Since three media titans announced a new sports-focused streaming service last month, key details of the project have been shrouded in mystery. How much would it cost? Where would it be based? And who would head the new company?
Now, some of the details are starting to come into focus.
On Friday, the companies behind the service — Fox, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery – said it will be led by Pete Distad, a former Apple executive who was in charge of distributing the tech giant’s Apple TV+ streaming service. Mr. Distad, 50, will be responsible for strategy, distribution, marketing and sales of the new venture once it is officially established, from Los Angeles.
By choosing Mr. Distad, an executive with a combination of technology and media experience, the companies behind the service signaled that the new service needed a leader who understood the old financials of cable TV and the promise of the fast-growing streaming business. Before joining Apple, Mr. Distad helped launch Hulu, the last major streaming conglomerate.
In a statement, Mr. Distad said he was looking forward to bringing together “industry-leading portfolios of sports content” from the three companies.
“This is an incredible opportunity to create and grow a differentiated product that will serve passionate sports fans in the US outside of the traditional pay TV package,” said Mr. Distad.
While at Apple, Mr. Distad helped fuel the tech giant’s expansion into the realm of live sports. During his tenure, Apple closed deals to broadcast Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball games, joining the growing list of tech companies such as Amazon that now offer their customers access to live sports.
In a statement, the companies behind the service called Mr. Distad an “acclaimed innovator and leader” with “extensive experience in launching and developing new video services.”
“We are confident that he and his team will create an extremely exciting, fan-focused product for our target market,” the companies said.
