The brains behind NBC’s wunderkind video site, George Kliavkoff, is leaving NBC at the end of ’08. George came to NBC over two years ago as the companies chief digital officer and laid the groundwork for Hulu’s success. Under his watch, Hulu became a digital revenue cash cow for NBC and a legitimate alternative to YouTube for content providers. The site might not post as many page views as YouTube, but with Klavkoff’s guidance, it actually turns a profit which is something Google has been struggling to do after the $1.65 billion dollar purchase.
Kliavkoff is excersing a contract clause that allows him to leave at the end of the year.
“I believe in my heart that this is a best time to start, run, or invest in digital companies and I am very excited about moving on to my next challenge,” Kliavkoff wrote.
It’s hard to imagine another success like Hulu, but even if he turns out something half as good, it will be a hit.