Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro says strengthening the ties between ESPN and other parts of the company deepens engagement.
As Disney looks to make Disney+ the hub for its direct-to-consumer business, the company will add more sports programming to the platform.
That was the word from Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston Wednesday in the company’s quarterly earnings call. D’Amaro noted that ESPN had its most watched fiscal Q3 in a decade, thanks to big increases for the NBA Finals and the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final.
“As we evolve D+ we’ll continue to bring select premium sports events to the platform,” D’Amaro said on a call with investment analysts. “Live sports aren’t just a viewership play, they’re a fan engagement and ecosystem play. When a sports fan engages with ESPN, Disney+ or our parks, their lifetime value [to Disney] increases.”
The uptick in sports content on Disney+ will begin in the fall, with an increase in simulcasts of college football games from recent years. The streamer will continue to simulcast ESPN’s College Gameday pregame show.
