Disney Technology Chief Aaron LaBerge Exits For CTO Role At ESPN Bet Partner Penn Entertainment
deadline.comAaron LaBerge, who helped oversee Disney‘s expansion into streaming during two stints totaling 20 years, is exiting the company.
On July 1, the exec will become Chief Technology Officer at Penn Entertainment, holding the same title he did at the end of his Disney run.
Penn is largely known for its gaming operation. In 2023, the company teamed with ESPN and rebranded its sports book as ESPN Bet.
The news was conveyed to Disney employees by LaBerge as well as a separate message from Disney Entertainment Co-Chairs Dana Walden and Alan Bergman as well as ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. (Read the full memos below.) As Disney’s CTO, LaBerge oversaw a number of product rollouts, including the integration of Hulu into Disney+ and the planned launch of an ESPN streaming app. “We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron’s caliber join our Penn executive team,” Penn CEO Jay Snowden said. “Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists that created some of the largest scale and most successful media properties in the world, there is no better candidate to lead our technology and interactive division into its future.” LaBerge said, “I plan to use my experience from Disney and ESPN to help make ESPN Bet an essential piece of the sports fan experience.
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