Latest in ESPN

After waving their sports flags proudly last week at their upfronts pitches to ad buyers, Disney and Warner Bros Discovery are confronting a head-scratching situation with the NBA and NHL playoffs. The conference finals in both basketball and hockey — broadcast by WBD’s TNT and Disney’s ESPN and ABC…

Endeavor President and COO Mark Shapiro said the ultimate resolution of the WGA strike will improve the fortunes of the company’s representation business. “This is a growth opportunity for us,” Shapiro said during an appearance at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Communication Conference. “When…

Walt Disney CFO Christine McCarthy nudged investors to discard a few narratives that emerged from the latest earnings: that Disney parks growth may be unsustainable and that the company is shedding subscribers and slashing streaming content. "We like to think of ourselves as a company of winners. We…

ESPN is giving tennis great Serena Williams the episodic documentary treatment with In the Arena, a series co-produced with Religion of Sports, 199 Productions and Williams and Caroline Currier’s Nine Two Six Productions. The project led off Disney’s upfront presentation to ad buyers in New York…

Pat McAfee, the sports broadcaster who regularly breaks news with his pal Aaron Rodgers, has signed a deal with ESPN. The agreement, unveiled by the gonzo former NFL star at the Disney upfront, was unveiled by McAfee will see The Pat McAfee Show head to the Disney-owned network. Related…

ESPN cut ties with MLB reporter Marly Rivera after a heated exchange with fellow reporter Ivón Gaete. According to USA Today, the sports network said in a statement that Rivera “no longer works here.” Rivera’s social media accounts have been disabled and her bio on the ESPN website is not…

Disney’s widespread layoffs are not going quite as deep at ESPN as in other parts of the empire, but the roster of those departing does include at least one high-ranking exec: Russell Wolff, GM of ESPN+. The EVP’s exit was reported by multiple media outlets and then confirmed to Deadline by a person…

It was originally described as the “big one,” or even more pointedly, a straight-up “bloodbath.” Either way, the lion’s share of layoffs at Disney are expected to begin Monday. From April 24-27, there will be Mouse House employees in film and TV losing their jobs every single day (except Friday), we…

EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Nichols is looking to provide some “quiet time” for both basketball stars and viewers with her new Showtime series, Headliners. The host known for her past stints at ESPN and Turner is channeling her basketball knowledge and Rolodex for the new series. On Thursday’s premiere, she…

Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Basketball championship matchup between Iowa and LSU was historic in more ways than one. Not only did LSU’s 102-85 victory secure its first national basketball title in school history, but the game also drew the largest audience on record for a women’s college basketball…

Bill Walton feels things more intensely than just about any human being on the planet. The former basketball star – a legend in college and the pros – communes with nature at almost a cellular level, taking in the beauty of his beloved Oregon, for instance, with rapt pleasure. He can tell you perhaps…

ESPN, which is now one of three corporate divisions of Disney, has reorganized its executive ranks accordingly, elevating content chief Burke Magnus and welcoming back Rosalyn Durant to a key role after a stint in the parks unit. Jimmy Pitaro, who was elevated to chairman last month amid a larger…