David Roberts, an ESPN veteran who has oversight of signature properties ranging from “SportsCenter” to “First Take,” will leave the Disney sports-media giant at the end of August, the company announced Thursday.
Roberts, who has been with ESPN since 2004, is an executive vice president as well as executive editor of sports news and entertainment. ESPN did not name a replacement.
“This has been both a real honor and a blessing to work for and with the most talented people in the industry,” Roberts said, in a statement. “I am extremely humbled and grateful to have had the opportunities afforded me as a member of the ESPN leadership team. It has been simply an awesome 22 years.”
He currently oversees a heady portfolio that includes ESPN’s news operations as well as investigative and enterprise journalism, research and digital editorial and all editions of “SportsCenter. “He also manages studio shows that include “First Take” and “Get Up” as well as ESPN’s audio programming and digital shows.
During his tenure, Roberts played a hand in strengthening early-day franchises “Get Up” and “First Take,” and launching “NBA Today” in 2021, following an awkward talent controversy. He has also had a role in elevating ESPN personnel such as Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike, Andrea Carter and Christine Williamson.
“David Roberts has had a long and extremely distinguished career in this industry and we’ve been fortunate to have him as part of the ESPN team for more than two decades,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content. “His leadership has made a tremendous difference and he will leave a lasting legacy at ESPN. We wish him all the best in retirement.”
Roberts came to ESPN after more than 25 years of working in local news, starting as a reporter for WGPR in his hometown of Detroit in 1978. He worked his way through assignment editor and executive producer roles at stations in California, Michigan and North Carolina before being named news director at WDTN in Dayton, Ohio and, subsequently, news director at a station in Atlanta in 1996. In both cases, ,he was the first Black news director in each state’s history.
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