After Jon Gruden left to return to coaching, ESPN executives opted for a radical makeover, selecting Joe Tessitore and Jason Witten as the lead announcers. This is just one of the many high-visibility changes to take place at ESPN since Jimmy Pitaro was named the company’s president in March. Along with “resetting” (his word) the network’s relationship with the N.F.L., Pitaro has overseen a rebuilding of ESPN’s daytime lineup and the return of “SportsCenter” to its past prominence. His ESPN is a network in lock step with the N.F.L., still the most popular sports league in the country. He declined to speak on the record for this article, though ESPN made a number of executives and on-air talent available.

Source: New York Times September 10, 2018 17:26 UTC