Bevacqua will oversee programming, marketing, digital, RSNs and golf businessesGETTY IMAGES
PETE BEVACQUA is leaving the PGA of America for NBC Sports Group, where he essentially will be No. 2 to NBC Broadcasting & Sports Chair MARK LAZARUS, overseeing the sports department. Starting in early September, the 46-year-old Bevacqua will take on the role of NBC Sports Group President, reporting directly to Lazarus. He will be based in Stamford, Conn., and have five direct reports: President of Regional Networks DAVID PRESCHLACK, Golf Channel President MIKE MCCARLEY, CMO JENNY STORMS, Exec VP & GM of Digital Media RICK CORDELLA and President of Programming JON MILLER. Lazarus was promoted to oversee broadcasting in September '16 and has spent much of the past year looking for an exec to run the sports business. Bevacqua will oversee programming, marketing, digital, RSNs and golf businesses. Bevacqua spent six years as PGA of America CEO, which has not announced his replacement. PGA of America Chief Membership Officer JOHN EASTERBROOK will serve as interim CEO as the search for Bevacqua's replacement takes place (Ourand & Lombardo, Staff Writers).
LONG TIME COMING: VARIETY's Brian Steinberg noted Bevacqua's appointment to NBCU marks the "first time it has had an executive in that role since the unit was reorganized" in '11 in the wake of Comcast taking control of NBCU. Bevacqua steps aboard after NBC Sports has "expanded into several new areas." The unit "now operates NBC Sports Gold, a subscription video service, and SportsEngine, an online community centered on youth and amateur sports leagues." NBC Sports has "not had a president since KEN SCHANZER, a veteran who supervised many of the company's negotiations for sports rights, left in the wake" of former NBC Sports Chair DICK EBERSOL "stepping down from his post after Comcast bought a majority stake in NBCU" (VARIETY.com, 7/24).
LEAVING A LEGACY: The AP's Doug Ferguson noted Bevacqua was "behind the move of the PGA Championship to May" and "oversaw a restructure of the U.S. Ryder Cup team." He "spent 11 years at the USGA as an attorney, managing director of the U.S. Open and as the chief business officer." Bevacqua left in '11 to "join CAA Sports before the PGA of America hired him" as CEO in '12. He was "part of the group that gave PGA Tour players more control" of how the Ryder Cup team is "selected and who serves as captain." Bevacqua also developed "strong relationships" with the PGA and LPGA during his time with the PGA of America (AP, 7/24). CNBC's Dominic Chu said Bevacqua has "really brought a lot of his marketing and branding expertise to promoting the game of golf at a time when there were perhaps a lot of questions about the game's growth." Chu added much has been talked about in the past about how golf "took a pretty big hit from things like that great recession" during '08-09, and "of course the absence of TIGER WOODS for a good stretch over the course of the last five to 10 years." Chu said Bevacqua was a "big part of getting a lot of corporate sponsors and partners to get more involved with the game of golf at that time" since '12. Bevacqua "helped put together the partnership" between the PGA, the LPGA and KPMG to establish the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and he is "keenly aware of how important public access is to the future of the game." Chu added that is the reason for the "big focus that he's brought to bringing the PGA Championship to places like Bethpage Black next year and TPC Harding" in S.F. in '20 ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 7/25).
QUESTIONS AHEAD: MORNINGREAD.com's Alex Miceli notes Bevacqua leaves the PGA of America in "better financial shape than he found it." However, the organization "faces some issues that will need to be addressed by the new CEO." One will be the reported move of PGA HQ from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to Frisco, as the next CEO "surely would want a say in the decision." The move to Frisco "might be on life support" while waiting for Bevacqua's replacement, but it "still could be an issue for the new CEO." Another issue is the PGA Championship's broadcast contract with CBS that "expires next year." The new CEO would "expect to have some input on a new deal." Given the "strong connection" that the PGA of America has with the PGA Tour and Commissioner JAY MONAHAN, Bevacqua will be a "big help in keeping those relationships solid for NBC." The PGA Tour's TV contract with all broadcast partners expires in '21, and a new deal is in "at least the early discussion stages with all broadcast partners, including NBC and Golf Channel" (MORNINGREAD.com, 7/25).
