ESPN has named Disney exec James Pitaro as its new president

pulse

March 5, 2018 7:36 PM

ESPN has named the Disney executive James Pitaro as its new president. Pitaro had been the chairman of Disney consumer products and interactive media since 2016

ESPN has named Disney executive James Pitaro as its new president.
Pitaro had been the chairman of Disney consumer products and interactive media since 2016.

ESPN has named Disney executive James Pitaro as its new president, reporting directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger, the company announced Monday.

Pitaro had been a leading candidate for the job since John Skipper left the position in December (citing substance abuse issues), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Pitaro has also reportedly been a longtime favorite of Iger's, who previously wanted Pitaro to serve as Skipper's No. 2 at ESPN, according to Recode.

In a release, ESPN touted Pitaro's hiring as coming at "a time of great opportunity" for the company, as ESPN is prepping the launch of its new direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+.

With ESPN+, a $4.99 a month service that will combine live events with ESPN's library of programming, the company looks to regain footing among cord-cutting customers, while continuing to draw out more money from its

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