Senior Vice President – NBC Sports Ventures
Rob Simmelkjaer was named Senior Vice President, NBC Sports Ventures on September 12, 2011. Simmelkjaer is charged with leading international business development for the NBC Sports Group, including Golf Channel, NBC Sports, NBC Sports Radio and other businesses, and oversees NBC Sports Group’s stake in Universal Sports. In addition, Simmelkjaer is responsible for managing the NBC Sports Ventures unit, a collection of NBC owned business including the Alliance of Action Sports (Alli), the American Century Golf Championship, the ADT Golf Skills Challenge, the Heads Up Poker Championship and the National Dog Show.
In addition to his position as Senior Vice President, NBC Sports Ventures, Simmelkjaer also hosts Speaking of Sports with Rob Simmelkjaer, which airs every Sunday from 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Radio.
Prior to joining NBC, Simmelkjaer served as ESPN’s Vice President of International Development and Corporate Projects. In that role Simmelkjaer managed all international development and corporate projects for the network, including ESPN’s family of international television channels, radio outlets and publishing interests. Simmelkjaer also managed the networks relationship with the International Olympic Committee.
During his time at ESPN, Simmelkjaer also served as an anchor & correspondent for ESPN and ABC News. In addition, Simmelkjaer hosted original programs like Inside the Newsroom, Guilt or Innocence, and The Mix.
From 2003-2006, Simmelkjaer worked as Vice President, Assistant to the President. In that position he assisted George Bodenheimer in matters of strategic direction and management. Simmelkjaer joined ESPN in 2002, as the director of programming and acquisitions. In that role, he was the primary figure responsible for the launch of a six-year programming agreement between ESPN/ABC Sports and the National Basketball Association.
Prior to his tenure at ESPN, Simmelkjaer practiced law at two New York firms, Weil, Gotshal and Manges from 2000-2001, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore from 1997-2000.
Simmelkjaer is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. At Dartmouth, Simmelkjaer anchored the Dartmouth sports radio for four years as well as Dartmouth radio’s award-winning coverage of the 1992 presidential election. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Alexander Nagle award for excellence in broadcast journalism.
Simmelkjaer is a native of Haworth, NJ. He currently lives in New York City.