Disney Using AI to Grow Its $16 Billion ESPN Business

SportsCenter was ESPN’s flagship show; its first episode aired when the network launched in September 1979. Now Disney, which owns 80% of ESPN, is taking its oldest offering and adding AI to its sports news, recaps, and analyses to catch the attention of a younger streaming generation.

ESPN chairperson Jimmy Pitaro stated Wednesday that SportsCenter would become its own app for the first time next year.

The tech will be able to match content to the interests of each viewer and “obviously, help significantly,” when it comes to personalizing the app, generating clips, and narrating them, Pitaro said.

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^{Jimmy Pitaro. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images}

ESPN is already using AI to narrate investigative news. Pitaro said he listens to these AI-spoken pieces on his commute.

The move is part of a broader strategy to adapt to changing viewership tastes. Over 40% of television usage in June and a record-high 41.4% in July, was from streaming, according to Nielsen reports. In contrast, cable and broadcast accounted for around 26% and 20% of total TV viewership, respectively, in July.

Now that the legacy sports network is faced with growing interest in streaming, ESPN is amplifying it through its social media presence.

“We need to set up this company to be relevant for the next generation of sports fans,” ESPN’s content president Burke Magnus said on Wednesday.

Related: Is ESPN Cutting Its Own Cord?

Pitaro became ESPN chairman in February 2023 and is now one of four Disney executives in the running to replace CEO Bob Iger in 2026. ESPN brought in $16 billion in revenue for Disney in 2022.