John Skipper resigns as ESPN president

By MixDex Article may include affiliate links

John Skipper has resigned as president of sports cable network ESPN, the network announced.

• Skipper also served as co-chairman of Disney Media Networks (ESPN is owned by Disney)
• George Bodenheimer, who served as ESPN’s president from 1998 to 2011 and its executive chairman until May 2014, will take over as the acting chairman
• In a statement issued by ESPN, Skipper cited substance addiction as a driving force behind his resignation
• The statement also included a message of support from ESPN for Skipper’s decision to focus on his health issues
• According to the statement, the decision for Skipper to depart was a mutual decision
• Disney, ESPN’s parent company, announced plans last week to buy most assets of 21st Century Fox, including several regional cable sports networks
• Skipper and ESPN have also been in the news of late after a series of layoffs and cost cutting efforts