Jessica Casano-Antonellis, a former executive at Disney+, Hulu and Vimeo, is returning to the streaming sector as head of communications for ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery’s new sports-focused service.
As SVP of Communications, Casano-Antonellis will lead all communications efforts for the yet-to-be-named joint venture. News about the service, which is scheduled to launch this fall, first emerged in February.
As a member of the JV’s leadership team, Casano-Antonellis will report directly to CEO Pete Distad.
Casano-Antonellis comes into her new position after leading communications for SiriusXM for two years. She was previously vice president of communications at Disney+ and Hulu and worked at video-sharing site Vimeo when it split from Barry Diller’s IAC.
“Jessica’s extensive experience in the direct-to-consumer streaming space makes her the perfect fit for this role,” Distad said in a press release. “Her track record of navigating complex global launches and leading transformation narratives for notable brands makes her a trusted advisor as we embark on this exciting journey.”
“It is a privilege to join Pete at this stage of the joint venture’s development and to be part of building something that will delight sports fans,” said Casano-Antonellis. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to get in on the ground floor, and I can’t wait to start work on bringing the new streaming service to market this fall.”
One dimension of the new communications role will be to position the sports company in the face of accusations that it is anti-competitive. Sports-focused pay-TV operator Fubo, which is facing a lawsuit against JV participants, joined Dish Networks, DirecTV and five other signatories in sending a letter to Congress early Thursday calling for hearings on the issue Competition in the pay-TV sector is pressing. Last month, two House Democrats, Jerry Nadler of New York and Joaquin Castro of Texas, sent a letter to the CEOs of Disney, Fox and WBD asking them to answer a list of questions, many about what view them as antitrust issues with the company’s proposed service.
The new outlet, nicknamed “Spulu,” offers its subscribers access to the live feeds of 14 linear networks, all of which offer a significant amount of sports programming. The monthly price has not yet been announced, but most industry observers and Wall Street analysts expect it to be in the $40 to $50 range. Notably, NBCUniversal and Paramount are not part of the joint venture.