EXCLUSIVE: NBCUniversal recently went through two major changes: the spinoff of a new standalone company that will house cable networks such as E!, Syfy, Oxygen and USA Network and a restructure that saw new roles for top executives including Pearlena Igbokwe and Frances Berwick.
Deadline understands that the Comcast-owned company is now starting a process of layoffs tied to these moves.
We’re hearing that a few dozen employees across NBCUniversal’s television and streaming business are being let go. Insiders tell Deadline that these cuts are more “surgical” compared to previous “sweeping” cuts. This covers NBC, cable networks, Peacock as well as on the studio side, although is largely focused on marketing and communications as well as some more junior folk in certain areas of programming.
It was always expected that a number of NBCUniversal executives who worked across multiple cable networks and streaming service Peacock, would depart with SpinCo looming. Deadline understands that people who were moving to SpinCo from NBCU were informed earlier this week and these cuts are now being made following that.
Earlier this year, SpinCo named Val Boreland, who was EVP and Head of Content Acquisitions, TV & Streaming for NBCUniversal, as its President of Entertainment. These networks, which may well get their own head of originals working for Boreland, don’t greenlight as many originals as NBC, Peacock or Bravo, which are all obviously remaining with NBCUniversal, but there are still plenty of original series across E!, Syfy and USA Network, in particular such as House of Villains and Botched. Oxygen also orders a raft of true-crime content such as Cold Justice, produced by Dick Wolf, Deadly Waters with Captain Lee, and long-running series Snapped.
Following a previous restructure, many of its top execs bought and developed programming across NBC, its cable networks and Peacock.
But the move in January by Donna Langley, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment in January to make Pearlena Igbokwe Chairman, Television Studios, NBC Entertainment and Peacock Scripted and Frances Berwick, Chairman, Bravo & Peacock Unscripted, cleared some of this up. It also led to the departure of the likes of Peacock President Kelly Campbell and Corie Henson, who was EVP, Unscripted Content, Competition and Game Shows, NBCUniversal Entertainment.
