ESPN has a new president. Disney, the WorldWide Leader's parent company, announced Monday it's placing longtime executive James Pitaro in charge of the largest sports network in the world. Pitaro has served as chairman for Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media since February 2016.
There was some speculation Disney would look outside the company to replace John Skipper, who resigned suddenly from his position in December. But ultimately, it selected somebody from within its own walls.
"Jimmy is a talented and dedicated leader with the right strategic vision, relentless drive and passion for sports required to lead the stellar ESPN team at this incredibly dynamic time," Disney president Bob Iger said in a statement.
Though Pitaro isn't a household name, has a long track record of success in the digital sphere. As CNBC notes, he served as head of Yahoo Media from 2006-2009, during a period of incredible growth for the company.
It's apparent Iger has envisioned Pitaro at ESPN for some time. According to media reporter Jim Miller, Iger deployed Pitaro to work with Skipper a couple of years ago, but Skipper turned the idea down.
Given Pitaro's background, it seems as if he will be focused on expanding ESPN's digital reach –– a smart move given the realities of cord-cutting. ESPN has lost nearly 13 million subscribers in six years, resulting in hemorrhaging revenue. A dwindling subscriber base is the biggest problem Pitaro will be forced to address at the start of his tenure. Ratings across ESPN have fallen in recent years, too, including its once signature studio shows.
Another problem facing ESPN are the exorbitant rights agreements on its books. Most notably, the network paid the NFL $15.2 billion to broadcast "Monday Night Football," only to see viewership tumble.
One question facing Pitaro is whether he will continue to support Skipper's pet projects, such as the Undefeated and espnW. Under Skipper's tenure, ESPN placed an emphasis on diversifying its lineup with minority voices.
The circumstances surrounding Skipper's resignation remain curious. He cited substance abuse as his reason for stepping down, despite inking a three-year contract extension with ESPN one month beforehand.
