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SportsCenter was ESPN's flagship show, airing its first episode when the network launched in September 1979. Now Disney, which owns 80% of ESPN, is tapping into its oldest offering and adding AI to its sports news, recaps and analysis to capture the attention of a younger streaming generation.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said Wednesday that SportsCenter will become its own app for the first time next year.
The technology can be used to adapt content to the interests of each viewer and “of course be a significant help” in personalizing the app as well as generating and commenting on clips, Pitaro said.
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Jimmy Pitaro. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
ESPN already uses AI to tell investigative news stories. Pitaro said he listens to these AI-narrated stories on his commute to work.
The move is part of a broader strategy to adapt to changing viewer tastes. According to Nielsen reports, over 40% of TV viewing in June and a record 41.4% in July came from streaming. In contrast, cable and broadcast accounted for around 26% and 20% of total TV viewership, respectively, in July.
Given the traditional sports broadcaster's growing interest in streaming, ESPN is now bolstering this with its social media presence.
“We need to position this company to be relevant to the next generation of sports fans,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, said Wednesday.
Related: Is ESPN cutting its own cable TV?
Pitaro became chairman of ESPN in February 2023 and is now one of four Disney executives in the running to succeed CEO Bob Iger in 2026. ESPN generated $16 billion in revenue for Disney in 2022.
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