Veteran HBO President leaving
May 23, 2016
HBO President Mike Lombardo is set to exit the premium TV network after 33 years with the company. Lombardo has reportedly decided to step down so he could work on his own productions, and the network isn’t naming an immediate successor.
Lombardo had helmed production at HBO since 2007, back when the channel was hunting for a hit to replace The Sopranos, and helped deliver shows including True Blood, True Detective, and Girls
HBO, owned by Time Warner, hasn’t been able to create another phenomenon like Game of Thrones (which started in 2011), with big-budget productions like Vinyl and The Leftovers producing underwhelming returns. The network needs more buzz to draw subscribers to its online HBO Now service, which competes with Netflix and Hulu for US streaming viewers.