2023 

• ESPN, the world’s leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.  
• Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN has approximately 3,800 employees (4,600 worldwide).  ESPN Plaza includes more than 1.3 million square feet in 19 buildings on 120 acres (additional 200,000+ sq. ft. rented in two locations nearby).   
• ESPN launched on September 7, 1979, and is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  Hearst holds a 20 percent interest.  ESPN was originally conceived in 1978 and office space was rented in Plainville, Conn., before the Bristol property was purchased and developed.   
• ESPN’s 2022 in review. 
• Jimmy Pitaro was named ESPN’s eighth president in March 2018 and named Chairman, ESPN in February 2023. 

PRIMARY BUSINESS ENTITIES
U.S. Networks	Eight cable networks and ESPN on ABC.
Direct to Consumer	ESPN+: launched April 2018 in collaboration with DTCI, with thousands of live events, original programs and on-demand content
Audio	ESPN Radio Network, podcasts and ESPN Deportes Radio.  Sports talk and event programming.
Digital	ESPN.com; ESPN App; ESPN3; ESPN Fantasy Sports; espnW.com; ESPNDeportes.com; Andscape.com; market-, college- and sport-specific sites; and more
Overseas	Through its affiliated networks and businesses across media, ESPN reaches sports fans on all seven continents, including via 44 networks reaching 71 countries.
Event Management	ESPYS, college bowls & basketball events

 

U.S. Television 

• ESPN on ABC (Broadcast) 
• Eight Domestic Cable Networks: ESPN (launched in 1979, ESPN HD launched in 2003); ESPN2 (1993, ESPN2 HD launched in 2005); ESPNEWS (1996, ESPNEWS HD in 2008); ESPNU (2005, ESPNU HD in 2008); Spanish-language ESPN Deportes (2004, ESPN Deportes HD in 2011), the regionally focused Longhorn Network (2011), SEC Network (August 2014) and the ACC Network (August 2019). 

 Key U.S. Programming  

• SportsCenter — Debuting on ESPN’s launch day (September 7, 1979), ESPN’s first and flagship show defines the sports news genre.  It offers breaking news, highlights, features and in-depth analysis from award-winning journalists.  
• NFL’s Monday Night Football; MLB; NBA (The Finals on ABC); NHL (Stanley Cup Finals on ABC); college football including the College Football Playoff; men’s and women’s college basketball, including the women’s NCAA Tournament; tennis’ Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, all start to finish; The Masters; WNBA; Little League World Series; and more. 
• Daily and weekly sport-specific studio shows for NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. 
• Critically acclaimed and award-winning documentaries and original programming including the “30 for 30” films. 

ESPN Plaza & Other Production Facilities 

• ESPN Headquarters in Bristol, Conn., is home to one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced TV production facilities.  Digital Center-1 (2004) and Digital Center-2 (2014) total more than 400,000 square feet.  They serve as home for SportsCenter, NFL programming and more. Overall, ESPN Plaza is home to 19 buildings on 120 acres and 1.3 million square feet of office/production space. 
• ESPN’s Los Angeles Production Center (LAPC) went online in 2009 in the LA LIVE entertainment/retail complex.  The 129,000-square foot facility has four studios and produces programming for ESPN’s U.S. networks, including SportsCenter, NBA Today, NBA Countdown, In the Creas, ESPN FC and ESPN Deportes’ Ahora O Nunca. 
• In April 2018, a new facility at New York’s South Street Seaport overlooking the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge went online.  With two studios (connected to control rooms at other locations), it is home to Get Up, First Take and more (TV, radio, podcasts).  The 21,000-square-foot space is supplemented by a separate studio for NFL (2020) and a huge rooftop platform that can accommodate a public audience. 
• In 1999, ESPN added a facility in Charlotte, N.C., which totals 38,000 square feet with two studios.  As the home of the SEC Network, programming produced there includes The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC Now, SEC This Morning, Marty & McGee, Thinking Out Loud, Out of Pocket and Rally Cap. 
• In August 2020, the Las Vegas studio opened as the new home of Daily Wager and other segments for TV, including SportsCenter, digital and social.  The 6,000-square-foot facility has three studios and is connected to ESPN control rooms and technical operations around the country. 
• In addition to Austin, Texas, home of the Longhorn Network, ESPN has a studio in Washington, D.C. 

ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 25.3 million subscribers.    

Programming on ESPN+ includes exclusive UFC events, more than 75 exclusive and 1,000 out of market NHL games per season, college sports (including football, basketball and other sports from 20 conferences), top domestic and international soccer, Golf (PGA TOUR LIVE and coverage from the Masters and PGA Championship), Top Rank Boxing, Grand Slam tennis, MLB games, international cricket, exclusive ESPN+ Original series and studio shows, plus exclusive access to the entire library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. 

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month. 

Audio
ESPN Audio is comprised of ESPN Radio, the county’s largest sports radio network; ESPN Podcasts and ESPN Deportes Radio. 

• ESPN Radio, which launched January 1, 1992, provides 9,000 hours of talk and event content annually, reaching 32 million listeners a week on 500 stations nationwide.  ESPN Radio programming is also available on Sirius XM, via digital distributors Apple Music and Tune In and on ESPNRadio.com.  In addition to popular sports talk shows which are simulcast on TV, event programming includes NFL, NBA, MLB and college football and basketball. 
• ESPN Audio launched its first podcast in 2005 and is a leader in the sports genre. Offerings focus on “sports passions” (NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.), storytelling (ESPN Daily, 30 for 30) and compelling personalities.  The most popular titles include Fantasy Focus Football, The Lowe Post as well as podcasts of TV’s First Take, Pardon the Interruption and Around The Horn.   

Digital 
ESPN’s Digital properties include ESPN.com; ESPN App; ESPN3; ESPN Fantasy Sports; espnW.com; ESPNDeportes.com; Andscape.com; market-, college- and sport-specific sites; and more.  

ESPN Overseas
Through its affiliated networks and businesses, ESPN reaches sports fans around the world via 44 networks (in 71 countries and territories across all seven continents), plus radio, digital, consumer products and event management. 

• In addition to marquee U.S. (NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, IRL, all of golf’s and tennis’ Grand Slam events) and major international (UEFA Champions League and other top soccer, cricket and more) sports, there are 11 local versions of SportsCenter in three languages — Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
• Offices or production facilities include Amsterdam, Bangalore, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Melbourne, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto and Bristol, Conn. 

Event Management

• ESPYS (launched in 1993)
• ESPN Events owns and operates 35 events, highlighted by 18 college bowl games and 11 college basketball events.  

Consumer Products
ESPN Consumer Products offer fans high quality collections inspired by compelling content, unique marketing campaigns and ESPN’s trademark personality at a variety of retail channels.  Categories include branded and co-branded apparel and accessories, sporting goods, and indoor/outdoor recreation.  

ESPN Wide World of Sports
At Walt Disney World in Orlando, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a leading multi-sport venue for amateur and pro sports, hosting 100 events yearly, several of which are presented on ESPN platforms.    

Corporate Citizenship
ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplifts the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets.   

 

 

 

Updated: 8/2/2023