Former Apple TV deal maker named CEO of ESPN/WBD/FOX sports bundle service – 9to5Mac

You may recall the recently announced but unnamed sports streaming service from ESPN, Warner Brothers, and Fox. It turns out a former Apple sports deal maker will run the bundle.

The Hollywood Reporter has the news:

Pete Distad, a veteran of both Apple and Hulu, has been hired to be CEO of the new joint venture, which is hoping to launch its service later this year. […]

Distad most recently worked at Apple, where he led business, operations and global distribution for Video, Sports and Apple TV+. Before Apple he worked at Hulu, where he worked on the original launch team and eventually rose to senior VP of marketing and distribution.

Distad worked on deals including MLS and MLB. What does his appointment at the TBD streaming sports service mean for Apple? At the very least, it can’t hurt that Apple and the new sports bundle CEO already have a working relationship.

The service isn’t expected to launch until later this year. Name, pricing, and other essential details still to be determined. Still, it does sound compelling for sports fans. That could translate to pricey… we shall see.

Learn more about what we know so far here.

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