Ken Hershman to step down at end of year as HBO Sports boss

Ken Hershman, right, with sportscaster and executive producer Jim Lampley in 2012. (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Ken Hershman, who has led HBO Sports since 2012, will step down from his current role as President of the division at the end of the year, it was announced by HBO on Friday.

Hershman will stay on through the end of December, working with President of HBO Programming Mike Lombardo to make a smooth transition of the sports division's leadership role.

"Ken's dedication and commitment to our sports division is deeply appreciated," said Lombardo. "His approach to rebuilding our boxing franchise was strategic and creative which led HBO Sports to great success. All of us here are grateful and proud of the success Ken and the HBO Sports team have had over the past four years in delivering unparalleled sports programming to our subscribers. We wish him all the best in his next challenge."

Hershman leaves in the midst of a record-setting year for HBO Sports. Co-producing the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mega-fight in May with Showtime, the pay-per-view telecast set an all-time record with 4.4 million buys.

"I am particularly proud of what I accomplished and believe now is the perfect time to hand over the reins to someone new," said Hershman. "I've had the distinct privilege of having been involved in many of boxing's biggest and most thrilling moments, including the Mike Tyson era, creating the Super Six Tournament, and, staging the biggest pay-per-view event of all-time this past May in Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. I have also had the privilege to steward over some of the best sports shows on television, including 24/7, Real Sports and Hard Knocks, and to work with some of the best talent in television, both behind and in front of the camera.

"HBO Sports is well positioned for the future, especially in the boxing arena, with nine of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today, including the world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, Miguel Cotto, Andre Ward, Terence Crawford and many others. I cannot wait to watch these great fighters exhibit their skills, but from the vantage point of a passionate boxing fan."

Hershman joined HBO from Showtime, where he had been executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports & Event Programming since October 2003. He developed the innovative Super Six World Boxing Classic and spearheaded the acquisition of the NFL franchise Inside the NFL, which won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show in its first year under Hershman's administration.

Prior to joining Showtime, Hershman was an associate at the law firm of Shearman & Sterling in their Corporate Finance group. Hershman is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the International Law Journal and received his B.A. degree With Distinction from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1985.