ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro has apparently shored up the network’s relationship with the NFL. A year ago, ESPN and the NFL had a reconciliation after the departure of John Skipper from Bristol. In part due to Skipper’s and the NFL’s frostiness, Fox had picked up the draft for network TV and was on the verge of stealing ESPN/ABC’s playoff game.
Pitaro and his executives salvaged the wild-card game, and now ABC is the network home of the draft 8 p.m. Thursday instead of Fox.
ESPN will have its regular draft coverage, led by Trey Wingo, while ABC will use Robin Roberts as its lead. Roberts rose to fame as a big-time ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor before tremendous success on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” You could argue she has had the most post-ESPN success of anyone who has left.
Meanwhile, NFL Network is currently not on ATT/DirecTV Now, which will impede its reach — helping ESPN/ABC — if it is not rectified by Thursday.
With Mike Mayock having left to be the GM of the Raiders, Daniel Jeremiah will be front and center as he tries to become the next major draft player. ESPN still has the Godfather of draftniks in Mel Kiper Jr.
The draft has always been at the root of what ESPN is, and it feels a bit more like it is again after Fox busted in the door last year.