Deadline: Disney Technology Chief Aaron LaBerge Exits For CTO Role At ESPN Bet Partner Penn Entertainment

Story from Deadline:

Aaron 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.

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. Together, we’ll push the limits and redefine how fans interact with sports and gaming.”

LaBerge was previously EVP and CTO at ESPN from 2015 to 2018. Along with streaming, he was a key architect in the design, development, and engineering of ESPN’s state-of-the-art facilities in Bristol, CT; Los Angeles; Charlotte, NC; and Austin, TX, as well as data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities around the world. He also oversaw the technology design and development to support the launch of the multi-platform SEC Network.

Between 2007 and 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc. – a venture-funded consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products as well as social and commerce technologies.