How big of a priority was overhauling the Monday Night Football booth for ESPN? So big that the boss handled it himself. According to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, negotiations between ESPN and Troy Aikman were led by none other than ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
According to Deitsch’s sources, negotiations were kept relatively quiet. Pitaro wanted to “keep the circle small” in order to avoid complications. This resulted in many ESPN staffers finding out that a deal was done with Troy Aikman when they read about it in the New York Post.
Jimmy Pitaro saw someone he thought could improve his product. Disney executives trusted him to step in, eliminate distractions and get a deal done. Could that be a window into how ESPN gets big money deals done in the future?
We will know for sure as rights deals come up for renewal. The first one on the table is the Big Ten, which will draw plenty of competition for ESPN and FOX. Deitsch points out that the NBA will soon be looking to negotiate its next deal too. How much would Pitaro be willing to shell out to keep what ESPN currently has if a third rights package comes on the table?
