Geoffrey Mason, a longtime sports television production executive and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame member, died Sunday at the age of 85.
Mason’s career spanned five decades at ABC Sports, ESPN, NBC, Fox, NFL Network and other networks, helping to shape sports coverage on television. He won 24 Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
“Geoff Mason was a friend and colleague who had a stellar career that touched every corner of the sports television industry,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC and ESPN. “He had a passion for the business, which was evident in his exceptional work ethic and the constant love and enthusiasm he displayed for everything he worked on.
“He will definitely be missed.”
Among his eight Olympic assignments, Mason was the coordinating producer for ABC’s coverage of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. During his career, he was also a part of coverage of the Super Bowl, the World Series, the World Cup, “Monday Night Football”, golf and tennis majors, the Tour de France, the Indianapolis 500, horse racing’s Triple Crown and sailing’s America’s Cup.
A graduate of Duke University and a U.S. Navy veteran, Mason began his sports television career in 1967 as a production associate at ABC Sports.
Mason was a longtime board member of the V Foundation for Cancer Research after being selected by Jim Valvano as a founding board member and Hazelden was also a board member of the Betty Ford Foundation.
He is survived by his wife, Chris; son, Geoff Jr.; and brother, David.
