Nicole Noren, an award-winning, longtime ESPN producer who handled lucrative projects, said she left the network out of conscience when it partnered with a sports gambling app.
\n\nNoren explained her decision to leave the network in a lengthy interview with Columbia Journalism Review, saying it shocked her, especially after Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors the company would stay clear of the gambling business.
\n\n“I don’t see the Walt Disney Company, certainly in the near term, getting involved in the business of gambling, in effect, by facilitating gambling in any way,” Iger said.
\n\nThe sports network first licensed the ESPN name to a gambling app in 2023 with ESPN Bet, which failed in the marketplace before the company partnered with the highly profitable DraftKings.
\n\n“These days, DraftKings ads blanket ESPN coverage, and this past March the companies enabled customers to link their ESPN and DraftKings accounts,” noted CJR. “It’s a partnership, a press release explained, ‘that goes beyond a traditional marketing arrangement, redefining how fans engage with sports.'”
\n\nNoren said ESPN Bet was her breaking point and that she headed for the exit door as soon as it was announced. She had worked at ESPN for 24 years.
\n\n“I’m not…
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/sports/
