Aaron LaBerge, the chief technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo.
LaBerge is taking a job as CTO of PENN Entertainment , which operates ESPN Bet, the sports media company’s licensed online sportsbook.
He’ll be responsible for driving technology strategy as a top executive in the company’s interactive division.
LaBerge is leaving for personal reasons related to his family and will stay on at Disney until June, the memo said.
LaBerge has been a key figure in developing Disney’s streaming services and, more recently, integrating advertising into Disney+.
He’s also led efforts to unify Hulu and Disney+ within one streaming application, which debuted last month.
At ESPN, LaBerge has been a central figure behind the company’s streaming services, including ESPN+, the upcoming sports streaming application co-owned by Disney, Warner Bros.
His departure adds to a growing list of veteran Disney executives who have left the company in recent years.
An internal memo has revealed that Aaron LaBerge, the chief technology officer for ESPN and Disney Entertainment, is leaving the company.
LaBerge is accepting a position as Chief Technology Officer at PENN Entertainment, which runs the sports media company’s authorized online sportsbook, ESPN Bet. Leading the company’s interactive division as a top executive, he will be in charge of technology strategy. According to the memo, LaBerge will remain at Disney until June but is departing for family-related personal reasons.
Behind ESPN’s streaming offerings, such as ESPN+—an upcoming sports streaming app that is jointly owned by Disney and Warner Bros.—LaBerge has played a key role. Fox, Discovery, and the premier streaming service from ESPN, which is scheduled to debut in 2025.
His exit brings the total number of senior Disney executives who have left the company in recent years to a growing number. Among them are the former chairman of Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn, the former head of streaming Kevin Mayer, the former finance chief Christine McCarthy, the former head of communications Zenia Mucha, the former president of Walt Disney Pictures Sean Bailey, and the former general counsel Alan Braverman.
Disney Entertainment co-Chairmen Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, wrote an internal note to staff members stating, “We want to thank Aaron for the contributions he has made and the leadership he has provided at Disney over his 20 years.”. “The good news is that he will still be contributing to Disney and ESPN’s victories as he moves to PENN Entertainment, where he will be a vital member of the team for ESPN BET’s (and the company’s overall) ongoing development and success. “.
LaBerge’s biography states that he has been in charge of “helping set the vision and strategic leadership for how the Company uses technology to enable storytelling and innovation, drive its business, and create amazing consumer experiences with entertainment and sports content.”. ****.
According to a person familiar with the matter, who wished to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the transition plan, a search for LaBerge’s replacement has already begun. Upon his departure, LaBerge’s immediate subordinate and current executive vice president of content operations at Disney, Chris Lawson, will step in to fill the position temporarily.
