ESPN is stepping onto a new playing field this week with the launch of its long-anticipated direct-to-consumer platform, and Chairman Jimmy Pitaro is making it clear this debut is just the beginning. In speaking with Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the ESPN Chairman says that following the launch of the network’s direct-to-consumer product Thursday there will be added elements along the way.
“It is the first inning,” Pitaro said to The Athletic. “I’ve been very clear, internally and externally, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to launch with significant enhancements, but not all the enhancements that we have on the roadmap. There is going to be a steady drumbeat of improvements weekly, monthly, annually.”
The platform arrives at a time when cord-cutting continues to accelerate and viewers demand more flexibility in how they consume live sports. For ESPN, Pitaro said, the shift was inevitable but the DTC product was not meant to be a replacement but an add-on.
“We thought it was the right thing to do for the sports fan because the trends were not slowing down,” he told The Athletic. “If anything, they were accelerating.”
Although the company has long been preparing for this moment eight years ago, Pitaro pointed to 2023 as the turning point when he and Disney CEO Bob Iger agreed it was time to push forward.
“It was probably 2023 where we really decided we were going to do this soon,” Pitaro said.
Still, he emphasized the strategy behind ESPN’s rollout is deliberate. Instead of racing to replicate the traditional cable experience immediately, executives embraced what Pitaro called a “crawl, walk, run” philosophy. The intention is to build momentum, gather feedback, and continually refine the service as new features roll out.
That steady pace, according to Pitaro, will be supported by ESPN’s unmatched collection of sports rights. From the NFL and NBA to college football and international soccer, the network continues to hold some of the most valuable properties in the industry.
“I think it is fair to say that we have the deepest and best rights portfolio that we have ever had at ESPN, and I believe it is the best in the industry,” Pitaro said.
For ESPN, the challenge is not just retaining its dominance on traditional television but also translating that strength into the digital era. The direct-to-consumer product is designed to serve both longtime fans and younger audiences who may never have subscribed to cable.
As the service officially gets underway, Pitaro’s message is clear: this launch marks a starting point, not a finish line. The coming weeks and months will bring new features and adjustments, but the larger vision remains focused on ensuring ESPN continues to be the premier destination for sports, regardless of how fans choose to watch.
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