ESPN has announced its long-awaited restructuring, with the company creating greater separation between its game production and debate programming.
ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said in a memo obtained by Deadline Monday that the company will split responsibilities between a Sports Production team led by Mike McQuade and a News and Entertainment Team led by David Roberts. The former will encompass game production and sport-specific studio shows, while the latter will focus on SportsCenter and other non-sport specific studio programming.
McQuade, a 37-year ESPN veteran who previously served as producer of ESPN’s tennis, NHL, boxing and golf coverage — as well as SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt — won out in a field that reportedly included former NBC Today producer Jim Bell.
The restructuring ends Roberts’ oversight of ESPN NBA and WNBA production. Roberts assumed the role three years ago — in the wake of the Rachel Nichols-Maria Taylor disaster — and oversaw a complete overhaul of the network’s NBA production that included new theme music, new graphics, the firings of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and a revamped studio show on which ESPN’s morning show personalities were well-represented. ESPN has not named a permanent replacement for Roberts, with Tim Corrigan assuming the role on an interim basis.
The eventual SVP in charge of the NBA and WNBA will also oversee the NHL, college hockey and tennis. He or she will be one of four executives reporting directly to McQuade, along with Mark Gross, Meg Aronowitz and Kate Jackson.
Gross will oversee the NFL, college football, the UFL, boxing and golf. The football properties had previously been under the purview of Norby Williamson, who was let go earlier this year.
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