ESPN probably should have seen this move coming. According to CNN, Darren Rovell will be leaving Disney to work for Action Network HQ App:
I hear ESPN sports business reporter @darrenrovell is leaving ESPN… He's close to a deal with sports betting startup @ActionNetworkHQ to cover the business of betting and help with content strategy…
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 26, 2018
Darren Rovell is often criticized for focusing too much on the numbers and the dollars athletes are worth, as opposed to the athletes’ worths as human beings. So, it kind of makes complete sense that Rovell would be drawn to work for a gambling app.
What does this mean for the future of ESPN? For starters, it likely means that ESPN is going to have to come up with some more commas when it’s time to sit down and renegotiate their current on-air-talents’ contracts.