Rick Cordella has been promoted to president of NBC Sports. Previously, the executive served as the president of programming for both NBC and Peacock sports. He will report to Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.
Cordella takes over the helm of NBC Sports from Pete Bevacqua, who assumed the role in 2019 and exited the company in June to become athletics director at the University of Notre Dame in the first quarter of 2024.
Cordella will lead all aspects of the brands and platforms covered by this division’s umbrella. That includes NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Digital as well as the company’s two transactional sports businesses, GolfNow and SportsEngine. He will also work with the NBC local team on the network’s strategy when it comes to regional sports and will continue to oversee Peacock.
“Rick has been at the epicenter of NBC Sports for years with a proven track record of growth and innovation across platforms, particularly our flagship NBC network as well as Peacock, where he helped architect our leadership role in sports and streaming,” Lazarus said in a press release. “Rick will oversee the evolution of our business as we continue to offer the best experiences and content to our viewers, as well as be the best partner to leagues and rights holders.”
Cordella’s history with NBC dates back to 2006. Prior to overseeing NBC and Peacock sports as programming president, Cordella served as a founding member of the Peacock team as the streamer’s chief revenue officer and later its chief commercial officer. During this time, he oversaw programming and contributed to the platform’s launch, content strategy, product, monetization efforts, editorial, standards and practices and sports rights acquisitions. He also contributed to several record-breaking achievements for the company, including NBC’s most-streamed Olympics and Super Bowl.
Cordella has also served as the executive vice president and general manager of digital media for NBC Sports and as a board member of FanDuel. In the latter position, he represented NBC Sports’ investment in the fantasy and sports betting company.
