Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said the company has no interest in spinning off ESPN, dismissing speculation about separating the sports network from the broader Disney business. His comment signals Disney plans to retain ESPN as part of its portfolio, affecting investor and industry expectations about potential restructuring or monetization of the sports asset.
(Photo: The Walt Disney Company) Sports New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro: “Not Interested” In Spinning Off ESPN "Anybody in the industry would look at our sports rights and the fandom associated with sports right now, and you can’t help but be jealous of what we have here. I mean, ratings are through the roof." By: John Mamola Date: August 17, 2026 New Walt Disney Company CEO Josh D’Amaro made his position clear on CNBC. He says ESPN spinoff rumors don’t apply to him. What We Know : D’Amaro took over as Disney CEO in March, succeeding Bob Iger. Nearly six months in, he told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin he feels good about the company’s direction. This marks at least his second public rejection of ESPN spinoff talk this year, following similar comments in April. Meanwhile, Disney has cut several hundred jobs at ESPN, Pixar, and National Geographic recently, even as ESPN stays put. - Advertisement - What They Said : (All comments via CNBC): Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro says no plans to spin off ESPN from The Walt Disney Company: “I have been clear that I’m not interested in spinning off ESPN. I think that anybody in the industry would look at our sports rights and the fandom associated with sports right now, and you can’t help but be jealous of what we have here. I mean, ratings are through the roof.” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro on why he’s keeping ESPN under the Disney wing: “I have been clear that I think it should be part of the ecosystem. In terms of how it becomes part of the ecosystem. I talked about in the Q3 earnings report that we will start to bring more sports over onto Disney+. So, that casual sports fan will have an opportunity to engage on that front. Create more stickiness on the Disney+ platform.” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro on the approach by ESPN acquiring sports rights: “The ESPN team has been really smart about going after those rights that are most important to our business, the highest-quality sports rights, and we will continue to remain focused on that.” What Remains Unclear : How ESPN integrates more sports into the Disney+ platform is unknown. It’s also unknown what sports will be integrated into the platform as well. What It Means D’Amaro is betting ESPN’s value comes from staying inside Disney’s ecosystem, not from independence. He’s simultaneously pushing more live sports onto Disney+, aiming to turn casual viewers into subscribers. For investors still pushing a split, the message is firm: not now. In the coming years with more continued growth, we will see if D’Amaro’s tone changes. Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox. Share this: Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on X (Opens in new window) X Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky - Advertisement - John Mamola https://linktr.ee/johnmamola John Mamola is Barrett Media's sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi's Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com. Tags barrett media Bob Iger CNBC ESPN ESPN DTC Josh D'Amaro Pixar Sports Television Sports viewership The Walt Disney Company Previous article Chris Salcedo Exiting Morning Drive on KSEV Next article Stephen A. Smith Calls NABJ Thumbs Down Award “Lowest” Insult He’s Ever Received LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here Website: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Share Facebook X Linkedin ReddIt Email Copy URL Popular FOX News Leads August’s Cable News Ratings, CNN Grows 45% Year Over Year Shaquille O’Neal’s DUNKMAN Competition Expanding To Global Slate In 2027 Drew Brees Joins SiriusXM Let’s Go Program For 2026 NFL Season iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks Inks Clay Travis to Contract Extension, New Sport & State Podcast Network 100.3 The Bull/Houston Debuts New Houston Morning Show
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Disney: The Walt Disney Company is the media and entertainment conglomerate whose CEO Josh D’Amaro stated the company is 'not interested' in spinning off ESPN.
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