# Mark Lazarus
> Chief Executive Officer at versant
- Profile type: Person
- Profile status: baseline
- Last updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Canonical URL: https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/mark-lazarus/
## Summary
Mark Lazarus is CEO of Versant Media Group (Nasdaq: VSNT), the cable-networks-and-digital company spun out of Comcast on January 2, 2026. He is a 35-year media-industry veteran who previously chaired NBCUniversal Media Group and ran Turner Sports.

## Profile facts

- Current title: Chief Executive Officer
- Current company: versant (https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/versant/)


## Career trajectory

- 1990-01-01 — Joined Turner Sports at turner-broadcasting. Began his media career at Turner Sports in 1990; rose to President of Turner Sports (1999–2003).
- 2003-01-01 — President, Turner Entertainment Group at turner-broadcasting. Oversaw Turner Entertainment Networks including TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, plus advertising sales and Turner Sports.
- 2008-01-01 — President of Media and Marketing, Career Sports & Entertainment (CSE). Two-year run at the Atlanta-based agency before returning to large-cap media in 2010.
- 2011-05-01 — Chairman, NBC Sports Group at nbcuniversal. Joined NBCUniversal/Comcast in 2010; named Chairman of NBC Sports Group in May 2011. Reached broadcast deals with the Olympics, NFL, NASCAR, and Premier League during his tenure.
- 2020-01-01 — Chairman, NBCUniversal Broadcast, Entertainment & Lifestyle Group, Sports and News at nbcuniversal. Expanded brief to include most East Coast content businesses — NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, plus the Entertainment & Lifestyle Group.
- 2023-01-01 — Chairman, NBCUniversal Media Group at nbcuniversal. Oversaw TV and streaming platforms, distribution and monetization across NBC broadcast, the cable portfolio, and the direct-to-consumer business; renewed Olympics broadcast rights through 2032.
- 2024-11-20 — Named CEO of Comcast 'SpinCo' (later Versant) at versant. Comcast announced the cable-networks spinoff on Nov. 20, 2024, naming Lazarus as CEO of the future independent company. The vehicle was branded Versant on May 6, 2025; spinoff completed Jan. 2, 2026; VSNT began trading on Nasdaq Jan. 5, 2026.


## Media appearances

- 2025-09-28 — interview: Versant CEO Mark Lazarus on the new Versant, what it might buy, and life after cable, Semafor (https://www.semafor.com/article/09/28/2025/versant-ceo-mark-lazarus-on-the-new-versant-what-it-might-buy-and-life-after-cable)

_This page uses only public-professional information (roles, public statements, media appearances)._

## Key facts

- Lazarus is CEO of Versant Media Group, which began trading on Nasdaq under ticker VSNT on January 5, 2026 following the completion of its spin-off from Comcast on January 2, 2026. — Comcast Corporation IR: https://www.cmcsa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/comcast-announces-completion-separation-versant-media-group-inc
- Comcast named Lazarus CEO of the planned spin-off on November 20, 2024, when it announced the intention to spin out USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, Golf Channel and digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine. — Comcast Corporation IR: https://www.cmcsa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/comcast-announces-intention-create-leading-independent-media
- Before being named CEO of Versant, Lazarus served as Chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, overseeing the company's TV and streaming platforms, distribution and monetization. — Versant Media Group: https://www.versantmedia.com/leadership/mark-lazarus
- Lazarus joined NBCUniversal/Comcast in 2010 and was named Chairman of NBC Sports Group in May 2011, where he reached broadcast agreements with the Olympics, NFL, NASCAR, and Premier League. — Wikipedia (corroborates Versant + NBCU bios): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Lazarus_(businessman)
- Earlier in his career, Lazarus was President of Turner Sports (1999–2003) and then President of Turner Entertainment Group (2003–2008), overseeing TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. — Versant Media Group: https://www.versantmedia.com/leadership/mark-lazarus
- Lazarus was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2024. — Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: https://www.sportsbroadcastinghalloffame.org/inductees/mark-lazarus/


## Related

- versant (CEO) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/versant/
- comcast corporation (former parent (spun out Versant Jan. 2, 2026)) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/comcast-corporation/
- nbcuniversal (former employer — Chairman, NBCUniversal Media Group) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/nbcuniversal/
- turner broadcasting (former employer — President, Turner Entertainment Group (2003–2008)) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/turner-broadcasting/


## External coverage

- 2024-11-20 — Comcast Corporation IR: Comcast Announces Intention to Create Leading Independent Media Business Through Spin-off of Select Cable Television Networks (https://www.cmcsa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/comcast-announces-intention-create-leading-independent-media)
- 2026-01-02 — Comcast Corporation IR: Comcast Announces Completion of Separation of Versant Media Group, Inc. (https://www.cmcsa.com/news-releases/news-release-details/comcast-announces-completion-separation-versant-media-group-inc)
- 2025-01-15 — Comcast Corporation: Comcast's Future 'SpinCo' CEO Mark Lazarus Announces Key Appointments for Company's Corporate Leadership Team (https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-future-spinco-ceo-mark-lazarus-key-appointments-corporate-leadership-team)
- Versant Media Group: Mark Lazarus — Leadership (https://www.versantmedia.com/leadership/mark-lazarus)
- 2025-09-28 — Semafor: Versant CEO Mark Lazarus on the new Versant, what it might buy, and life after cable (https://www.semafor.com/article/09/28/2025/versant-ceo-mark-lazarus-on-the-new-versant-what-it-might-buy-and-life-after-cable)
- 2026-01-05 — CNBC: Comcast spinoff Versant (VSNT) starts trading on Nasdaq (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/comcast-spinoff-versant-vsnt-trading-debut-nasdaq.html)
- 2025-07-01 — Variety: Comcast Sets Board of Directors for Versant Spin-Off Company (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/versant-board-of-directors-comcast-spinoff-company-1236468998/)

## Profile
Lazarus is the operator the Comcast board chose to run the cable assets it no longer wanted to manage. The Versant portfolio — USA, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Syfy, Oxygen, E!, Golf Channel, plus Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine — sits in a structurally declining linear-TV business, but throws off cash. His public framing since the September 2025 Semafor interview has been consistent: reinvest that cash inside the cable verticals rather than harvest it for an unrelated corporate parent, and use Versant as a potential acquirer of complementary media businesses. How aggressively he runs the M&A playbook, and whether MS NOW's post-rebrand digital build justifies the spin thesis, are the two open questions trade buyers are watching.

## Tags

- executive
- cable-networks
- sports-media
- versant
- nbcuniversal
- comcast-spinoff

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