Bonnie Hammer is set to exit NBCUniversal after 35 years with the company, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Hammer, currently NBCUniversal’s vice chairman, helped transform the cable TV industry over her career, leading channels like USA and Sci-Fi, and Universal Cable Productions, before taking over the company’s entire cable business (hence her nickname, the “Queen of Cable”). She was also the executive tasked with developing and launching Peacock, NBCUniversal’s foray into streaming.
Hammer is set to exit at the end of the year, in a move that sources say has been long-planned by her. As vice chairman Hammer served as something of an in-house consultant and adviser to senior executives, during a moment of tumult for the TV business. Her exit is not connected to Comcast’s decision to split off most of its cable channels, which was announced earlier this week.
She was named vice chair in 2020 in a larger shake-up of NBCU’s studios team. She has been a frequent boldface name on Hollywood power lists, including those from THR, and also serves on the boards of IAC and eBay.
Earlier this year, Hammer released a book: 15 Lies Women Are Told at Work … and the Truth We Need to Succeed, and spoke to THR‘s Lacey Rose about her career.
Variety first reported Hammer’s decision to leave the company.