Jimmy Pitaro Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

ESPN today pushed its chips into the center of the sports gambling table.

Aaron LaBerge, who helped oversee Disney‘s expansion into streaming during two stints totaling 20 years, is exiting the company.

South Carolina defeated Iowa in front of a record-breaking national audience on Sunday.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A day after Disney declared victory over activist investor Nelson Peltz, CEO Bob Iger said the board is proceeding with “urgency” in trying to identify the next chief executive with the “distraction” of the proxy fight over. “This was decisive in terms of how shareholders voted,” Iger said in an appearance Thursday morning on CNBC from Disney’s Burbank, Calif., headquarters, about the results of the April 3 meeting. Succession “is the board’s No.

Caroline Brew editor Chris Mortensen, an award-winning journalist who reported on the NFL for ESPN for decades, died Sunday. He was 72. Mortensen’s family confirmed the news to ESPN.

ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen has died.

Chris Mortensen, an award-winning veteran reporter for ESPN, died Sunday morning, the network announced. He was 72 and no cause was given, but he had been battling cancer during his life.

Pat McAfee is standing firm on his claims that an ESPN executive was “trying to sabotage” his show.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor ESPN and the NCAA reached a new, eight-year sports rights agreement worth about $920 million over the term of the deal — more than four times the previous pact with the Disney-owned sports giant. The new media-rights deal commences Sept.

Meredith Woerner Deputy Editor, Variety.com The XFL and USFL have unveiled key details of the merged football franchise that will debut next March. The two formerly competing leagues officially confirmed their new name and logo as the United Football League on Sunday. Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, who resurrected the XFL back in 2020, revealed the plans on Fox’s NFL pregame show.

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia on Sunday unveiled plans for the United Football League, the new spring pro football league born from the merger of the XFL and USFL.

A year into the run of Bob Iger 2: Return of the CEO, the Walt Disney Co. has not yet rediscovered its mojo.

Disney CEO Bob Iger’s bombshell July comments that the linear TV business “may not be core” to the company brought a lot of anxiety for those working at any of the Disney’s linear networks.

With the ink still drying on a closely tracked carriage renewal with Charter, Disney execs Dana Walden and Jimmy Pitaro told Deadline in an interview that the agreement’s details suit the current streaming/linear hybrid environment.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer, two former high-ranking Disney execs, are working for the Mouse House again — in a consulting capacity. The duo, who are the co-CEOs of media-rollup play Candle Media, have been retained by Disney to help analyze and develop strategic options for ESPN, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement. Staggs, formerly Disney’s chief operating officer, and Mayer, previously chairman of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International and briefly CEO of TikTok, will work with Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, on developing a plan for what Disney will do with ESPN going forward.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Here’s an example of just how chaotic things are in Hollywood these days: Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recent remarks that the company’s linear TV assets “may not be core” to its business were buried under the lede of his comments that SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are not being “realistic” in their contract negotiations last week. But now that a small bit of the initial dual strike dust has settled, sources inside and outside of Disney are asking what reaction Iger was looking to provoke by announcing Disney’s intention to “open-minded and objective about the future of those businesses,” which include broadcast network ABC as well as cablers FX, Disney Channel, Nat Geo and Freeform, among others. (Not ESPN, which is run by Jimmy Pitaro under a separate segment of Disney’s business from its other TV and streaming assets.)

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Disney reached its 7,000 layoffs goal, handing out notices to the remaining employees impacted in its third round of job cuts last Friday ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, Variety has confirmed. The Mouse House’s target was to conclude these companywide layoffs, which focused most heavily on the media divisions and left the parks largely untouched, ahead of the summer. The company still has plans to eliminate more roles internationally over a period of time, according to a source close to the situation, but Disney has now concluded the benchmark it set in February, soon after Iger’s return as CEO upon the ousting of Bob Chapek.

Rita Ferro, Disney’s ad sales and partnerships chief, urged media buyers at the company’s New York upfront Tuesday to “lean into all aspects of diversity” with their marketing commitments.

https://t.co/qaWi807zBR“My final statement as ESPN Spokesperson: “43 Amazing Years. Wow.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Rob King, a senior executive at Walt Disney’s ESPN who had oversight of much of the company’s sports journalism, has abruptly left the Disney-backed sports-media giant. “After nearly 20 years with ESPN, I have decided the time is right for me to leave the company,: King said on Twitter on Tuesday “I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, and wish the company continued success.” The New York Post reported Tuesday that King departed after complaints were made to ESPN about harassing social-media posts. An ESPN spokesperson said the company would not comment on personnel matters.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor ESPN is getting in on the biggest game at corporate parent Disney: shuffling top executive ranks in the wake of the return of CEO Bob Iger. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro handed oversight of content and newsgathering to Burke Magnus, a veteran executive who has helped the sports-media giant strike sports-rights deals with most of the major sports leagues as well as set in motion new content initiatives. Magnus has been named president of content, according to a new memo from Pitaro reviewed by Variety, and will supervise studio shows, live events, newsgathering, investigative journalism, original content/ESPN Films, talent, audio, digital, and social media. Meanwhile, Rosalyn Durant, a Disney veteran who has been overseeing Disney facilities in its parks division, will return to ESPN as executive vice president of programming and acquisitions, the ESPN position that negotiates for the rights that keep a significant chunk of live sports on Disney’s media portfolio.

The Walt Disney Company announced details Thursday of its strategic restructuring, which will, according to an official release, “refocus the organization on creativity, empower creative leaders and ensure they are accountable for all aspects of their businesses globally, and put the company’s streaming business on a path to sustained growth and profitability.” This offers some clarification and insight into the expanded roles of top executives Alan Bergman, Dana Walden and Jimmy Pitaro, first announced during the February 2023 earnings call with CEO Bob Iger on Wednesday. Thursday’s announcement states that, effective immediately, the company will be organized into (and around) three business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (aka DPEP, which was created by Iger in 2018).

Disney Entertainment, the new division run by Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, will oversee the company’s main streaming services including Disney+ as details of the company strategic restructuring emerge.

Kareem Daniel is exiting Disney as head of its Media and Entertainment Distribution division, one day after the ouster of CEO Bob Chapek.

Bloomberg report that they are nearing a deal for online betting with ESPN.According to Bloomberg, the deal could be worth as much $3 billion. In September, Disney CEO Bob Chapek told Bloomberg, “Sports betting is a part of what our younger, say, under-35, sports audience is telling us they want as part of their sports lifestyle.”Disney, which owns ESPN, acquired a stake in DraftKings as part of its acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorYour ESPN cable network isn’t going anywhere, even if its audience is.The top executive overseeing the Disney-backed sports giant said Thursday that ESPN’s flagship cable network was likely to remain intact, even as more of its audience gravitates to streaming video and direct-to-consumer outlets. There has been a rising tide of speculation that Disney could work to monetize the millions of dollars it pays in sports-broadcast rights by making more of its sports content available via streaming properties like ESPN+ or Hulu, both of which are showing more games and matches.But Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and Disney’s sports-content operations, said he believed the cable network remained a valuable property.

Carson Burton Some of the top names on America’s sports landscape are ready to share their insights at the Variety Sports and Entertainment Breakfast presented by City National Bank, set for July 21 at the Maybourne in Beverly Hills. From groundbreaking athletes to top industry heads, the morning looks to paint a vivid picture of today’s sports and entertainment scene.Opening remarks from Variety chief marketing officer Dea Lawrence and Richard A. Raffetto, president of City National Bank, will kick off the morning of conversations.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterVariety’s Sports & Entertainment presented by City National Bank returns in-person with a breakfast July 21 in Los Angeles, featuring conversations with Allyson Felix, Olympic track and field champion and founder of Saysh; Chloe Kim, Olympic champion snowboarder; Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN and sports content for The Walt Disney Company; Fara Leff, chief operating officer of Klutch Sports; and Jamal Henderson, chief content officer for The SpringHill Company.The breakfast will feature conversations focusing on the intersecting sports and entertainment industries, including discussions with athletes or executives who have expanded individual brands across film, TV and media.Elizabeth Wagmeister, senior correspondent and co-Host of Variety’s The Take, will interview Kim and her long-time agent, Lowell Taub, about balancing her snowboarding competitions with her expanding interests in entertainment and media. Felix, the most decorated track-and-field U.S.

XFL, the football league founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners has made an exclusive global multi-year agreement with the Walt Disney Company and ESPN.The deal, which was announced Tuesday by Johnson and Garcia onstage at Disney’s Upfronts presentation, which included all of its brands, will mean that every regular-season and playoff game from the XFL will be presented on an ESPN/TWDC platform. XFL will return Saturday, Feb.

On the first day of the new league year, one of the NFL's top broadcasting teams is moving from Fox to ESPN.ESPN announced on Wednesday a move that has been in the works for nearly a month — Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be broadcasting “Monday Night Football.”Buck and Aikman have been doing games together since 2002, when they became Fox's top crew. They will tie Pat Summerall and John Madden's record for the longest NFL booth pairing this year at 21 seasons.“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro in a statement.“The NFL continues to ascend, and we now have more games than ever before, providing additional opportunities for Joe, Troy and our deep roster of commentators.”Pitaro finally has an all-star booth for the longtime primetime franchise.

ESPN confirmed Wednesday that it has signed longtime Fox broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to multi-year deals, securing their roles as the new voices of the network’s Monday Night Football. The deal takes effect with the upcoming season, which will mark the pair’s 21st season in the booth together — the first 20 years at Fox.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorESPN spent last year building up Peyton and Eli Manning as the curators of a loose, bar-talk like show meant as an alternative to its traditional “Monday Night Football.” Now the Disney-backed sports giant is focusing on the main event.ESPN has signed the two main figures behind Fox Sports’ football presentations, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck, in a bid to strengthen the main “MNF” booth. The deal, which has been anticipated for several days, will put one of sports’ most-watched game-day figures at the helm of ESPN’s signature offering.“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN and sports content for Disney, in a statement.  “The NFL continues to ascend, and we now have more games than ever before, providing additional opportunities for Joe, Troy and our deep roster of commentators.” Signing the pair, who have worked together for two decades and called  called six Super Bowls — only the legendary team of Pat Summerall and John Madden has called more — illustrates the new pressures facing some of the most traditional broadcasters of sports.

Addie Morfoot ContributorIn conjunction with International Women’s Day, ESPN has revealed details about its month-long “Fifty/50” initiative celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June.ESPN is programming a series of short and long-form documentaries directed and produced by women to commemorate the landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal funding and gives women the equal opportunity to play.“This is an important milestone for Title IX and we wanted to find creative ways to celebrate it across ESPN and the Walt Disney Company,” says Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content.Debra OConnell, president of Networks for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, called Fifty/50 a significant initiative for the company and its affiliates, adding, “the breadth of content is a reflection of the progress that has occurred over the last 50 years and how much more is still to be done.” In addition to a previously announced four-part docuseries from Dawn Porter (“John Lewis: Good Trouble”) and Nicole Newnham (“Crip Camp”) titled “37 Words,” ESPN revealed that the network will kick off Title IX 50th anniversary programming on June 1 with “Fifty/50 Shorts.” The series will consist of five stand-alone short nonfiction docus that examine stories of women in sports and battle for equality.”All five docs in the series were helmed and executive produced by women. The creators include directors Allison Glock (executive producer “Fifty/50”) and Kate T.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Wednesday that ESPN has extended its contract with Peyton Manning and his Omaha Productions that means ESPN2’s alt-Monday Night Football show Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli will continue through 2024.

NEW YORK -- ESPN has signed a five-year agreement with the NFL to broadcast the Monday night game during the first weekend of the playoffs, beginning this season.The announcement was made by ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro at the CAA World Congress of Sport. The NFL announced last month that it was moving the Saturday early afternoon game on wild-card weekend to Monday night.There will be two games on Saturday (4:35 p.m.

The NFL has set another multiplatform deal for this season’s wild card playoff games.