Dana White credits John Skipper’s cocaine scandal for UFC’s $1.5 billion ESPN deal, though reality was more nuanced
"So you want to talk about timing."
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ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro says they’re still in talks with Big Ten: “We are very much in it right now.”
"We enter these discussions understanding that we can’t get everything and that we’re going to proceed with both discipline and thoughtfulness. So I can’t tell you how this is going to play out. We are very much in it right now."
Stephen A. Smith tells Dan Le Batard he understands ESPN’s “stick to sports” mandate
"I’m looking at the big picture...Let’s not blow it because we want to express ourselves."
Adam Schefter on staying at ESPN: “In the end, I felt more comfortable”
He may have left money on the table, but Adam Schefter seems content with the decision for different reasons.
Jimmy Pitaro calls ESPN+ “the centerpiece” and “the jewel,” says “We’re going to keep acquiring more rights for ESPN+”
"ESPN+ is the centerpiece. It is the jewel. ...That exclusivity really helps drive audience. As we move forward we are going to keep acquiring more rights for ESPN+."
Disney refutes report on a potential ESPN spinoff, stock surges anyway
That stock bump today might be a tough data point to ignore now, though.
ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro: ‘We’ve oftentimes struggled’ with talent points of view
Like many other media companies, we've oftentimes struggled but I do believe that we've put the right people on these assignments."
ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro’s memo raises more questions about the Rachel Nichols/Maria Taylor NBA Countdown timeline
"We respect and acknowledge there are a variety of feelings about what happened and the actions we took. The details of what took place last year are confidential, nuanced and complicated personnel matters."
Has ESPN transformed for better or for worse under Jimmy Pitaro?
ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro says there’s no NFL Sunday Ticket deal yet, but they’ve had “exploratory conversations” on it
"When the league is ready, we're interested in having that conversation with them."
ESPN Black employees talk to New York Times about network’s lack of diversity behind the scenes
A recent incident involving broadcaster Dave Lamont highlighted tensions at the network.
With Kevin Mayer leaving Disney for TikTok, ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro has added direct reports and seems in a stronger position
Rita Ferro and Justin Connolly previously reported to Mayer; they'll now report to Pitaro and Peter Rice.
ESPN shift sees The Undefeated EIC Kevin Merida now reporting directly to Jimmy Pitaro, with that site’s coverage expanding
Four years after its launch, The Undefeated is set for a further expansion, and EIC and senior vice president Kevin Merida will now report directly to ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro.
