--- title: John Skipper Resigns as ESPN President description: John Skipper has resigned as president of Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, citing a substance addiction problem. canonical: https://time.com/5069206/john-skipper-espn-president-resigns/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-18T16:48:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:37:05.797Z article:section: Sports og:title: ESPN President John Skipper Resigns Due to Substance Addiction og:description: “I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction" og:url: https://time.com/5069206/john-skipper-espn-president-resigns/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf0e02dc270791861/6988f574fb4eac122489503c/john-skipper-espn-president-resigns.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: NBA Announces New Media Partnerships og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: ESPN President John Skipper Resigns Due to Substance Addiction twitter:description: “I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf0e02dc270791861/6988f574fb4eac122489503c/john-skipper-espn-president-resigns.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # ESPN President John Skipper Resigns Due to Substance Addiction by [Eben Novy-Williams / Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Eben Novy-Williams / Bloomberg Dec 18, 2017 4:48 PM CUT  John Skipper, ESPN President and Disney Media Networks Co-Chairman and the NBA announce a new media partnerships on October 06, 2014 in New York City, New York. John Skipper, ESPN President and Disney Media Networks Co-Chairman and the NBA announce a new media partnerships on October 06, 2014 in New York City, New York.David Dow—NBAE/Getty Images by [Eben Novy-Williams / Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/) ## Eben Novy-Williams / Bloomberg Dec 18, 2017 4:48 PM CUT John Skipper has resigned as president of Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, citing a substance addiction problem. Skipper has been at ESPN since 1997 and has run the sports media giant since 2012\. Former ESPN President and Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer will serve as acting chair of the company until a permanent successor is named. “I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction,” Skipper said in a statement. “I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem. I have disclosed that decision to the company, and we mutually agreed that it was appropriate that I resign.” The news comes at a time of change at ESPN, as the network adapts to upheaval in the cable television business model. Last week Disney agreed to a $52.4 billion deal to buy a large portion of 21st Century Fox Inc., a sale that includes all of Fox’s regional sports networks. 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