HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg decided not to renew his contract and is leaving the network after 33 years.
“We believe that Ross’ track record speaks for itself,” said HBO co-president Richard Plepler and HBO programming president Michael Lombardo in a co-statement. “He has helped redefine the sports programming genre and set an extraordinary standard of excellence in the industry. We will miss his leadership, vision, creativity and passion for sports television. Ross Greenburg is exiting his post as president of HBO Sports.”
Greenburg was rumored to be out at HBO in May, but a spokesman for the network denied the report.
Depending on who you ask, Greenburg’s downfall had to do with Manny Pacquiao leaving HBO for Showtime, and it was only a matter of time before he shown the door.
“He was absolutely fired,” one promoter told The New York Times, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The guy’s been twisting in the wind for months. They’ve been looking for a replacement.”
Greenburg replaced Seth Abraham as the president of HBO Sports in 2000.
During his time with the network, he won 51 Sports Emmys, 8 Peabody Awards, and was responsible for creating such hits like 24/7 and Real Sports.