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Mark Lazarus is one of 10 members of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
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Mark Lazarus has always had an interest in the media. How could he not?
His father, John, was vice president of marketing and sales at ABC Sports, two of his uncles worked in Hollywood and his grandfather, Paul, worked in advertising and publicity for Warner Bros and United Artists. So it’s no surprise Mark and brothers Peter and Craig followed in their footsteps.
As the longtime chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, where he oversaw the company’s TV and streaming platforms, distribution and monetization, Lazarus spent the past three decades shepherding the industry through the ever-changing media landscape while serving as a key player in landmark sports rights deals, including a nine-year deal with the PGA TOUR that was
announced in 2020.
In honor of his contributions to the industry, Lazarus is one of 10 members of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. Along with Bryant Gumbel, Hubie Brown, Tommy Roy, Andrea Kremer, Phil Garvin, Steve Gorsuch, Charlie Carlucci, Chris Mortensen and Jim Delaney, this year’s honorees will be celebrated Dec. 17 at the New York Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.
“Mark Lazarus is synonymous with sports broadcasting, and we are honored to call him and his colleagues at NBC Sports our partner and collaborator,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “His influence has helped grow the size and scope of many of the PGA TOUR’s biggest events, including THE PLAYERS and the FedExCup Playoffs, and the TOUR congratulates him on this fantastic achievement.”
Throughout his 14-year tenure at NBCU, in which he held various roles including chairman of NBC Sports, Lazarus has spearheaded new deals with the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Premier League, NASCAR and PGA TOUR. Lazarus has overseen seven Olympics, including last year’s landmark Paris Games which led to record-breaking engagement and cross-platform viewership. Before joining NBCU, Lazarus spent nearly two decades at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., where he served as president of Entertainment and Sports from 2003-08 and president of Turner Sports from 1999-2003.
Joining Lazarus in this year’s Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame class is veteran NBC Sports producer Tommy Roy, who has won 29 Emmys for NBA, NFL, golf and Olympics coverage.
Having had “no knowledge or interest in the TV business whatsoever,” Roy’s first taste of the industry came when he was 20 years old on winter break from college. Delivering coffee to NBC cameramen at the Tucson Open, Roy “saw the excitement and energy” in the TV production truck and immediately knew it was what he wanted to do.
Working his way up from a production assistant to associate producer in 1983 and then producer two-and-a-half years later, Roy’s resumé includes overseeing coverage of the "Dream Team" at the 1992 Olympics, Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals in Beijing, NBC Sports’ golf coverage for the past 19 years, Michael Jordan’s first three NBA championships and even O.J. Simpson’s infamous car chase during the 1994 NBA Finals.
Roy continues to oversee NBC’s coverage of PGA TOUR events as well as THE PLAYERS, U.S. Open and The Open Championship.
“Tommy Roy is a giant in the world of sports broadcasting as he has brought a number of the biggest moments in sports into our living rooms over a career that spans more than 40 years,” Monahan said. “He has been instrumental in the evolution of televised golf, and his in-the-moment storytelling ability combined with his passion and reverence for our game and its complexities are on full display in every telecast.”
The 2024 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on Dec. 17, 2024, at the New York Hilton Hotel. It will begin with a reception at 5 p.m. ET, followed by a dinner and the ceremony at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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