Susan Rovner
Chairman, Entertainment Content
NBCUniversal Television and Streaming
Susan Rovner serves as Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, where she leads creative strategy for original entertainment content across NBCU’s broadcast, cable and streaming platforms: NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, Universal Kids, USA Network and Peacock. Rovner reports to Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
In her capacity as Chairman, Rovner oversees content teams tasked with development and current programming for scripted, unscripted, late night and specials. She also leads first-run syndication, which produces seven shows, including the Emmy Award-winning “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” As the head of content, Rovner manages key relationships with studio partners, both internal and external, as well as showrunners, producers and creative talent.
Rovner and her content team have played an integral role in greenlighting new hit programming across NBCU’s entertainment portfolio, including NBC’s “The Thing About Pam” and “La Brea,” Peacock’s “Bel-Air,” “Girls5eva” and “Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip,” and SYFY’s “Chucky” and “Resident Alien.”
Under her leadership, NBC finished the 2021-22 season #1 in the demo 18-49 demographic for the eighth time in nine seasons, with more shows in the top 20 than any other network in the demo. The network is home to the #1 unscripted program “The Voice,” the #1 drama with “This Is Us” and the #1 comedy with “Saturday Night Live.” “This Is Us” and “Saturday Night Live” are the #1 and #2 entertainment programs on broadcast in the demo. Additional late-night hits “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” are both #1 in their time periods in the demo.
On the cable side, Bravo boasts the most loyal and engaged audience across all of cable entertainment and posted its best yearly rank ever in 2021 among the 25-54 demo, while also matching its best rank ever among 18-49. USA Network extended its streak as a top 5 cable entertainment network for more than 25 years, and SYFY was home to the top two new cable series of 2021 with “Resident Alien” and “Chucky.”
Rovner also oversees content development for NBCU’s talent deals with superstars including Miley Cyrus and Laverne Cox.
Prior to joining NBCU, Rovner was President of Warner Bros. Television (WBTV), the division of the Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG), which produces scripted dramatic primetime television programming for the five broadcast networks, premium/pay cable channels and on-demand/streaming platforms.
During her more than 20 years with WBTV, Rovner was instrumental in spearheading the company’s creative expansion to develop series for on-demand/streaming services and increasing its output for premium and basic cable, while maintaining the studio’s position as an industry leader in production for the broadcast marketplace. In addition to working closely with dozens of highly influential producers, highlights of series greenlit under Rovner’s tenure as President include “The Flash” and “Riverdale” for the CW, “Blindspot” for NBC, “Gotham” for Fox, “Westworld” and “Watchmen” for HBO, “You” for Netflix, “Shrill” for Hulu, “Queen Sugar” for OWN and “Ted Lasso” at Apple TV.
Rovner rose through the ranks at WBTV over a more than 20-year tenure at the company beginning in the drama department before being elevated to oversee development, and then rising to co-President of Warner Horizon Scripted Television in 2014. Early in her career, Rovner helped develop the long-running “Cold Case,” “The O.C.” and the critically acclaimed “Everwood.” As Senior Vice President of Drama Development, Rovner oversaw the development of some of the company’s most important and successful programs, including “The Closer,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Mentalist,” “Nip/Tuck,” “One Tree Hill,” “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries” and many more.
During her time with the company, 18 series developed by Rovner or that were developed under her leadership reached the 100-episode milestone: “The 100,” “Arrow,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Blindspot,” “The Closer,” “Cold Case,” “The Flash,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “Gotham,” “Major Crimes,” “The Mentalist,” “One Tree Hill,” “Person of Interest,” “Shameless,” “Supergirl,” “Supernatural” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
Before WBTV, Rovner was Executive Director, Movies for Television, at ABC.
In her capacity as Chairman, Rovner oversees content teams tasked with development and current programming for scripted, unscripted, late night and specials. She also leads first-run syndication, which produces seven shows, including the Emmy Award-winning “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” As the head of content, Rovner manages key relationships with studio partners, both internal and external, as well as showrunners, producers and creative talent.
Rovner and her content team have played an integral role in greenlighting new hit programming across NBCU’s entertainment portfolio, including NBC’s “The Thing About Pam” and “La Brea,” Peacock’s “Bel-Air,” “Girls5eva” and “Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip,” and SYFY’s “Chucky” and “Resident Alien.”
Under her leadership, NBC finished the 2021-22 season #1 in the demo 18-49 demographic for the eighth time in nine seasons, with more shows in the top 20 than any other network in the demo. The network is home to the #1 unscripted program “The Voice,” the #1 drama with “This Is Us” and the #1 comedy with “Saturday Night Live.” “This Is Us” and “Saturday Night Live” are the #1 and #2 entertainment programs on broadcast in the demo. Additional late-night hits “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” are both #1 in their time periods in the demo.
On the cable side, Bravo boasts the most loyal and engaged audience across all of cable entertainment and posted its best yearly rank ever in 2021 among the 25-54 demo, while also matching its best rank ever among 18-49. USA Network extended its streak as a top 5 cable entertainment network for more than 25 years, and SYFY was home to the top two new cable series of 2021 with “Resident Alien” and “Chucky.”
Rovner also oversees content development for NBCU’s talent deals with superstars including Miley Cyrus and Laverne Cox.
Prior to joining NBCU, Rovner was President of Warner Bros. Television (WBTV), the division of the Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG), which produces scripted dramatic primetime television programming for the five broadcast networks, premium/pay cable channels and on-demand/streaming platforms.
During her more than 20 years with WBTV, Rovner was instrumental in spearheading the company’s creative expansion to develop series for on-demand/streaming services and increasing its output for premium and basic cable, while maintaining the studio’s position as an industry leader in production for the broadcast marketplace. In addition to working closely with dozens of highly influential producers, highlights of series greenlit under Rovner’s tenure as President include “The Flash” and “Riverdale” for the CW, “Blindspot” for NBC, “Gotham” for Fox, “Westworld” and “Watchmen” for HBO, “You” for Netflix, “Shrill” for Hulu, “Queen Sugar” for OWN and “Ted Lasso” at Apple TV.
Rovner rose through the ranks at WBTV over a more than 20-year tenure at the company beginning in the drama department before being elevated to oversee development, and then rising to co-President of Warner Horizon Scripted Television in 2014. Early in her career, Rovner helped develop the long-running “Cold Case,” “The O.C.” and the critically acclaimed “Everwood.” As Senior Vice President of Drama Development, Rovner oversaw the development of some of the company’s most important and successful programs, including “The Closer,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Mentalist,” “Nip/Tuck,” “One Tree Hill,” “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries” and many more.
During her time with the company, 18 series developed by Rovner or that were developed under her leadership reached the 100-episode milestone: “The 100,” “Arrow,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Blindspot,” “The Closer,” “Cold Case,” “The Flash,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “Gotham,” “Major Crimes,” “The Mentalist,” “One Tree Hill,” “Person of Interest,” “Shameless,” “Supergirl,” “Supernatural” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
Before WBTV, Rovner was Executive Director, Movies for Television, at ABC.
