ESPN President John Skipper said his "interest is high" in re-signing Bill Simmons when his current contract expires later this year, according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Skipper: "We like Bill. He has done good work for us. We continue to have a good collaboration, and I am anxious to have some discussions with Bill to see if we can continue to do things that work for ESPN.” Asked how he would classify the odds of re-signing Simmons, Skipper said, “I would say it is like being on a high hilltop in Scotland and tough to see too far into the distance.” He added, "We get a lot of value of Mr. Simmons. He and I are personal friends and before too long, we will have discussions" (SI.com, 2/16).
DIGITAL RENOVATION: MOBILEMARKETER.com's Alex Samuely reports ESPN is "leveraging a revamped mobile application, featuring content from its SportsCenter program, and planning an overhaul of its mobile site in the spring to provide consumers with a cohesive and complementary experience across all digital channels." The new ESPN app was "created to take over from the existing SportsCenter app and its lackluster reviews." The sports brand is "redesigning its digital properties in honor of the 20th anniversary of its Web site." The new app includes "Scores" and "News" tabs, as well as "Now," which "offers a blog-style approach at showing viral content" and also will include "updated and curated commentary from an editorial team that will cover responses to relevant news topics and viral photos and videos." ESPN has "placed a higher focus on speed and simplicity, to allow for greater browsing and consumption capability." Content, including blog posts and real-time scores, can "be shared instantly" (MOBILEMARKETER.com, 2/17).
