James Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, will get the Frank N. Stanton Award from the Center for Communication October 3. The reception happens at 583 Park Avenue in New York. 

Pitaro was named chairman in February 2023. Previously, he was chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, since October 2020. He was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, in 2018. 

“Jimmy is a forward-thinking leader and is always focused on innovation, which has kept ESPN at the top of its game,” Center for Communication Chairman David J. Barrett said. “He is also deeply committed to creating an ESPN where everyone feels they belong, making diversity, equity and inclusion a core business priority. We are thrilled to honor Jimmy for his success and his shared passion for opening doors in the media industry for young people who have been traditionally under-represented.”

The Frank N. Stanton Award, named for the former CBS president, is given out to a media innovator and leader each year. Jo Ann Ross got it in 2022, Tina Perry in 2021, Soledad O’Brien in 2020 and Rita Ferro in 2019. 

When Pitaro was named president of ESPN in 2018, Bob Iger, then Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO, said, “Jimmy’s appointment was the result of more than 20 years spent at the intersection of technology, sports and media.”

The Center for Communication educates and inspires students seeking careers in media. “The Center for Communication plays an important role in creating the future of our industry,” Pitaro said. “I am proud to represent the people of ESPN in receiving this recognition.”

ESPN has inked an exclusive TV deal with boxing promotion company Top Rank Inc. that includes as many a 54 boxing events a year through 2025, the companies announced Thursday.

Top Rank will exclusively distribute boxing events on ESPN and ESPN+ -- as well as offer classic fights and studio content – as part of the seven-year deal, according to Top Rank. The deal includes 12 exclusive primetime events and 24 premium events a year on ESPN’s $4.99 per month, direct-to-consumer service ESPN+, said the sports network.

The deal extends the agreement the two companies reached last year, which included ESPN fight telecasts featuring such marquee boxers as Manny Pacquiao and Vasiliy Lomachenko, as well as ESPN+-exclusive bouts headlined by Pacquiao and welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

Related: Manny Pacquiao to Step into Digital Streaming Ring 

“ESPN is thrilled with this new long-term agreement with Top Rank, which represents the most innovative and comprehensive relationship in the world of boxing today,” said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN President and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks in a statement. “By creating and distributing significantly more Top Rank events and boxing content, ESPN and Top Rank will jointly cultivate upcoming fighters and fights, creating the stars of tomorrow while providing fans with the sport’s best content in a more personalized manner.”

Top Rank President Todd duBoef added: “This partnership will continue to bring the biggest events and best fighters from around the world to ESPN networks. Our collective ability to integrate live events, classic fights, studio shows, and behind-the-scenes features will raise the long-term profile of the sport of boxing and the athletes.”