NBCUniversal veteran Sumithra Barry is leaving the company after nearly two decades. For the past three years, she served as SVP, Content and Consumer Insights, Entertainment Networks at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
Barry’s departure is part of a round of layoffs across the NBCUniversal Research and Decision Sciences divisions, which we’ve learned will affect fewer than 20 people. The cuts are part of a restructuring that follows NBCU’s decision in January to integrate research and decision science (data) teams in television and streaming under the leadership of Will Gonzalez, who was promoted to EVP and chief data officer.
The restructuring began in August with the appointment of Zoë Friend as EVP of Consumer Insights. More new employees are expected.
Just as NBCUniversal no longer has a content team focused specifically on NBC, Peacock or its cable networks – it works across platforms – the Research and Decision Sciences division will now also work in different areas, but its scope will always be the same , even wider because it also includes Telemundo and NBC Sports.
The integrated operation processes reviews and research, but also tracks consumer insights. The job is to help the content teams figure out if a show is working, who’s watching it, and to organize focus groups before release to find out who might be interested in watching it.
Barry joined NBCUniversal in May 2004. Before Barry was promoted to her most recent position, she was SVP Consumer and Market Intelligence. Earlier in her career, she was a research analyst at Disney Channel.
Source: Deadline
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