*This piece first appeared in the Front Office Sports Newsletter. Subscribe today and get the news before anyone else.
In just over a year since joining ESPN as the company’s president, it looks as if Jimmy Pitaro has been able to turn things around.
After a period of turbulence that included layoffs, a strained relationship with the NFL, and a falling linear subscriber base, things at the WWL seem to be looking up.
What has worked?
- ESPN+: The OTT streaming service now has a reported 2 million subscribers after a year of being live.
- New Digital Offerings: ESPN has expanded its presence on platforms like Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter.
- Leveraging ABC: To further its reach, ESPN has found success putting marquee events and games (NBA games, NFL Draft, college football games) on the free to air TV channel.
More sports, fewer politics…
While some championed ESPN’s coverage of events where politics and sports seemingly intertwined, Pitaro believes he has brought clarity to the company when it comes to what fans of ESPN truly want.
“Without question, our data tells us our fans do not want us to cover politics. My job is to provide clarity. I really believe that some of our talent was confused on what was expected of them. If you fast-forward to today, I don’t believe they are confused.” – Jimmy Pitaro to Stephen Battaglio of the LA Times.
What they are saying…
“We’ve done some brand research that suggests ESPN’s brand is stronger than it was a few years ago.” – Bob Iger to Disney investors
