ESPN president targets “must-have” sports betting offering
Jimmy Pitaro suggests sports broadcaster will make aggressive move into betting, echoing comments made by parent company Walt Disney Group
ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro has added fuel to rumors suggesting the sports broadcasting goliath will make a move into sports betting, suggesting it’s a “must-have” area of development.
Speaking as part of The Athletic’s Sports Media podcast, Pitaro highlighted ESPN’s existing sports betting-geared content but hinted he was keen to move onto the next phase of the “growth opportunity” with a deeper offering.
“We think we can potentially be doing more,” Pitaro said.
“We have done the research and it wasn’t too long ago where folks were really concerned about what us being more aggressive in this space would mean for our brands.”
Pitaro continued: “The research has come back and said it’s somewhat neutral in the Disney brand. It’s not going to help. It’s not going to hurt.
“On the ESPN brand, it’s not just OK, it’s important. It’s something we need to be doing. It’s something that our fans are expecting from us. So, it’s not a ‘nice to have,’ it’s pretty much at this point a must-have,” he concluded.
Pitaro’s comments mirror those of parent company Walt Disney Group CEO Bob Chapek in November, when he suggested the global media giant wanted to “aggressively pursue” sports betting through licensing the ESPN brand.
The comments signified a remarkable about-face by Disney, whose previous chairman and CEO Bob Iger in February 2019 refuted any suggestions the firm would “get into the business of gambling.”
ESPN has existing content-led deals with operators including Caesars Entertainment and DraftKings.
ESPN’s Monday Night Football coverage is fronted by NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, who have an existing sports betting media partnership with Caesars.
Disney has a 10-year rights agreement with the NFL and also recently signed a five-year deal with the league for the Monday night Wild Card game.
The broadcaster also has a seven-year rights deal with the NHL, with 75 of the league’s live national games being available exclusively on Disney streaming platforms ESPN+ and Hulu.
Despite voicing his support for a move into sports betting by ESPN, Pitaro would not be drawn on future plans, but suggested the broadcaster was taking its time over a potential move.
“We need to be serving the sports fan with what they’re expecting and taking the friction out of the process,” he said.
“In terms of what that means for us and what’s the next step, I can’t tell you.
“I will tell you that we have opportunities to partner with different folks and be a bit more aggressive in the space. But we’re just not there yet. We are being very thoughtful here. We have to get this right,” Pitaro concluded.