BRISTOL, Connecticut – ESPN, best known for its extensive portfolio of national sports rights, sees its opportunity to get into the business of making games accessible to fans on a local level.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, speaking to reporters at the Disney sports giant’s headquarters here on Wednesday, said the company has suggested to sports leagues and executives that it could help distribute games in certain markets through its streaming offerings – including a new ESPN-only streaming product expected to launch around this time in 2025.
“We want to be part of the solution,” Pitaro said, referring to the tight economic situation for local sports media as regional sports channels are being spun off from traditional media conglomerates and sold to new upstarts. Diamond Sports, one of these new companies, has been mired in litigation and disputes with various sports leagues for months.
ESPB’s Pitaro said the company could “geotarget” subscribers to its streaming services and make games available to people in specific markets. And he said the company likely won’t seek exclusive local rights, but simply offer its platforms as a means to increase viewership and reach.
“We believe reach is a valuable asset for the leagues,” he said.
The executive said ESPN is open to agreements with individual sports teams as well as broader pacts with leagues involving multiple teams. He said, for example, he would be happy to discuss the prospect with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Deputy Commissioner for Business and Media Noah Garden.
