http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/62719
By JOHN OURAND
Staff writer
Published June 08, 2009 : Page 01
George Bodenheimer will continue guiding the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" for
the next few years.
The 28-year ESPN employee who is one of the most powerful executives in all of
sports quietly renewed his agreement with the Walt Disney Co., inking a
three-year extension last fall that will keep him presiding over ESPN through
most of 2011, according to several sources.
ESPN spokesman Chris LaPlaca confirmed Bodenheimer extended his agreement months
ago, but would not elaborate on the terms or details.
It is not a surprise that Bodenheimer signed a deal to remain co-chairman of
Disney Media Networks and president of ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports. The well-liked
executive has led ESPN since 1998, during which time the company has experienced
exponential growth and has become by far the most profitable division of the
Walt Disney Co.
Still, in the months preceding the renewal, there had been rumors that top
executives at Disney were looking to promote Bodenheimer to a position that
would move him away from day-to-day oversight and into more of a corporate role.
Obviously, those rumors proved to be unfounded, as Bodenheimer signed his new
deal in October, coinciding with the end of Disney's fiscal year.
The story of Bodenheimer's rise from ESPN's mail room to its corner office is
widely known. Bodenheimer is believed to be happy at ESPN and in no hurry to
move up the corporate ladder.
At the Sports Business Awards in New York City late last month, NBC Universal
Sports & Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol said of Bodenheimer, "He is probably in
the history of American sports the most powerful man who has ever existed. He
sits on an awful lot of power and an awful lot of money, but he does it with
great grace."
Since signing the extension, Bodenheimer directed ESPN to a market-moving $495
million deal to bring the entire BCS to cable for the first time through 2014.
He also oversaw a significant deal that gained ESPNU and ESPN360 carriage on
Comcast systems.
Bodenheimer was inducted into cable's Hall of Fame in November.
The news hasn't been all positive, though. Just last month, ESPN laid off about
100 of its employees, and Bodenheimer said the company would leave an additional
100 open positions unfilled.
