NEW YORK — Dick Ebersol, who made NBC the TV home of the Olympics for more than two decades, will watch someone else run the network’s coverage of next year’s Summer Games.
The TV executive behind shows from “Saturday Night Live” to “Sunday Night Football” resigned Thursday as head of NBC Sports in a contract dispute with his new bosses at Comcast.
The 63-year-old Ebersol said he will be an uninvolved spectator of the 2012 London Olympics.
“I think it’ll be fun once I get past thinking, ‘I would’ve done that differently,’ ” he said Thursday.
Ebersol, who is married to actress Susan Saint James, survived a plane crash in Montrose that killed their 14-year-old son Teddy in 2004.
His nine-year contract with NBC was due to expire at the end of 2012.
NBC designated Mark Lazarus, former head of Turner Sports who joined NBC Universal in February to run its cable sports operation, to replace Ebersol.
Ebersol, who began running NBC Sports in 1989, has made it the Olympics network: NBC has broadcast every Summer Olympics since 1988 and every Winter Games since 2002.
“I’ve worn the five (Olympics) rings on the inside of my heart as much as anybody,” Ebersol said.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said he has been assured NBC will bid on the next set of U.S. Olympic broadcast rights next month — a package expected to go for more than $2 billion — despite Ebersol’s resignation.
“I think they will be all in,” Ebersol said of Comcast.
Fox and ESPN are also expected to bid for the next sets of rights.
