Streamed live and recorded, April 30, 2024, via Verso Studios at The Westport Library

Sports media visionary and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was honored by Startup Westport with its inaugural Innovator of the Year Award.

ESPN sports personality and Westport resident Mike Greenberg, host of the daily morning show Get Up, the NFL Draft, and his own ESPN radio program, interviewed Pitaro about his accomplishments during the awards ceremony.

Pitaro serves as the chairman of ESPN, a core business segment of The Walt Disney Company. His tenure at the worldwide leader in sports has been characterized by strategic advancements, innovative agreements, notable growth in ESPN’s digital and social presence, and a focus on audience expansion, solidifying his position as a visionary leader in the sports media landscape.

Pitaro, who has a BS in economics from Cornell University and a JD from St. John's University School of Law, has piloted ESPN to creative rights agreements with major entities like the NFL and UFC, expanded Disney's sports assets, achieved ratings success with shows like SportsCenter and ESPN's signature programs, and spearheaded the launch and growth of ESPN+, a multisport directtoconsumer video service. He also is credited with identifying key business priorities — including innovation, storytelling, audience expansion, and directtoconsumer strategies — and implementing a collaborative leadership style that resulted in impressive employee engagement and performance during challenging times.

In addition, Pitaro actively serves on various industry and charitable boards, showcasing his commitment to community engagement and industry development.

For his efforts, Pitaro was recognized by Sports Business Journal with inclusion in its prestigious “Forty Under 40” list for his dynamic leadership in sports and as its Sports Executive of the Year for 201920. He was also honored as the Multichannel News Sports Executive of the Year in 2018.

#JimmyPitaro #ESPN #MikeGreenberg

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Recorded April 30, 2024, via Verso Studios at The Westport Library.

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