Kelly Campbell will exit her role as president of Peacock in a corporate reorganization of NBCUniversal Media Group.
The executive joined NBCU in 2021 to lead the streaming platform, which has grown to 36 million paid subscribers following the company’s Olympics coverage and the success of shows like “The Traitors,” “Love Island USA” and “Day of the Jackal.” In the third quarter of 2024, the service posted a loss of $436 million, a 22% improvement over a $565 million loss in the prior-year period.
Prior to NBCU, Campbell served as Hulu’s president and chief marketing officer. She replaced Randy Freer, who himself exited amid a reorganization in 2020 that consolidated the streaming service’s operations under Disney’s direct-to-consumer and international unit, which was then run by Kevin Mayer. Campbell also spent 12 years at Google in various leadership and marketing roles across the Google Ads and Google Cloud.
“As the industry and company continue to evolve, so has the structure for Peacock at this phase of growth, and as such I will be stepping down as President,” Campbell wrote in a memo to staff on Thursday. “I am so proud of what we accomplished together – from unprecedented subscriber growth to groundbreaking experiences like the Olympics this summer – this team has proven time and again that you are the best in the business. We’ve had undeniable momentum over the past few years, and as I pass the baton to the broader team, I know that you will continue this journey with the great foundation we built together.”
Representatives for NBCUniversal declined to comment on Campbell’s exit. Puck first reported the news.
Campbell’s memo noted that direct-to-consumer head Matt Strauss would share more in the coming weeks on the media group’s new structure.
She reported to both Strauss and Donna Langley, who were promoted to NBCUniversal Media Group chairman and NBCUniversal entertainment and studios chairman, respectively, in November following Comcast’s announcement that it will spin-off of its cable networks later this year. Strauss succeeds Mark Lazarus, who will lead the spun-off entity, currently known as SpinCo, as CEO.
Upon completion of the spin-off, SpinCo will house USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel and digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine. The publicly-traded entity is expected to reach 70 million U.S. households and generate $7 billion in annual revenue.
Bravo, which is known for reality TV series such as “The Real Housewives” and is viewed as a primary Peacock “feeder,” will stay with Comcast. Also staying are the streaming service and the NBC broadcast network, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBCU’s local stations and the company’s film and television studios.
Lazarus’ team at SpinCo will include Anand Kini as chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Val Boreland as president of entertainment, Keith Cocozza as chief communications officer, Brian Dorfler as chief human resources officer, Jeff Mayzurk as president of operations and technology, Kristin Newkirk as TV networks chief financial officer, David Pietrycha as chief revenue and business officer and Greg Wright as chief accounting officer and controller.
They will focus on their new roles beginning in early April. Additional executive announcements will be made in the coming weeks.
