One of the most powerful figures in American sports is leaving the stage.
ESPN President John Skipper announced this morning that he has resigned, citing a need for substance abuse treatment.
“I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem,” Skipper said in a statement. “I have disclosed that decision to the company, and we mutually agreed that it was appropriate that I resign. I will always appreciate the human understanding and warmth that Bob displayed here and always. I come to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down.”
ESPN is the NFL’s single most lucrative partner, having committed to pay the league $1.9 billion a year through the 2021 season for the rights to Monday Night Football. Last year Monday Night Football’s ratings flagged just as ESPN was struggling to adapt to the new world of cord cutting, leading to talk that ESPN might regret committing so much money to the NFL for so long.
The next president of ESPN will have a big job, trying to figure out how broadcasting football can remain profitable in a changing cable television landscape.
