the Comcast-owned media company. In a memo to staff Thursday, Cavanagh announced NBCUniversal will be reorganized into four key units: NBCUniversal Studio Group, led by Langley, NBCUniversal Media Group, run by chairman of TV and streaming Mark Lazarus, NBCU News Group, run by existing news boss Cesar Conde, and the Universal Destinations and Experiences Group headed up by parks boss Mark Woodbury.

The CEO of NBCUniversal parent Comcast said it’s “more likely than not” the company will end up selling its third of Hulu to Disney, after his Mouse counterpart indicated clearly last week that this would be Disney’s preferred outcome. There’s been some grandstanding over the past year as the deadline approaches, but both of Hulu’s parents appear to be on or near the same page now.

exited the company after more than a decade on Friday to serve as the new chief executive officer of Twitter. “So what was more surprising today, being welcomed by a foul mouthed teddy bear or seeing me up here on stage?,” Lazarus told an audience of advertisers during the company’s Upfront presentation on Monday, referencing a raunchy musical opening from Seth MacFarlane’s Ted.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, wasn’t on the production call sheet until very recently for the company’s upfront at Radio City on Monday morning.

Twitter has a new CEO.

Wall Street Journal report that she is in talks to become Twitter’s new chief executive officer. “It has been an absolute honor to be part of Comcast NBCUniversal and lead the most incredible team,” she said in a statement. “We’ve transformed our company and the entire industry—and I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and grateful to my colleagues and mentors, especially Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanagh and the entire NBCU leadership team.”Since joining NBCU in 2011, Yaccarino’s team has generated more than $100 billion in ad sales, expanded the company’s reach globablly, helped launch Peacock, and made massive investments in data and technology capabilities.

Hadley Gamble, whose complaints led to the firing of ex-NBCUniversal boss Jeff Shell late last month, is leaving CNBC, the network said today.

Newly interim NBCUniversal boss Mike Cavanagh has spoken out on the Jeff Shell shocker for the first time and said he’ll be in the post overseeing the entertainment unit “for a while.”

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts kicked off the company’s first-quarter earnings call by acknowledging the abrupt dismissal of NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell last Sunday.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Top Comcast execs made their first public comments on the departure of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Thursday, remarks that came as the company reported its Q1 earnings results. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts opened a call with investors by saying Shell’s exit due to “inappropriate relationship” with a subordinate was “obviously a tough moment” adding, “we are so fortunate to have a fabulous and tenured leadership team at NBCUniversal.” “When you go down the list, you’ll see many of them have been leading their divisions within the company for at least 10 years and are the best in the business,” Roberts said. “We are also lucky to have Mike Cavanagh stepped in to help NBCUniversal while also remaining president.”

Comcast reported a 4% year-over-year dip in revenue in the first quarter, to $29.7 billion, but still exceeded Wall Street forecasts.

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell was dismissed “with cause” due to “inappropriate conduct” and “sexual harassment” of an employee, according to a new SEC filing from parent company Comcast.

memo to employees on Sunday, Shell apologized for having “an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret.” “I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege,” he added.Comcast confirmed in an 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday that it retained outside counsel to investigate allegations that Shell engaged in inappropriate conduct with a female employee. “During the investigation, evidence was uncovered that corroborated the allegations,” the media conglomerate added.

Fox, Comcast and Warner Bros Discovery shares each took a dip Monday after the media companies took turns generating industry-shaking headlines over less than 24 hours.

EXCLUSIVE: Multiple sources tell Deadline that the woman who filed the complaint against NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell for inappropriate conduct was CNBC anchor and Senior International Correspondent Hadley Gamble.