Sue Naegle is stepping down as HBO’s president of entertainment and plans to move into a first-look production deal with the network.
Naegle, who was last year named Forbes’ 76th most powerful woman, has spent five years in the role at HBO.
She is going out on a high: News of the change came just hours after HBO scored 27 Emmys, the most of any network. They included wins for “Veep” stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale, as well as “Newsroom” star Jeff Daniels.
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Naegle, famed for rising up from the mailroom at United Talent Agency, joined HBO after serving as UTA’s co-head of television in 2008. She helpled guide the network through the post-“Sopranos” and “Sex in the City” era, leading all HBO series and specials.
During her run, rival Showtime was able to score an Outstanding Drama Series win for “Homeland” and AMC became an awards powerhouse with “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad.”
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HBO had huge highs — including Sunday’s wins — but also disappointments, including the cancellation of “Luck” amid disappointing ratings and three horse deaths.
But HBO was also home to some of TV’s most acclaimed and buzzed about shows, including “Game of Thrones,” “Girls,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “True Blood.” She brought the latter show to the network while an agent.
Naegle is expected to segue immediately into producing.