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ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro Talks Disney Succession, Regional Sports Rights, Streaming Flagship Launch, AI & More
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro praised Disney CEO Bob Iger but said he is not changing his leadership style in a bid to get promoted to Iger's role.
Pitato is one of four internal candidates who have been mentioned as potential successor, along with entertainment co-chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman and parks chief Josh D’Amaro. After operating ESPN+ over the past six years, Pitaro said, “We are ready for the next step.” The forthcoming ESPN service will cost between $11.99 (the price of ESPN+) and a full pay-TV package and the company sees “a lot of opportunity in the middle” of those two points. “If you’re part of the ESPN environment, we can geotarget you, recognize where you are and serve you local, in-market game.” Leagues and teams have been anxious about the deterioration of RSNs, with many of them exploring free, over-the-air broadcast and looking to enhance its streaming offerings.
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