Shell (r) has long expressed a desire for NBC to be more aggressive in DTC streamingGETTY IMAGES
The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Flint & Schwartzel noted turmoil from the ongoing pandemic that has forced NBCUniversal to close theme parks and halt production in Hollywood has given CEO JEFF SHELL "license to push for changes he felt were long overdue." Sources said that he is "carrying out a far-reaching restructuring to shift resources from aging broadcast and cable networks to the company's new Peacock streaming-video service." Colleagues and friends said that Shell "walks fast, makes fast decisions, even eats fast." He is "upbeat -- he has told friends he can't remember a single bad dream -- and humble, especially by Hollywood standards." Shell has "long expressed a desire for NBC to be more aggressive in direct-to-consumer streaming." A source said that Shell "wants to make sure NBCUniversal has a plan to make money in the digital sphere on premium sports content" such as "SNF" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/21).
STRONG RUN GAME: Octagon has signed Seahawks RB CHRIS CARSON for representation. Carson, previously with Dream Point Sports, now will be repped by Octagon NFL agents CASEY MUIR and MURPHY MCGUIRE. He was drafted in '17 and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in '18 and '19. Carson will be an unrestricted free agent after the '20 season. "From our perspective, he's an elite running back in this league," Muir said (Liz Mullen, THE DAILY).
NAMES: F1 driver LEWIS HAMILTON plans to "set up a commission to increase diversity in motorsports." He said the aim of the Hamilton Commission would be to make the sport “become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in” (AP, 6/21)....The online auction of Hockey HOFer BOB GAINEY’s Canadiens memorabilia on classicauctions.net "put 66 items up for auction from his playing days and combined they sold for more than $300,000" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 6/18)....Golfer MICHELLE WIE WEST and her husband, Warriors Dir of Basketball Operations JONNIE WEST, are "parents of a daughter born Friday." Her name is MAKENNA KAMALEI YOONA WEST; Kamalei is Hawaiian for “beloved child” (AP, 6/20)....Premium educational streaming platform MasterClass announced that TONY HAWK will teach a class on skateboarding (MasterClass).
