ESPN Names Disney Executive James Pitaro New President
ESPN has named Disney executive James Pitaro its next president effective immediately, the company announced Monday.
Pitaro was named the chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media in 2016 after serving as the vice president and head of Yahoo! Media. In addition to being ESPN's next president, Pitaro will also serve as the co-chair of Disney Media Networks.
"As a passionate and lifelong sports fan, I am honored to be joining the ESPN team during such a pivotal time in its storied history," Pitaro said in a statement from the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN. "The appetite for quality sports content across platforms has never been greater, and I am looking forward to working with the talented ESPN team as we continue to redefine the future fan experience."
According to ESPN, one of Pitaro's first moves will be launching ESPN+, the new subscription streaming service that will be a part of the ESPN App.
Pitaro will be replacing John Skipper, who was the president at ESPN for nearly six years after starting in 2012. Skipper resigned on Dec. 18, 2017 because of substance abuse issues.
