NBCUniversal

What a team. Not only did these distribution dynamos close numerous deals across NBCU’s portfolio, including RSNs, but it worked diligently to grant TV Everywhere rights wherever possible, to date securing TVE deals with nearly all MVPD partners, which encompasses live and VOD content from nets including NBC Sports Network, USA Network, Syfy, Oxygen, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. And the Olympics? This team was key to making all the multiplatform excitement around the Sochi games possible, for if it wasn’t for those deals America wouldn’t have been able to access the games on so many platforms. Overall, this team makes it look easy. And while some other distribution teams might point to the Comcast affiliation and vast resources as a bit of a competitive advantage (and we’re not arguing with that point), the truth is that the complexity and bureaucratic pitfalls of managing such a large portfolio can create more challenges than would seem evident on the surface. Yet it’s exceedingly rare for NBCU to get in a big public carriage fight—partly because this distribution team sweats the details, listens to its clients and simply gets the deal done.