ESPN Chairman James Pitaro ’94 to Speak at St. John’s Law Commencement

St. John’s Law Dean Jelani Jefferson Exum is pleased to announce that alumnus James Pitaro ’94, Chairman, ESPN, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws and address the graduates and at the Law School’s Commencement on Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Over three decades, Pitaro has made his mark at the intersection of media, sports, and technology. His early career took him from private firm law practice to Yahoo, where he progressed through the leadership ranks to become Head of Sports & Entertainment and then VP, Media. In that time, Sports Business Journal named him to its “Forty Under 40” list of top achievers in sports for his “breathless flurry of market-moving pacts” with sports rightsholders and media companies.

Joining the Walt Disney Company in 2010 as Co-President, Disney Interactive, Pitaro led the turnaround of the entertainment giant’s digital media and gaming division. He continued to innovate across the Company’s consumer products and interactive media operations in a succession of influential roles. Then, in 2018, Pitaro transitioned to a new arena at Disney when he was named President, ESPN and Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks.

Since being elevated to Chairman in 2020, Pitaro has tapped his innovator mindset to strengthen ESPN’s hold as the leading sports broadcasting network and multiplatform ecosystem, with programming that includes Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli, the popular Sunday Night Baseball series, and an award-winning documentary, The Last Dance, among other offerings. This year will see the launch of Flagship, ESPN’s full-scale streaming service that will be game changing in the industry and advance the network’s mission of “Serving Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere.”

Outside the office, Pitaro deepens his impact by serving on a range of industry and charitable boards. He also gives back by generously supporting St. John’s Law and its students. In 2023, he received the Law School’s Dean Harold F. McNiece Award in recognition of his outstanding career success outside the practice of law.

“We’re delighted that James Pitaro will return home to St. John’s to speak at the Law School’s Commencement Exercises,” Dean Jefferson Exum says. “He offers our graduates a unique perspective on law and business grounded in decades of exceptional leadership that have taken him to the heights of the sports and media industries. He also lives out our school’s mission, showing by example that giving back to your community is a cornerstone of a meaningful and successful career.”