The latest move in the media industry's sports world finally has someone at bat.
Peter Dystad has been named to head the sports-focused streaming video joint venture backed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros.' Discovery, a deal that has captivated the industry and raised expectations for some. Added some new details to a media asset (yet unnamed). As more viewers move away from terrestrial television viewing, traditional players in the space may find ways to claw back distribution and advertising revenue.
“Pete is a seasoned innovator and leader with extensive experience launching and growing new video services,” the venture's three backers said in a prepared statement. “We are confident that he and his team will build a highly appealing, fan-focused product for our target market.”
Distad will report to a board of directors, which will include representatives elected by each of the three owners. He will be based in the joint venture's offices in Los Angeles, where his independent management team will also be based.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build and grow a differentiated product that serves America's passionate sports fans outside of traditional pay-TV bundles,” Distad said in a statement. “He is excited to be able to combine his portfolio of industry-leading sports content from these three companies to deliver new best-in-class services.”
Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery said in February they intend to launch a new streaming hub that will carry everything from ESPN's “Monday Night Football” to Fox's MLB schedule and Warner Bros.' NCAA share. and frowned. March Madness Men's Basketball Tournament. The idea behind the concept is to allow streaming products to lure consumers who don't subscribe to cable or satellite services, a growing category, and recoup millions of dollars in monthly fees, according to people familiar with the matter. That's what it means. For parent companies that are seeing a decline in distribution revenue.
Some are skeptical of this proposal. While the three companies provide the majority of sports on television, their entire portfolio includes NFL games on CBS, NBC and Amazon's Prime Video, and golf games, which are primarily owned by CBS and NBC Universal. has a hole. Some media executives are questioning whether this new venture can truly attract younger consumers, and whether an unwieldy structure similar to the group that originally backed Hulu could ultimately prevail. There is.
In Distad, the media trio has found a leader more familiar with the challenges of streaming than fighting over sports rights or negotiating back-and-forth with sports leagues.
The executive most recently spent 10 years at Apple, where he was responsible for the business, operations, and global distribution of Apple TV+. During his stay, he worked to expand the use of his Apple TV app and his Apple TV+ video service, as well as expand his Apple distribution of Major League Soccer games. He originally joined the company to lead product marketing for Apple TV hardware products.
Mr. Distad previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at Hulu. He was part of the original Hulu launch team, overseeing customer acquisition and retention, distribution, and marketing. Prior to joining Hulu, he held various technology and management consulting roles including McKinsey & Co., Calence (now known as Insight), and Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture). I was there.
His main job is likely to be making connections, not assembling content. The new venture will not compete with the owners to acquire rights from various sports leagues and organizations, and will not produce its own talk shows, documentaries or studio programming, people said.
