Since Disney purchased ABC in the 90s, the company has mostly let the network focus on entertainment and news. Major sporting events were on network television, but for the most part, ESPN was used as the sports brand.
That model has changed in recent years and according to Variety, there is no end in site. Not only will ESPN continue utilizing ABC in MegaCast events like Monday Night Football and the NFL Draft, but Disney will also be using other networks and digital platforms to carry sports in the future.
Next month, Sunday Night Baseball, an ESPN staple, will air on ABC for the first time. It was also previously announced that ABC will carry some Wimbledon matches as part of the recent rights extension Disney and ESPN signed for the event.
Disney’s new NHL deal will also spread beyond ESPN. In addition to the games carried on cable, plenty of hockey games will be carried digitally. That doesn’t just mean ESPN+. Hulu will carry several games each season as part of the deal.
ESPN enters the Super Bowl rotation in 2026. Jimmy Pitaro told Variety that he hopes to be able to use the MegaCast model for the game. That would mean utilizing a number of non-ESPN platforms in the company’s presentation of the game.
“We had 14 different broadcasts for this past season’s college football championship game, and so I don’t know if we’d offer that number, but several of those broadcasts would be contemplated for the Super Bowl,” he said.
Disney already utilizes ABC for college football coverage. Could a network like DisneyXD or Freeform enter the mix as a way to create sports broadcasts for younger audiences? Would Disney+ ever stream some ESPN branded content?
The company has become Hollywood’s premier studio. There are no shortage of ways for Pitaro and other Disney executives to get more bang for their sports buck.
