Peter Lazarus Named Head of Sports Ad Sales at NBCUniversal

NBCU Peter Lazarus Maureen Murphy
Peter Lazarus and Maureen Murphy have new responsibilities at NBCU (Image credit: NBCUniversal)

NBCUniversal has elevated Peter Lazarus to executive VP of sports ad sales, making him responsible for a lineup that includes Sunday Night Football, Premier League soccer, the PGA Tour and the USFL.

Lazarus will also continue to lead NBCU’s relationship with media agency Publicis.

The company also said that Maureen Murphy was promoted to senior VP of clients partnerships, taking over Lazarus’ role as head of sales for NBC Entertainment properties.

Lazarus, brother of NBCU Television and Streaming chairman Mark Lazarus, succeeds Dan Lovinger, who was named in January to head up NBC’s monetization of the Olympics. He reports to Mark Marshall, president of NBC ad sales of partnerships.

“Since his start with NBC, Peter has dedicated his time and energy to understanding the dynamic facets of our business as well as the needs of our clients while continuing to put innovation at the forefront. Peter’s experience at NBC overseeing Broadcast, Cable, Digital Video and Advanced Advertising, has prepared him for an evolving sports marketplace,” Marshall said. 

Lazarus joined NBCU in 2006 as an NBC Sports account executive. He has also held posts with IMG Sports Marketing, Univision and USA Today.

Murphy has been with NBCU for more than 20 years. Murphy will continue to report into Karen Kovac, executive VP of client partnerships. 

“I am excited to add her vast portfolio knowledge, ability to work across the organization and her unique experience in Client Partnerships to the team in this way,” Marshall said. “In this time where broadcast is often the start of the journey for a piece of content, we want to continue to make sure we are delivering One Platform solutions that benefit our clients including the immediate reach and impact of NBC Broadcast.” ■

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.