Gary Zenkel
President, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports
Gary Zenkel has been President, NBC Olympics, since 2005. In this role, he oversees NBC’s Olympic business and works closely with the International Olympic Committee, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the organizing committees for each Olympic games. In addition, Zenkel works closely with NBC’s distribution partners and affiliates to advance coverage, distribution and marketing while navigating the constantly changing media landscape.
In 2024, Zenkel oversaw the Paris Olympic Games, regarded as one of the most successful in NBCUniversal’s history. The Games were watched by more than 30 million viewers per day and received wide critical acclaim for their innovative multi-platform presentation.
Since the acquisition of NBCUniversal by Comcast in 2011, Zenkel has led two successful NBCU acquisitions of U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games. The first, in June 2011, awarded NBCU the rights to the Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, Pyeongchang 2018, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The second agreement was negotiated in June 2014 and granted NBCU the U.S. media rights to all Olympic Games through 2032, making it the longest U.S. media-rights agreement in Olympic history.
Zenkel has also been instrumental in major soccer acquisitions for NBCU, including Telemundo’s exclusive Spanish-language U.S. media rights to FIFA World Cup® Soccer from 2015 through 2026, and NBC Sports Group’s three-season Premier League acquisition in 2013.
Zenkel served as Executive Vice President of NBC Olympics from 2001 to 2005. From 1997 to 2001, Zenkel served as Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, NBC Olympics. Previously, from 1994 to 1997, Zenkel was Vice President of NBC Sports and Executive Assistant to NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol. During that period he played a major role in NBC’s acquisition, contract negotiations, and renewals of the Olympics, French Open, Major League Baseball, Notre Dame Football, PGA Tour, U.S. Golf Association championships and Ryder Cup. Zenkel joined NBC Sports in 1990 as Director of Sports Contract Negotiations. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Zenkel was a corporate associate with Cahill, Gordon & Reindel, a New York City-based law firm.
Zenkel graduated from the University of Michigan in 1983 and from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1987. He was a two-year letterman on the Wolverines golf team.
