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☆ Disney technology executive Aaron LaBerge to leave company for personal reasons
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney company logo is displayed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on Dec. 1, 2023. Aaron LaBerge, the chief technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo. LaBerge is leaving for personal reasons related to his family and will stay on at Disney until June, the memo said. At ESPN, LaBerge has been a central figure behind the company's streaming services, including ESPN+, the upcoming sports streaming application co-owned by Disney, Warner Bros. They include former CEO Bob Chapek, former head of streaming Kevin Mayer, ex-finance chief Christine McCarthy, former Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn, former Disney general counsel Alan Braverman, ex-head of communications Zenia Mucha, and former president of Walt Disney Pictures, Sean Bailey.

Persons: Aaron LaBerge, LaBerge, He'll, He's, Bob Chapek, Kevin Mayer, Christine McCarthy, Alan Horn, Alan Braverman, Zenia Mucha, Sean Bailey, Aaron, Jimmy Pitaro, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Chris Lawson, Paul Allen Organizations: Walt Disney, New York Stock Exchange, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, PENN Entertainment, ESPN Bet, Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, ESPN BET, Company, Starwave

☆ Iowa-South Carolina NCAA women's final draws record 18.7 million viewers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Laya Neelakandan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

March Madness branded Powerade bottles before the game between the Maryland Terrapins and the South Carolina Gamecocks during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, on March 27, 2023The NCAA Women's Championship between Iowa and South Carolina set a record on Sunday, drawing 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN. The game peaked at 24 million viewers, ESPN said, and was the most-watched NCAA women's college basketball game since 1992. The championship, which saw Caitlin Clark-led Iowa fall to South Carolina, was the most-watched basketball game, either men's or women's and college or professional, since 2019. "With a record-setting audience of 18.7 million viewers, Sunday's Iowa-South Carolina title game was a fitting finale to the most-viewed ever NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament," said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro in a statement. The semifinals between Iowa and University of Connecticut last week also shattered viewership records, peaking at 17 million viewers, according to ESPN.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Jimmy Pitaro, Clark, that's Organizations: Maryland Terrapins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Secours Wellness, NCAA, ABC, ESPN, Iowa, University of Connecticut, Deloitte Locations: Greenville , South Carolina, Iowa, South Carolina

☆ Disney beat back activist investor Nelson Peltz. Now the real work begins
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

That would mark a milestone for the company, which launched Disney+ on Nov. 12, 2019. It would be the first time Disney showed it can make money from Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Disney will need to sustain and grow streaming profit to justify Iger's five-year-old strategy to go "all in" on the segment. Disney has already offered ESPN+, a sports streaming service that has some but not all of ESPN's content. Trian Partners' Nelson Peltz, who failed to join Disney's board Wednesday after securing just 31% of the vote, publicly questioned what he has called Disney's "woke" content strategy.

Persons: Bob Iger, Sun Valley , Idaho David A, Iger, Disney, they've, Cowen, Doug Creutz, Needham, Laura Martin, Gabby Jones, David Greenbaum, Sean Bailey, Alan Bergman, Indiana Jones, Nelson Peltz, Peltz, shouldn't, Bob Chapek, He'll, Bergman, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D'Amaro, Dana Walden, They've, Cowen's, you've, That's, it's, — CNBC's Sarah Whitten, Needman's Martin Organizations: Disney, Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Grogan, CNBC Disney, Disney Disney, Hulu, ESPN, Co, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, CNBC, Athletic, Bloomberg, Getty, Marvel, Star Wars, Searchlight, Walt Disney Motion, Disney Entertainment, Century Fox, Sony, Disney's Marvel Studios, Trian Partners, Financial Times, Resorts, Iger Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Brooklyn , New York, Iger, Parks, Disney

☆ How Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney's first female CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

The appointment would make Walden the first female CEO of the Walt Disney Co. in its 100-year history. "Anybody they choose will have never been the Disney CEO prior to that." At Disney, Walden has hit several home runs, including FX's "The Bear," Hulu's "The Dropout" and "Only Murderers in the Building," and ABC's "Abbott Elementary." Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek CNBCChapek climbed the corporate ladder at Disney for 30 years by showcasing his business and finance chops. Combating female stereotypesIf Walden were appointed CEO, she would be the first woman to run the century-old company.

Persons: Dana Walden, Disney Entertainment Rich Polk, Peter Chernin, Rupert, Walden, Bob Iger, he'd, Fox, Chernin, Peter Roth, Roth, Peter Chernin Getty, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, Alan Bergman, Nelson, Peltz, Iger, Bob Chapek, Walden's, Bergman, she's, hasn't, —, Walden —, Dana doesn't, Jennifer Salke, Jennifer Salke Stephen Desaulniers, CNBC Walden, Richard Plepler, Craig Hunegs, Carol Burnett's, Carrie Hamilton, George Burns, Dean Martin, roasts, Martin, Buddy Hackett, Matt Walden, Bender, Goldman, she'd, Arsenio, Lucie Sulhany, Dana Walden Jason Laveris, Gary Newman, Newman, It's, Dana, Ryan Murphy, John Landgraf, Jan, Seth MacFarlane, Guy, Tuck, MacFarlane, Murphy, Steve Levitan, Dan Fogelman, Rick Rosen, Rosen, Howard Gordon, Levitan, Peter Rice, Rice, wasn't, Chapek, Rich Appel, Gary, it's, Percy Jackson, didn't, Bob Chapek CNBC Chapek, showrunners, Scarlett Johansson, Kristina Schake, Jay Sures, Sures, Amazon's Salke, Greta Gerwig, Gloria, Murphy's, Miss Jones, There's, Steve Levitan Peter, Hopper, Critics, She's, Salke, WME's Rosen Organizations: Disney Entertainment, Getty, Century Fox Filmed Entertainment, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Walt Disney Co, Century Fox, Fox, Century Fox Television, Warner Bros, Disney, ESPN, Entertainment, CNBC, Trian Partners, Iger, Amazon Studios, HBO, Disney TV Studios, Hollywood, Westlake School for Girls, Harvard, Westlake School, The Friars Club, University of Southern, Paramount, Paramount Domestic Television, Filmmagic, Fox Broadcasting, Walden, CBS, FX Networks, Bob Chapek CNBC, Indiana University, Michigan State University, United Talent Agency, Hulu Locations: Santa Barbara , California, Walden, Brentwood , California, She's, Disney's, Studio City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, University of Southern California, Chapek, Hollywood, Walden's, Iger, America

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChairman Jimmy Pitaro on ESPN's uncertain futureESPN chairman James Pitaro sat down with CNBC to discuss the company's future as it faces serious cord cutting and competition from tech companies like Amazon and YouTube with deeper pockets than parent company Disney.

Persons: Jimmy Pitaro, James Pitaro Organizations: ESPN, CNBC, Amazon, Disney

☆ Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek breaks silence, says there's no strategic need for ESPN partners
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In his first public comments since Disney fired him as CEO in November 2022, Bob Chapek told CNBC he sees no reason for Disney-owned ESPN to add minority partners. The company hasn't yet announced a deal to sell a stake in ESPN. Disney owns 80% of ESPN and Hearst owns the other 20%, a structure that's been in place since 1996. Bringing on a technology or telecommunications company such as Verizon or Apple could give ESPN broader distribution options by reaching larger customer bases. That is something, as Bob [Iger] has said, that we are very much open to, but this is about partnership and accelerating the launch or the adoption of ESPN flagship."

Persons: Bob Chapek, Chapek, Bob Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Disney, Iger, Disney's, Jimmy Pitaro, Pitaro, Bob Organizations: Disney, CNBC, ESPN, National Football League, National Basketball Association, Hearst, Verizon, Apple Locations: American

☆ Chris Mortensen, longtime NFL insider for ESPN, dies at 72
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Robert Ilich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist and longtime NFL insider for ESPN, has died, the network announced. He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion, and was at the top of his field for decades. Mortensen joined ESPN in 1991 and quickly gained a reputation for being one of the most trusted football insiders. He previously worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons from 1983 to 1990. In September 2023, Mortensen said he would step away from his role at ESPN “to focus on my health, family and faith.”

Persons: Chris Mortensen, Mortensen, ” “ Mort, Jimmy Pitaro, George Polk, ” Organizations: CNN, NFL, ESPN, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, ESPN “

Nick Saban is joining ESPN's “College GameDay,” the long-running Saturday pregame road show he appeared on as a guest so frequently during his 17 seasons as Alabama coach. “ESPN and College GameDay have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team,” Saban said in a statement. Photos You Should See View All 15 Images"Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football. Saban has also appeared on ESPN's college football coverage as a guest analyst during the occasional postseasons when his Crimson Tide was not competing for the national championship. ___AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

Persons: Nick Saban, Saban, “, ”, Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, College GameDay, ” Saban, Jimmy Pitaro Organizations: ESPN's “, Saban, Alabama, LSU, ESPN, College, GameDay, NFL, SEC Media, Southeastern Conference, SEC, Crimson Tide, AP Locations: Alabama

☆ NCAA and ESPN ink 8-year, $920 million media rights deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The NCAA and ESPN have reached a new eight-year media rights deal worth more than $115 million annually, as the value of sports media rights reaches new heights. The new agreement carries an annual value of roughly three times the current 14-year deal, which pays about $40 million annually. It will include the rights to 40 NCAA championships — 21 women's and 19 men's events — as well as exclusive championship coverage of all rounds for women's basketball, women's volleyball, women's gymnastics, softball, baseball and FCS football. ESPN has benefited through its airing of the NCAA women's basketball tournament and the WNBA playoffs, among other sports. "Concurrent with the terms of the new media rights, several enhancements to student-athlete benefits across all three NCAA divisions will take effect, and this deal will help fund those important programs.

Persons: Jimmy Pitaro, Charlie Baker, Baker, Linda Livingstone Organizations: ESPN, Orange, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida State Seminoles, NCAA, FCS, WNBA, IMG, WME Sports, Associated Press, of Governors, Baylor University, NBA, CNBC PRO Locations: Miami Gardens , Florida

☆ After year of ‘fixing things,’ Bob Iger tells Disney employees his plans to reshape the company for the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Iger has had nothing short of a full plate since retaking the throne of the Magic Kingdom last year. He’s been tasked with repositioning ESPN in a direct-to-consumer future, reversing the company’s faltering creative engine (e.g. In short, it’s been a demanding 12 months for the legendary Disney chief — something Iger was not shy about. But it is still unclear what Iger would like to do with some of the company’s declining television assets, namely ABC. “I’ve been through some difficult times and faced a lot of adversity as a company,” Iger told Disney employees, “and I know that each time we get through it.”

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger, David Muir, He’s, it’s, ” “, ” Iger, “, I’ve, he’s, Will, Muir, ”, Dana Walden, ” Walden, Jimmy Pitaro, Mickey Mouse, ” Pitaro, Pitaro Organizations: CNN, New Amsterdam Theatre, Disney, “, ABC, Magic, ESPN, Marvel Studios, Hulu, Hollywood, Walt Disney Company, ABC News, Disney Entertainment Locations: New York City, —, Israel

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger says company is ready to start building
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger attends the Nominees Luncheon for the 95th Oscars in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) CEO Bob Iger told employees that he faced a "myriad of challenges" upon returning to the company but remained upbeat about its prospects. "I feel that we’ve just emerged from a period of a lot of fixing to one of building again," Iger said. The meeting marks the one-year anniversary of Iger's first town hall since rejoining the company as chief executive in November 2022. Disney has undergone a transformation under Iger, who restructured the company and streamlined operations to make the business more cost effective.

Persons: Bob Iger, Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, “, ” Iger, I've, Iger, Alan Bergman, Dana Walden, Jimmy Pitaro, Josh D’Amaro, Nelson Peltz, Bob Chapek, Scarlett Johansson, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Disney, Dawn Chmielewski, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Walt Disney Company, REUTERS, New Amsterdam Theatre, Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Walt, New York Times, Disney, Florida Governor, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Iger's, Burbank , California, New York

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger tells employees he wants to start building again during town hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger told employees Tuesday during an internal town hall that he is looking forward to "building again" after spending 2023 mending parts of the business that "needed attention." After speaking alone for about 15 minutes, Iger was joined by Disney head of parks and resorts Josh D'Amaro, ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro, and Disney Entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman. Disney said this month it projects to save $7.5 billion this year, largely through job elimination and content spending rollbacks. "What Bob and I have talked about is we don't just want to flip the switch," Pitaro said. "We don't want to just move our networks over and make them available over the top without significant product enhancements."

Persons: Bob Iger, Iger, David Muir, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Disney's, Disney, Pitaro, Bob Organizations: Disney, ABC News, New York's, ESPN, Disney Entertainment, Pixar, Marvel Locations: New, New York's Amsterdam

☆ ESPN's VP of sports betting shares his keys to success for ESPN Bet and an inside look into the partnership with Penn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Margaret Fleming | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In other words, ESPN Bet has arrived. The companies announced in August their collaboration, with the operator selling its stake in Barstool Sports to rebrand Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet. Screenshots from the ESPN Bet app. Providing easy transitions between the ESPN and ESPN Bet apps is a key focus to drive that metric, he added. — ESPN BET (@ESPNBet) November 10, 2023The move has given ESPN Bet an advantage on social media with 5.4 million followers on X, 2.7 million on Facebook, and 2.4 million on Instagram.

Persons: It's, Jay Snowden, Mike Morrison, Morrison, Scott Longley, DraftKings, Penn, Snowden, Jimmy Pitaro, Pitaro, I'm, cohesively we've, Keys, Fubo Sportsbook, Maxim Bet, it's Organizations: ESPN Bet, ESPN, Penn Entertainment, Sports, Business, Apple, Caesars, Penn, ESPN Penn, TheScore, Fox, Maxim, Yahoo, Walt Disney Company, ESPN BET, Facebook Locations: Penn, Las Vegas

☆ Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +88 min

Iger told Chapek that he lived for those "two-shower days," according to people familiar with the conversation. In January 2020, Iger told Chapek the plan was back on. During his 27 years at the company, Chapek had only attended one annual meeting — as a guest in the audience. Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during a CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. WATCH: Disney CEO Bob Iger's exclusive July 2023 CNBC interviewTake the 'A'During Chapek's tenure as CEO, Disney lost more than a quarter of its market value.

Persons: Elham, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, wasn't, Chapek, Michael Eisner, —, who's, he's, Clint Eastwood, Eastwood, Arthur Bochner, Jackie Hart, Kareem Daniel, Chapek —, Eisner, Michael Ovitz, Ovitz, Bob, Disney's, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, he'd, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Staggs —, Steve Jobs, cajoled Ike Perlmutter, George Lucas, Rupert Murdoch, Iger's, Susan Arnold, Arnold, Peter Rice, David Paul Morris, Rice, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Mark Parker, Mary Barra, Michael Froman, Willow, Parker, John Donahoe, Roy Disney, Walt Disney, Stanley Gold, David A, CNBC Eisner, Big Bob, Little Bob, Christine McCarthy, Patrick T, He'd, McCarthy, Iger —, Coronavirus, Gavin Newsom, Michael Kovac, curtly, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Smith, Smith, Disney, Randy Shropshire, Agnes Chu, Ricky Strauss, Chu, Strauss, Kevin Feige, Kathleen Kennedy, Who's, Alan Bergman, Bergman, Bob Kyncl, Daniel —, Iger didn't, Daniel rankled, Daniel, Chapek didn't, James Pitaro, Jesse Grant, CNBC Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Zenia Mucha, didn't, Mucha, Barbara Walters, Charles Eshelman, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Johansson —, Florence Pugh, Natasha, Yelena, " Johansson, Bryan Lourd, Johansson, Lourd, Steven Spielberg, Al Michaels, David Muir, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Spielberg, Geoff Morrell, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Bochner, Claire Lee, Paul Richardson, Josh D'Amaro, Ron DeSantis, Morrell, Disney Animation —, George Floyd, Reba Saldanha, Reuters Chapek, DeSantis, Nicholas Maldonado, Octavio Jones, Chapek she'd, we're, " Morrell, CNN's Chris Wallace, Kristina Schake, John Skipper, Daniel steamrolled, Latondra Newton, Newton, Charles Krupa, Pitaro, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Dana Walden, Thomas Murphy, Josh Kushner, Privately, Schake, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's, David Dee Delgado, Kara Swisher, hadn't, Netflix's, overhiring, McCarthy hadn't, Safra Catz, Kareem, DMED, Horacio Gutierrez, Justin Warbrooke, Alexia Quadrani, Bryan Castellani, Michael Buckner, Quadrani, Lindsay Lohan, Winnie, Nelson Peltz, Catz, Donald Trump's, they'd, Walden, Gutierrez, D'Amaro, Rich Polk, Walden he'd, Iger she'd, Mickey Mouse, Mark Rightmire, haven't, Indiana Jones, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Hamilton Faber, Rich Greenfield, Bob Iger's, — Mayer, McCarthy —, doesn't, they'll Organizations: Disney, Marvel, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Shanghai Disney, Man, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Pixar, Fox, Chapek, Nike, General, Mastercard, Foreign Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Grogan, Disney's, Fallon, ABC, ESPN, ABC News, California Gov, New York Times, Disney confidants, Hollywood, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Studios, Hulu, HBO Max, Walt Disney Company, YouTube, Companies, Netflix, Apple, Disney Media, Entertainment, Stanford, Rights, Junior, petulant, Filmmagic, Brunswick Group, Covid, CAA, onetime Defense Department, Century Fox, Human, Florida Gov, Republican, Disney Animation, Reuters, Human Rights, HRC, Walt Disney World, Employees, American Foundation for Equal Rights, AP, Amazon Prime, Paramount, South Pacific, Capital Cities, Dow Jones, CVS, Kingdom, Variety, Trian Partners, Charter Communications, U.S, Comcast, Charter's, MediaNews, Orange, Allen, Co, Candle Media, Advisors Locations: Burbank , California, Midwestern, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Iger, Hammond , Indiana, Shanghai, China, Hong, Fox, Willow Bay, Raleigh , North Carolina, Orlando, U.S, Hulu, Iger's Brentwood, coronavirus, Brunswick, Hollywood, Hawaii, Disney's, Marvel's, Anaheim , California, Montana, Florida, Rye , New Hampshire, Chapek, Hong Kong, California, missteps, South, DMED, Burbank, New York, India, Atlantic, Sun Valley , Idaho, America

☆ Spectrum owner Charter calls pay-TV model broken as it battles Disney over blackout
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That resulted in Charter's customers losing access to its networks, including broadcaster ABC and pay-TV channels such as ESPN and FX. These sorts of battles, which can lead to so-called blackouts for pay-TV customers, are common in the industry. They said they pushed for a revamped deal with Disney that would see Charter cable customers receive access to Disney's ad-supported streaming services like Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost. "The [traditional TV] model has been very good to Disney," Pitaro said at CNBC x Boardroom's inaugural Game Plan sports business summit. Disney said Thursday that it has been able to secure successful deals with other pay-TV companies and is still committed to reaching an agreement with Charter.

Persons: Disney, Chris Winfrey, Winfrey, Bob Iger, Iger, Jimmy Pitaro, nix, Pitaro, didn't Organizations: Cable, Charter Communications, Disney, U.S ., ABC, ESPN, FX, Fort, CNBC, ESPN –, Plan Locations: U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Fort Worth and Atlanta

☆ ESPN Enters Sports Gambling in $2 Billion Deal With Casino Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Kellen Browning | More About Kellen Browning | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ESPN on Tuesday announced a 10-year deal with Penn Entertainment, a casino company, to create an online sports betting brand called ESPN Bet, catapulting the sports entertainment network into the lucrative world of online gambling. Penn will operate the online sports book and pay ESPN $1.5 billion in cash for the use of ESPN’s name, marketing, “access to ESPN talent” and other promotional tools, Penn said in a news release. Penn will also give ESPN options to buy $500 million in Penn stock, the news release said. Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of ESPN, said in the news release that he believed ESPN’s strong brand, combined with Penn’s technology and experience running a sports book, provided a “tremendous opportunity to serve the ever-growing number of consumers interested in betting.”Jay Snowden, Penn’s chief executive, called the deal “transformative” and said it would help Penn continue to evolve into a “North American entertainment leader.”

Persons: Penn, Jimmy Pitaro, ” Jay Snowden, ” Organizations: ESPN, Tuesday, Penn Entertainment, ESPN Bet, Penn Locations: Penn, American

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger wants minority partners for ESPN, but landing a deal won't be easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

They're working with ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro on the strategic options for ESPN and, to a lesser degree, Disney's other linear cable networks. In years past, ESPN could still generate revenue growth by increasing programming fees for pay TV distributors, such as Comcast , Charter and DirecTV. As ESPN revenue declines, it will become a larger anchor on Disney's earnings. Disney offers many of its lower-rated live games on its ESPN+ streaming service, which costs $9.99 per month. When ESPN does decide to offer an unbundled subscription service, it will likely cause even more people to cancel pay TV.

Persons: Bob Iger, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Jimmy Pitaro, Iger, CNBC's David Faber Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Mayer, Candle Media, Comcast, Charter, DirecTV

☆ Taking our flagship channels direct-to-consumer is a when not an if, says ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTaking our flagship channels direct-to-consumer is a when not an if, says ESPN Chairman Jimmy PitaroCNBC's Julia Boorstin joins 'Last Call' to talk comments from ESPN's Chairman Jimmy Pitaro at the inaugural CNBC Game Plan event.

Persons: Jimmy Pitaro CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Jimmy Pitaro Organizations: ESPN, CNBC

☆ ESPN held talks with NBA, NFL and MLB in search for strategic partner, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

ESPN has held preliminary discussions with the NFL, NBA and MLB about a variety of new partnerships and investment structures, the people said. Spokespeople for ESPN, the NFL and MLB declined to comment. The NBA and Disney have broached many potential structures around a renewal of media rights, the people said. Iger said last week in an interview with CNBC's David Faber that Disney is looking for a strategic partner for ESPN as it prepares to transition the sports network to streaming. Superficially, it may make less sense for the NBA, NFL and MLB which sign lucrative media rights deals with many media partners that fuel team revenue and player salaries with a range of media companies.

Persons: LeBron James, Bob Iger, Jimmy Pitaro, Spokespeople, RedZone, Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Faber, I'm Organizations: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, ESPN, Disney, National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA, MLB, NFL Network, NFL.com, Warner Bros, Discovery, Hearst, Professional, Comcast, Amazon, Paramount Global, Apple Locations: Lake Buena Vista , Florida, Fox

☆ Inside Bob Iger's Disney contract extension: a CEO moving to protect his legacy and get succession right this time
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney extended CEO Bob Iger's contract for 2 years, through the end of 2026. Company watchers won't be shocked by the move, since Iger extended his previous tenure in the role many times. Insiders said he wants to protect his legacy and stabilize the business, especially after the exit of its CFO. Disney just extended Bob Iger's contract for two more years, through 2026, the company announced today. Iger pledged at the time to prioritize finding a successor, but he has extended his contract before — four times during his first 15-year tenure.

Persons: Bob Iger's, Iger, Bob Chapek, Dave Heger, Edward Jones, Heger, Christian Knaebel, Christine McCarthy, Disney, — here's, Chapek, Jay Rasulo, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Iger's reorg, Dana, who's, Bergman, Walden, Meta execs Sheryl Sandberg, Carolyn Everson, Josh D'Amaro, Jimmy Pitaro, Adam Silver, Silver, Andrew Wilson Organizations: Disney, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Longtime, Disney Entertainment, Pixar, ESPN, National Basketball Association, EA Locations: Iger

☆ Leaked memo reveals Disney's new finance structure as more layoffs loom, with a reported 15% of entertainment staffers to be cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Disney's chief financial officer, Christine McCarthy, named a new finance team pulling together staff from both Disney Entertainment and ESPN. McCarthy shared the details with staff this week, naming Bryan Castellani as the new chief financial officer of Disney Entertainment and ESPN. Under Castellani, Lukas Wickart will continue to oversee finance for direct-to-consumer streaming business Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, and Star. Karen Sack will oversee finance for our entertainment television businesses, including TV studios and ABC News finance, marketing, and networks planning. Jeff Grenn will oversee segment consolidation for Disney Entertainment, and finance in support of Aaron LaBerge's technology organization across Disney Entertainment and ESPN.

☆ Disney executives are being directed to identify thousands of layoff candidates and propose other budget cuts by April
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bob Iger is on a push for profitability at Disney and announced plans to cut 7,000 positions. Managers must identify candidates for layoffs by April, according to a source close to Disney. Disney bean counters have been looking carefully across the company in an attempt to find redundancies and eliminate executives where they can. Earlier this month, Disney announced that top human resources executive Paul Richardson would exit. In February Iger announced a restructure of Disney into three divisions: Entertainment, ESPN, and Parks, Experiences and Products.

☆ Disney executives are being directed to identify thousands of layoff candidates by April as CEO Bob Iger targets $5.5 billion in spending cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bob Iger is on a push for profitability at Disney and announced plans to cut 7,000 positions. Layoffs will impact about 4,000 employees, with the rest of the cuts coming from open roles. Disney bean counters have been looking carefully across the company in an attempt to find redundancies and eliminate executives where they can. Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy told investors on the earnings call that the company has targeted cost savings of $5.5 billion. In February Iger announced a restructure of Disney into three divisions: Entertainment, ESPN, and Parks, Experiences and Products.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced a new business structure Wednesday and further details emerged Thursday. ESPN and ESPN+ will form a separate unit, led by Jimmy Pitaro. Hollywood is already busy sharing memes about Bergman and Walden and how they will share and compete for power. As part of the cuts, Iger has directed his reports to lay off 7,000 staffers. A Thursday morning press release outlined all the shared services units that will now come under Bergman, Walden, and Pitaro.

"This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit, which lost more than $1 billion. Iger also repositioned the company to capitalize on the streaming revolution, acquiring 21st Century Fox's film and television assets in 2019 and launching the Disney+ streaming service that fall. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

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