After reports surfaced earlier this week that ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro had no interest in succeeding Bob Iger as Disney’s CEO, he has spoken for himself.
Speaking to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Pitaro confirmed this week’s reporting, doubling down that ESPN is the place he wants to be.
“I’ve been pretty consistent on this,” Pitaro told The Athletic. “I’m passionate about sports. I’m in my dream job. This is the job that, as I said before, I never thought I could have. The fact that I have it right now, I wake up every single day and I say to myself, ‘I have to earn this.’ I’m surrounded by the best executives in the industry and the best employees in the industry.
“I love the brand. I love our road map. I love what we’re doing right now. And so that is what I’ve said publicly, and I will continue to say publicly. Some folks have interpreted those words in a certain way, and that’s their prerogative. But all I can say, as I sit here right now, I love my job.”
Two other Disney executives have emerged as front-runners for Iger’s chair, Disney’s Chairperson of Parks and Resorts Josh D’Amaro and Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment Dana Walden.
But for someone that has dedicated much of their life and career to sports, as Pitaro has, leaving ESPN to head its much more wide-ranging parent company might not be so attractive. And considering what happened to Iger’s first successor, Bob Chapek, these clearly won’t be easy shoes to fill.
Pitaro will have his hands full assuming he remains as ESPN chairman. He’ll be overseeing ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer launch this fall, negotiating a possible equity deal in NFL Media, and preparing ESPN for its first-ever Super Bowl Broadcast in two years.
That’s plenty to handle already. And now, Jimmy Pitaro won’t have to worry about theme parks and movie budgets too.
