Yahoo has named Ryan Spoon as the new president of Yahoo Sports and is slated to report directly to company CEO Jim Lanzone. As part of his new role, Spoon will be critical to assisting the No. 2 ranked internet sports brand grow amid a crowded media content ecosystem.
Before joining Yahoo Sports, Spoon was the chief operating officer at Sorare, a company making strides in non-fungible token-based fantasy sports. He also worked as the chief operating officer of BetMGM, which, at the time, was the second-largest sportsbook and iGaming operator in its active marketplaces. Before joining these newer endeavors in sports media, Spoon was the senior vice president of digital and social at ESPN, a pivotal part of positioning the brand to innovate and grow in the digital space.
“Yahoo Sports has been a trusted voice and guide for hundreds of millions of fans through the years who come to us daily for context, content and community,” Lanzone said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan, a true product leader across all aspects of the digital sports experience, and whose expertise in building social sports communities and scaling engagement is perfect for leading Yahoo Sports into the future. That future truly just got more exciting with Ryan’s arrival and I cannot wait to see what we can do together.”
Spoon expressed his excitement to join the team at Yahoo Sports in a Twitter post, but also issued a statement as part of the company’s formal announcement.
“I look forward to joining Yahoo at such an exciting time of growth and expansion,” Spoon said. “Yahoo Sports has been a consistent and important mainstay in the lives of millions of sports fans for over 20 years. With its first-class fantasy and product experiences, Yahoo Sports has shaped the way millions of fans engage with each other and their favorite teams. I look forward to creating new growth opportunities that take our product and content offerings to the next level.”
Now under Spoon’s leadership, Yahoo Sports will aim to enhance its content while adapting to changes in the sports media landscape related to live games, fantasy sports and betting. The outlet produces and disseminates a variety of podcasts related to professional sports and other aspects of the industry and serves as a trusted source of information for fans looking for the latest news and information about their favorite teams.
