Disney, the corporate giant that owns and regulates ESPN, the largest sports programming network in the world, has decided to keep ESPN, for now.
According to a report from Business Insider, newly installed Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro has opted to keep ESPN in-house and not spin it off, as many analysts had suspected he might do.
The report claims that Disney will retain ESPN’s sports channels while the network continues to develop its streaming platforms.
ESPN has not yet publicly commented on the report.
Speculation that Disney might part with ESPN became rampant after Disney began reporting ESPN’s results separately. However, while analysts outside the entertainment giant might part with the worldwide sports leader, sources within Disney itself remained firm in their belief that D’Amaro would retain it.
Disney’s decision to stick with the “four-letter network” is based, at least in large part, on belief in the success of ESPN’s recently launched streaming app, which will give subscribers a chance to watch live sports and get other featured content for $30 per month.