ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro recently shared his reflections on the accomplishments of the sports operation in the first half of 2024. Pitaro highlighted the success of Venu Sports, a joint streaming venture with Fox Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as key rights extensions, talent signings, and record-breaking ratings for telecasts of the NFL, Formula 1, WNBA, and women’s college basketball.
In his public memo, Pitaro expressed pride in the team’s performance in the first six months of the year. He emphasized the effectiveness of ESPN’s strategy and highlighted initiatives like Venu Sports, ESPN BET’s first retail sportsbook, and collaborations with Disney, such as NHL Big City Greens Classic 2.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Pitaro mentioned upcoming coverage of Wimbledon, the WNBA Finals, the U.S. Open, college and NFL football, and the debut of the documentary In the Arena: Serena Williams. He also noted the launch of Venu Sports later this year.
Pitaro has been leading ESPN as president since 2018 and has navigated the division through significant changes in the industry. As one of the internal candidates to replace Disney CEO Bob Iger, Pitaro has focused on streaming initiatives and strategies to engage younger viewers, such as signing YouTube host Pat McAfee and introducing ESPN Bet.