Dick Ebersol Timeline At NBC Sports

1989 – Is hired as President of NBC Sports and hires Terry O’Neil to replace Michael Weisman as Executive Producer

1990 – Acquires the rights to the NBA from CBS.

1991 – Signs a five year deal for exclusive rights to Notre Dame home football games.

1992 – Oversees his first Olympics at NBC in Barcelona.

1993 – Secured the rights to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

1994 – Created “The Baseball Network” with ABC.

1995 – Obtained the rights to the 2000 and 2002 Olympics and later in the year, in a pre-emptive strike bought the rights to the 2004, 2006 and 2008 Olympics.

1995 – Dissolved “The Baseball Network” and signed a 6 year deal with Major League Baseball to share rights with ESPN and Fox.

1997 – Lost the rights to the NFL.

1998 – Named Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics

1999 – Started to air NASCAR races.

2001 – Lost the rights to the NBA. With Vince McMahon of the then-WWF, created the XFL which ran for one season.

2001 – Signed the rights to the second half of the NASCAR season sharing the rights with Fox.

2001 – Signed a five year deal to air horse racing’s Triple Crown.

2003 – Obtained the rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics.

2003 – Bought a stake in the Arena Football League and aired games through 2007.

2004 – Signed the NHL to a two year revenue sharing deal without any rights fee.

2004 – Named Chairman, NBCUniversal Sports & Olympics when NBC merged with Universal.

2005 – Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

2005 – Re-entered the NFL game by obtaining the rights for Sunday Night Football.

2007 – Signed the NHL for two more seasons.

2009 – Signed a new two year deal with the NHL.

2009 – Honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with the Lifetime Achievement Sports Emmy Award in a presentation that included six commissioners of American Sports (MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL, PGA Tour) and Muhammed Ali.

2010 – Produces what would be his last Olympics for NBC in Vancouver.

2011 – Named Chairman of NBC Sports Group which included NBC Sports, Golf Channel, Versus and Comcast SportsNet.

2011 – Signs a new 10 year rights deal with the NHL for the NBC Sports Group.

2011 – Announces his resignation from NBC Sports effective at the end of June.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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