Walt Disney Co. on Monday said the company has tapped James Pitaro as the next president of ESPN. Pitaro takes over after former head of ESPN Jonh Skipper left in December to deal with substance addiction. Pitaro, formerly the chairman of Disney consumer products and interactive media, will also serve as co-chair of Disney media networks. Before coming to Disney, Pitaro was the head of media at Yahoo, leading the charge for Yahoo’s sports and music properties. Pitaro’s appointment comes as ESPN prepares to launch a standalone streaming service to combat the blows it’s taken from cord-cutting in the shifting media landscape. Disney shares are down more than 7% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 index is up nearly 14%.
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