Jimmy Pitaro pledged a “resetting” of the network’s relationship with the NFL, but is reining in talent and placating the league a winning bet?
Cable TV’s collapse is forcing the Disney property out of its comfort zone, from hiring risky talent to a streaming gambit that ticked off the NFL.
Trying to forecast when ESPN will go entirely online is one of the great guessing games of the media industry.
An increasing amount of what ESPN does isn’t going to be seen on good ol’ ESPN. ESPN has long fed its content to other parts of the Disney empire, but as the media industry’s streaming wars shake up how people watch TV, much more is on the way, says Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and Disney sports content.
Jimmy Pitaro said today: “I have no idea if [Amazon, Google and Facebook] are going to be interested specifically in Monday Night Football, but I do believe that several new media companies are going to be interested in acquiring more NFL rights.”
Exclusives
ESPN is dealing with a declining subscriber base and paying higher rights fees. A host of digital competitors are waiting in the wings to get some of its rights. It’s launching a direct-to-consumer service later this spring. But multiple sources point to ESPN’s fraying relationship with the NFL as the top priority for new ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro. Pitaro considers the NFL relationship a priority and already has met with league executives in his first few days on the job.
