ESPN President John Skipper: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

One of the most powerful people in the sports media industry, John Skipper is the president of ESPN. He has an extensive background in magazine publishing and has held many different positions over the course of his 30-plus year career.

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. He Became President Of ESPN In 2012

Already at ESPN for 14 years in November 2011, it was announced that Skipper, who is now 59-years-old, would take over as the new president of the company as George Bodenheimer stepped down from the position. At the time Skipper was the executive vice president of the company and was responsible for coordinating programming and production across the various ESPN platforms.

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2. He Began at Disney in 1990

After spending time at Spin Magazine, where he was the president and publishing director, Skipper was hired by Disney in 1990 to become vice president of Disney Magazine publishing. He had many responsibilities in this role, including overseeing the rise of many Disney print projects, including Disney Adventures, Discover, FamilyFun and Family PC.

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3. He Became Senior Vice President And GM Of ESPN The Magazine in 2000

He was eventually transferred within the Disney company to ESPN to lead ESPN the Magazine’s production. ESPN the magazine launched in 1998 and now has a circulation of about two million via subscription.

During this time he also over the transformation of ESPN’s website, which has had may iterations over the years.

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4. He Earned a Masters Degree From Columbia

He earned a degree from the Ivy League school in English Literature. When he graduated, he landed a job at Rolling Stone and spent eight years with that company.

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5. He Grew Up In North Carolina

Skipper attended Lexington Senior High School in Lexington, North Carolina and graduated in 1974. He went on to attend the University of North Carolina, majoring in English literature.

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