AMC veteran Ed Carroll to depart after three decades as M&A rumours persist

AMC Networks veteran Ed Carroll is stepping down at the end of the year after more than three decades with the company, as speculation continues to swirl over its future.

Carroll has been COO at the cable operator since 2009, overseeing the Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead and Mad Men network AMC, as well as streamers Acorn TV, Allblk, Shudder and AMC+.

Ed Carroll

He is also well known on the international circuit, working on AMC Networks’ international channels in Europe and Lat Am.

Carroll is the latest senior figure to depart AMC, following Josh Sapan’s decision in August to step down as president & CEO. He became exec vice chairman, with Matthew Blank taking up the interim CEO role.

The company, which emerged from a spin-off from Cablevision Systems in 2011, is owned by the Dolan family. Prior to that, it was named Rainbow Media and owned channels including Bravo, which Carroll had previously led as general manager during his 34-year stint with the group through its various guises.

AMC did not clarify if it would be replacing Carroll, but his departure follows months of rumours over the future of the company, mainly focused on a potential takeover or Dolan taking the operator private.

Josh Sapan

Sapan said: “For decades, Ed has been the heart and soul of AMC Networks. He has been at the center of the shows and movies that brought success to the company, and at the center of what has made AMC Networks a great place to work.

“In a business where credit for achievement can be actively sought, Ed looked for none, choosing to make all around him look good. His kind is rare.”

Carroll added: “It has been a great ride and extremely satisfying to work with an extraordinary team to create TV shows with impact and, most recently, to successfully bring to market a new streaming platform with AMC+.

“Among the things I am most proud of is greenlighting Breaking Bad and Mad Men, including teaching Bryan Cranston how to act and Jon Hamm how to look good in front of a camera.”