Business

EX-HBO WHIZ IN SHOCK IMG EXIT

In a move that caught all of Hollywood flatfooted, former HBO boss Chris Albrecht yesterday resigned unexpectedly from his newly created position as head of the media and entertainment division of talent and marketing powerhouse IMG.

Albrecht came to IMG less than a year ago to fanfare equal to, if not greater than, the infamy that surrounded him when he left HBO after being arrested and charged with assaulting his girlfriend – whom he’s still dating – following a boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Prior to the scandal, the former comedy-club owner was nothing short of a programming star, helping to elevate HBO to the pop-culture zenith with hit shows like “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” and “Sex and the City.”

IMG, which is owned by private-equity kingpin Theodore Forstmann, is a marketing and talent-management agency that represents everyone from Gisele Bundchen to Tiger Woods.

The agency also owns the rights to multiple sports leagues, and Albrecht’s first and only bet since joining the company was to extend those interests to include a new sport called Slamball, which combines elements of basketball with the aerial acrobatics of the trampoline.

In a statement, IMG blamed Albrecht’s departure, in part, on the collapse of the credit markets.

As part of his role within IMG, Albrecht was supposed to raise money for acquisitions in the media and entertainment areas, but a lack of funding essentially killed that plan.

According to IMG’s statement, Albrecht was leaving the firm “on an amicable basis, regretful that the association was unable to work.”

Albrecht will rejoin Foresee Entertainment, the production studio he founded after leaving HBO.

Albrecht’s departure is the latest news event in a busy summer for IMG.

In June, The Post exclusively reported that former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel had offered to acquire the firm, but was rebuffed by Forstmann.

Shortly thereafter, rumors surfaced that IMG was in talks to acquire reality guru Mark Burnett’s production studio for $250 million.

peter.lauria@nypost.com