Los Angeles, California – Venu Sports, the highly anticipated sports streaming collaboration between Disney’s ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, introduced its full management team on Tuesday. Pete Distad, a former executive at Apple and Hulu, was previously named as the CEO of this joint venture.
The team comprises seasoned professionals from various industries such as entertainment, media, technology, sports, and sports betting. Brian Borkowski, who comes from FanDuel, will serve as the chief marketing officer. Jessica Casano-Antonellis, previously directing communications at Sirius XM, will take on the role of senior vice president and head of communications. Tim Connolly joins as the chief business officer, bringing experience from leading subscriber growth efforts for Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass at Apple.
Distad expressed excitement about curating a management team that will shape the culture, innovation, and growth of Venu Sports. He emphasized the importance of bringing on individuals with diverse backgrounds and entrepreneurial spirits, aiming to build a team of experts in their respective fields.
The streaming service was initially announced in February, scheduled for a fall debut. Venu Sports is positioned to address the increasing demands for media companies to expand their platforms and achieve profitability. By combining the sports network offerings of Disney’s ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, the service will cover approximately 55% of sports rights in the United States.
Consumers can anticipate direct access to the service through a new app, with options to bundle subscriptions with Disney+, Hulu, or Max. This strategic move aligns with the evolving landscape of media consumption, responding to the growing trend of personalized and bundled streaming services in the market.