Haykel, who produced events such as the Super Bowl Halftime show and seven Emmys telecasts, is launching Extra Special Entertainment. He spent over 20 years at Don Mischer Productions and will now develop specials, events, unscripted series and game shows at his new company. During his previous gig, he produced nearly 100 events in North America and Asia including the Super Bowl XXXIX and XL Halftime Shows, featuring Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, the annual pre-Oscars special Red Carpet: Live, the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston as well as numerous broadcast network Upfront presentations. He also worked on We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, seven Primetime Emmy Awards telecasts including those hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and Andy Samberg as well as the relaunch of The Billboard Music Awards.

He also served as showrunner on NBC game show The Singing Bee. Haykel said, “As an entrepreneur at heart, I’m excited to launch Extra Special Entertainment. This company allows me to synthesize everything I’ve gleaned throughout my career — from working with giants of the industry and producing some of the most impactful events in the world to, most importantly, knowing that creative always comes first. Altogether, I’m looking forward to develop and produce new and innovative content that entertains and engages viewers, while also helping shape what the medium will become.”