Since three media giants announced a new sports-focused streaming service last month, key details of the project have remained obscure. How much would it cost? Where would it be based? And who would run the new company?
Now some details are slowly coming into focus.
On Friday, the companies behind the service – Fox, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery – announced that the service would be led by Pete Distad, a former executive at Apple who was responsible for selling the tech giant’s streaming service Apple TV+. Mr. Distad, 50, will be responsible for strategy, sales, marketing and distribution of the new company once it is officially launched from Los Angeles.
By selecting Mr. Distad, an executive with a mix of technology and media experience, the companies behind the service signaled that the new service needs a leader who understands the old-fashioned economics of cable television and the prospects of the rapidly evolving streaming business . Before joining Apple, Mr. Distad helped found Hulu, the last major streaming joint venture.
In a statement, Mr. Distad said he looked forward to assembling “industry-leading sports content portfolios” from the three companies.
“This is an incredible opportunity to build and grow a differentiated product that serves passionate sports fans in the U.S. outside of the traditional pay-TV package,” said Mr. Distad.
During his time at Apple, Mr. Distad helped lead the tech giant’s expansion into live sports. During his tenure, Apple struck deals to stream Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball games, joining the growing list of tech companies like Amazon that are now offering their customers access to live sports.
In a statement, the companies behind the service called Mr. Distad “an accomplished innovator and market leader” with “extensive experience launching and growing new video services.”
“We are confident that he and his team will create a highly compelling, fan-focused product for our target market,” the companies said.
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2024-03-16 17:23:30
www.nytimes.com
