Tag: espn

Front Office Sports discusses how sports media is grappling with attracting younger fans, even as TV ratings and media rights soar. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro highlights the challenge, pointing out distractions like Netflix and TikTok. Amazon’s Thursday Night Football has…

ADWEEK’s Brandweek conference addressed streaming fragmentation, with Parks Associates revealing that 57% of households feel overwhelmed by the multitude of options, and the average home subscribes to 5.5 services. Nearly 47% have canceled a service in the past year, driven…

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is pushing to eliminate local blackouts and make games available nationally as RSNs collapse. With MLB reclaiming rights for teams like the Guardians, Brewers, and Twins, Manfred envisions a future where fans can stream any game…

Disney will launch "Flagship," a standalone streaming service offering ESPN channels and ESPN Plus by next summer, ahead of the 2025 NFL season. The service will include interactive features like real-time betting and personalized content, combining ESPN's full cable schedule…

The NFL is in early talks with Skydance Media and Redbird Capital Partners about a potential sale of NFL Media, including NFL Network. Discussions also involve Paramount Global potentially acquiring the NFL’s stake in Skydance Sports, while Paramount’s merger with…

DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company have reached an agreement in principle, restoring Disney's full linear network suite to DirecTV platforms after a blackout that began on September 1. The deal, which includes ABC, ESPN, Disney-branded channels, Freeform, FX, and…

Venu Sports, the joint streaming venture between ESPN, Fox, and TNT Sports, may be scrapped, but Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall suggests ESPN could return to its original plan of licensing Fox Sports content for its “ESPN Flagship” service by…

Disney's ESPN is deepening its involvement in the sports betting world by launching ESPN BET in partnership with Penn Entertainment, leveraging its sports content to enhance the betting experience. Penn will pay ESPN $1.5 billion over 10 years and grant…

ESPN is shifting focus to streaming as cable declines, with a flagship service launching next year. Led by Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, the company is reworking sports rights deals and reshaping its talent roster, bringing in high-profile figures like Pat McAfee…

DirecTV CFO Ray Carpenter stated the company will continue its carriage dispute with Disney, which has caused ABC and ESPN to go dark for DirecTV customers. Carpenter emphasized DirecTV's push for "skinny" bundles and competitive pricing, while accusing Disney of…