Duncan "Dick" Ebersol (born July 28, 1947 in Torrington, Connecticut) is an American radio and TV manager. He was protégé of ABC Sports czar Roone Arledge and was a key NBC executive in the launching of Saturday Night Live in 1975 and which he produced from April 1981 to May 1985. He became president of NBC Sports in April 1989. In May 2004, Dick Ebersol was named chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. He is responsible for all sports programming on the NBC and USA Networks and also manages NBC Universal's involvement with the Olympics.
He has been instrumental in bringing Sunday Night Football to NBC; it replaced ABC's Monday Night Football in the fall of 2006. In the film Monday Night Mayhem about the origin of Monday Night Football, he is portrayed by Glenn Howerton. He has also been instrumental in keeping the contract for University of Notre Dame football for NBC.
The Sporting News magazine ranked him #1 of 100 most powerful people in sports, 1996. Had been ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 70th in previous years.
In 1996, he suffered a heart attack.
Children: Harmony Lucas, Sunshine Lucas, William James Ebersol, Charles Ebersol and Edward ("Teddy") Ebersol.
Dropped out of Yale to work as researcher for ABC Sports at 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympic Games. Later returned to university and obtained degree.
Was executive assistant to Roone Arledge, president, ABC Sports.
Uncle of actress Christa Miller.
He placed the highest bid ($50,000.00) in a charity auction in 2003 for the privilege of knowing who Carly Simon wrote about in her song "You're So Vain".
Norm MacDonald was fired from "Saturday Night Live" (1975) after told an unflattering joke about him.
On November 28, 2004, a charter plane carrying him and two of his sons, crashed and burst into flames during takeoff in Colorado, killing three people, including his son, Edward (Teddy), aged 14, and seriously injuring Ebersol and son, Charlie, age 21.
Inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2005.
