Appointments will drive sports strategy, production, and distribution partnerships across the company’s growing portfolio
NEW YORK – April 22, 2025 – Mark Lazarus, the Chief Executive Officer of “SpinCo,” Comcast’s planned spin-off of select media brands, today announced strategic leadership appointments across the company’s sports and distribution businesses.
Appointments include Matt Hong as President of Sports, Jeff Behnke as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of Sports Production,and Roy Cho as President of Distribution and Partnerships.
Matt Hong will be named President of Sports, leading the company’s Sports rights portfolio, which are primarily distributed on USA Network and Golf Channel, reporting to Lazarus. USA Network and Golf Channel’s collection of Sports media rights include NASCAR, WWE, Premier League, the PGA Tour, USGA, The Open Championship, and the WNBA.
Most recently, Hong served as President and Chief Operating Officer of PlayOn!, a leading high school media and technology company. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer for Turner Sports, now TNT Sports. During his tenure, Hong played a pivotal role in Turner’s NCAA multi-platform rights agreements, the partnership renewal with the NBA, and the acquisitions of Bleacher Report and UEFA Champions League rights. Additionally, he oversaw various sports businesses and properties including Bleacher Report, NBA TV, NBA Digital, NCAA Digital, SI Digital, NASCAR.com, PGATOUR.com, PGA.com, and GOLF.com.
Jeff Behnke will join as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of Sports Production, reporting to Hong. In this role, Behnke will oversee day-to-day operations of the Sports portfolio and lead all studio and remote productions.
An 11-time Emmy Award-winning producer, Behnke joined NBC Sports in 2014 as Vice President of Motorsports Production. He was responsible for production planning and editorial content for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, SuperMotocross, and IMSA. Prior to NBC Sports, Behnke served as Executive Producer at Turner Sports, overseeing production of the NBA, MLB, NCAA March Madness, NASCAR, the PGA Championship, and The Open Championship.
“As we continue to build a new, modern media company, we’re focused on strengthening our world-class Sports businesses across every platform,” said Lazarus. “With Matt’s experienced leadership and Jeff’s expertise, we will lay the foundation for future growth and an unparalleled connection with our audiences.”
Tom Knapp, Executive Vice President of Golf, will continue to lead the Golf Channel and Golf Media businesses, reporting to Hong.
Roy Cho will be named President of Distribution and Partnerships, reporting to Dave Pietrycha, Chief Revenue and Business Officer of “SpinCo.” In this role, Cho will be responsible for driving strategic alliances and advancing distribution and monetization opportunities across the company’s portfolio upon completion of the spin-off.
Most recently, Cho served as Executive Vice President for Distribution and Business Development at AMC Networks, where he led carriage agreements and premium bundle and Subscription Video on Demand agreements for AMC+ and AMC Network’s streaming subscription services. Cho drove day-to-day partnerships across all platforms, strategic business development opportunities and contractual compliance and linear operational relationships. Prior to joining AMC Networks, Cho was a corporate M&A and private equity attorney in the New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP.
“Strategic partnerships are critical to how we reach new audiences and unlock long-term value,” said Pietrycha. “With Roy’s deep industry knowledge and proven track record, our businesses will continue to expand their footprint and evolve how we deliver our content to partners and platforms around the world.”
These appointments underscore the company’s continued investment in building a modern, audience-focused business while positioning itself for long-term growth, innovation, and impact.
About SpinCo
SpinCo, Comcast Corporation’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) planned spin-off, will be a leading independent publicly traded media company comprised of most of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions.
