ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was honored in a ceremony last night in New York City by the Center for Communication, a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate and inspire the next generation of media professionals. Pitaro was on hand to accept the Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication, which recognized his achievements in media and demonstrated the changing state of the industry.
The gathering was emceed by First Take commentator Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim, who recognized the outstanding ongoing career of the chairman.
Pitaro has been an innovator throughout his time with ESPN, helping catalyze media rights agreements with various professional sports leagues, new programming, and cutting-edge technologies. The Worldwide Leader has transformed the way it produces and disseminates content over the last several years and looks to remain a beacon for other companies to follow in the years to come.
“Jimmy is a forward-thinking leader and is always focused on innovation, which has kept ESPN at the top of its game,” David J. Barrett, Center for Communication chairman emeritus, said in a statement. “He is also deeply committed to creating an ESPN where everyone feels they belong, making diversity, equity, and inclusion a core business priority. We are thrilled to honor Jimmy for his success and his shared passion for opening doors for the next generation of media leaders.”
The Center for Communication appointed Shane Peros, managing director of global partnerships for broadcast, entertainment and telecommunication at Google, as its new chair. Additionally, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Google Vice President Sean Downey, and Endeavor President Mark Shapiro are among the list of co-chairs. The Walt Disney Company’s president for advertising sales, Rita Ferro, served as co-chair of the Stanton Award event, in addition to Barrett, who assumes the role of chairman emeritus.
“The Center for Communication plays an important role in creating the future of our industry,” Jimmy Pitaro said. “I am proud to represent the people of ESPN in receiving this recognition.”
