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ESPN's World Cup Gamble
Description
In 2005, John Skipper, then ESPN’s new content chief, went after the U.S. TV rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups—facing stiff competition from NBC and navigating FIFA’s tangled politics. Believing Chuck Blazer, a powerful FIFA executive, held the key, Skipper leveraged his deep love for soccer and ESPN’s financial muscle to win the deal, paying $100 million total. The 2010 final became the most-watched men’s soccer game in U.S. history, launching ESPN’s Premier League coverage and reshaping American soccer fandom. Meanwhile, Blazer’s corruption scandal and Skipper’s eventual resignation in 2017 added layers of irony to a story that began with ambition and ended with legacy.
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