ESPN BET Set To Launch Nov. 14
ESPN said ESPN BET, the sports betting service run by Penn Entertainment, will launch Tuesday, Nov. 14. Teaser spots for the sportsbook …
Disney’s ESPN Could Be Valued At $24B, Likely Buyers Include Apple, Verizon
Walt Disney's ESPN sports network could secure an enterprise value of $24 billion and attract investment interest from sports leagues, tech …
ESPN Takes Swing At PPV Boxing Category Sith Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou Event
ESPN Plus looks to add another big revenue punch to this year’s busy PPV boxing category with last Saturday’s (Oct. 28) Tyson Fury …
TVN TECH
ESPN Raises The AR/XR Bar In Bristol
A new ESPN facility in Bristol, Conn., has introduced dramatic new virtual set capabilities for the sports network, taking its production …
How Profitable Is ESPN? Disney Breaks Out Figures For First Time
The sports unit had revenue of $16 billion and profits of $2.9 billion in 2022 — more than Disney's entire entertainment business that year …
ESPN’s Chris LaPlaca Retiring At End Of 2023 After 43 Years
Longtime ESPN communications chief Chris LaPlaca will retire at the end of the year after spending more than 43 years at the company. ESPN …
Does Disney’s Management Of Hulu And ESPN Violate Antitrust Laws? A Judge Weighs In
YouTube TV subscribers filed a class action lawsuit accusing Disney of essentially operating the business as a single entity, which has …
Charter CEO Reports Little Progress In Carriage Talks With Disney, Says Leaner TV Bundle ‘Could Stick’ With Customers
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey indicated that little progress has been made in the week-long carriage fight with Disney and said a leaner, …
ESPN Locks In Mina Kimes For NFL Coverage; Deal Reportedly Includes Big Salary Bump
The roller coaster of ESPN staffing news continued today, as NFL analyst Mina Kimes is set for what’s reported to be a massive new deal. The …
Weekly Cable Ratings: Fox News Holds Onto Top Spots In Primetime, Total Day
ESPN scores second place primetime finish.
THE PRICE POINT
Is ABC Really For Sale?
A tipping point for the broadcast industry is coming, and part of it hinges on a problem that Disney chief Bob Iger created for himself.
ESPN, Other Disney Networks And ABC Stations Go Dark On Spectrum Cable Systems In Carriage Fight
ESPN and 18 other Disney networks as well as ABC stations have gone dark across Spectrum, the No. 2 cable TV service in the U.S. Charter …
ESPN’s Wendi Nix Latest On-Air Talent To Exit Network
Wendi Nix, the host of College Football Live, has announced on Instagram that her time at ESPN has ended after 17 years. “Exactly 17 years …
ESPN Telecasts Of ACC Football Games Will Be Available In Movie Theaters Under Agreement
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference football fans will be able to watch telecasts of their favorite team’s road games in …
U.S. Open Tennis Ushers In New Season Of Hope For Disney And ESPN
It has been an anxious summer in Burbank, Bristol and the rest of the Disney-ESPN empire thanks to ongoing cutbacks, movie box office …
Amazon In Talks With Disney About ESPN Streaming Partnership
Amazon has had early talks with Disney about working on the streaming version of ESPN it is developing, said people familiar with the …
Disney Says U.S. Open Ad Inventory Is Sold Out
Disney Advertising said that commercial inventory on the U.S. Open tennis tournament is sold out. The event, televised on ABC, ESPN and ESPN …
Last Rodeo For Longhorn Network, The Texas Venture With ESPN That Once Rattled The Big 12
When the Longhorn Network launched in 2011, the 20-year, $300 million partnership with ESPN set up Texas with its own 24-hour television …
Verizon, Disney Discuss ESPN D2C Partnership
Verizon is the latest player to have discussions with Disney about ESPN’s future. Disney has had preliminary talks with Verizon focused on …
Wall Street Analyst Says Apple Buying Or Partnering With ESPN Is A “No-Brainer”
With sports now a “golden goose” begetting streaming progress for Apple, it would be a “no-brainer” for the tech giant to partner with or …
Sage Steele Exits ESPN After Settling Lawsuit
Longtime SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele has decided to leave ESPN after settling her lawsuit against ESPN/Disney. “Having successfully …
ESPN Moves Multicasts To Featured Section Of Streaming App
ESPN said it is moving its one-click, streaming multicasts of big sporting events to the featured section of the ESPN app on Apple TV and …
ESPN Inks $2B Deal For Gambling Venture With Penn Entertainment
In a major sports betting move, ESPN has cut a $2 billion deal with casino owner Penn Entertainment to launch ESPN Bet, a branded …
Disney’s ESPN Plots Its Streaming Future, Seeking Tie-Ups With Leagues And Rivals
The sports-media giant talks to potential strategic partners, as it lays plans to stream its channel and scopes out a role in local …
How ESPN Went From Disney’s Financial Engine To Its Problem
The sports juggernaut continues to earn billions of dollars for Disney, but profits are down and opportunities for growth have dwindled.
Mark Jackson Laid Off By ESPN With Doris Burke And Doc Rivers Slated As Replacements
Add Mark Jackson to the list of ESPN reporters and commentators who have been laid off over the past five weeks. Jackson was let go on …
ESPN Tests All-Female ‘SportsCenter’ In Bid To Spotlight Women’s Sports For Bigger Crowd
ESPN’s SportsCenter has long seemed like a bastion of guy TV. Not tonight. When ESPN viewers tune in to the 11 p.m. edition of the …
ESPN Is Said To Talk With Leagues About Taking Stake In Network
The Disney-controlled channel is trying to find a way forward in the streaming age and has had discussions with the NFL, the NBA and Major …
Who Could Buy A Piece Of ESPN? Here Are Seven Candidates
Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger shook up Wall Street Thursday when he told CNBC he’s open to finding a strategic partner for …
ESPN Cutting Around 20 On-Air Stars In Dramatic Round Of Layoffs
ESPN is laying off some of its biggest stars, including Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose, in a purge that is expected to result in around 20 …
‘SportsCenter’ Anchor Neil Everett Leaving ESPN
Anchor Neil Everett is leaving ESPN. The famous SportsCenter anchor confirmed he’s the latest on-air talent to leave during the Walt Disney …
NHL Analyst Chris Chelios Becomes Latest Casualty Of ESPN’s Budget Cuts
Chelios was hired in 2021, which coincided with ESPN acquiring the NHL’s broadcasting rights.
ESPN Anchor And Vaccine Skeptic Sage Steele’s Free Speech Battle With Disney Heats Up
The conflict echoes the media giant’s First Amendment fight against Ron DeSantis over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Pat McAfee’s Deal With ESPN Amid Layoffs Raises Eyebrows
Pat McAfee built a cult following as a sports personality with a hit radio program, a college football analyst role and a spot on the WWE …
Disney’s ABC, ESPN Weakness Adds Pressure To Make Streaming Profitable
Earnings from traditional TV have fallen sharply after helping to offset Disney+ losses in recent years.
ESPN Plans To Stream Flagship Channel, Eyeing Cable TV’s Demise
ESPN is laying the groundwork to sell its channel directly to cable cord-cutters as a subscription-streaming service in coming years, …
Weekly Cable Ratings: TNT, ESPN Dunk Competition
TNT and ESPN dominated the primetime ratings chart for the second straight week on the strength of its NBA and NHL Playoffs coverage.
ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro Will Decide The Fate Of Cable Television
Trying to forecast when ESPN will go entirely online is one of the great guessing games of the media industry.
ESPN Corporate Comms VP Mike Soltys Cut After 43 Years In Disney Layoffs
The longtime executive was first hired by founder Bill Rasmussen in 1980 as a college intern. From 2003 to 2021, Soltys was responsible for …
ESPN To Begin Layoffs Early Next Week As Part Of Disney Cost Cuts, Sources Say
ESPN will begin layoffs early next week as part of parent company Disney’s cost cutting efforts, according to people familiar with the …
