Hayes, formerly the digital overseer of all things digital at Showtime, has signed on with NBC, in the newly created position of executive vice president, digital media. Hayes will report to NBC Entertainment Marketing & Digital President Len Fogge.
NBC Entertainment Chairman (and Showtime alum) Greenblatt made the announcement with NBC broadcasting chairman Ted Harbert on Wednesday.
“It’s critical that we do everything possible to light up digital media in order to help rebuild the primetime schedule. And there’s no one better to lead this effort than Rob Hayes,” Greenblatt said. “I saw the effect he had at Showtime firsthand, and it’s no accident that the pay network’s explosion coincided with its digital innovations.”
Hayes was hired as part of the network's plan to more closely align its digital and programming strategies on shows such as "Smash," "The Voice," "Grimm," "Up All Night" and "30 Rock."
At Showtime, Hayes was responsible for creating multi-platform identities for shows such as "Dexter," "Weeds," "Nurse Jackie," "Californication" and "The Tudors," which included forging groundbreaking deals with iTunes, Amazon and Netflix.
Between Showtime and NBC, Hayes served as COO of Iconic Entertainment Inc., where he created premium video-on-demand channels for YouTube and other distributors.
