The Sports Center was ESPN flag display; her the first episode aired when the network launched in September 1979. Now Disney, which owns 80% of ESPN is taking the older offering and adding to it it for its sports news, recaps and analysis to capture the attention of a younger generation of broadcasters.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro declared on Wednesday that SportsCenter would become its first app next year.
The technology will be able to match content to each viewer's interests and “of course, help significantly” when it comes to personalizing the app, generating clips and narrating them, Pitaro said.
Jimmy Pitaro. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
ESPN is already using AI to broadcast investigative news. Pitaro said he hears these parts spoken to the AI during his journey.
The move is part of a wider strategy to adapt to changing viewing tastes. Over 40% of TV usage in June and a record high 41.4% in Julywas off the air, according to Nielsen reports. In contrast, cable and broadcast accounted for about 26% and 20% of total TV viewership in July, respectively.
Now that the legacy sports network is facing increased interest in broadcasting, ESPN is amplifying it through its social media presence.
“We need to build this company to be relevant to the next generation of sports fans,” ESPN president of content Burke Magnus. said Wednesday.
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ask became chairman of ESPN in February 2023 and it is now one of Disney's four executives in the race to replace CEO Bob Iger in 2026. ESPN brought 16 billion dollars in revenue for Disney in 2022.