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Aaron Laberge, who oversaw Disney's expansion into streaming for a total of 20 years in two stints, is leaving the company.
On July 1, the executive will become Penn Entertainment's chief technology officer, retaining the same title he held at the end of his tenure at Disney.
Penn is well known for its game management. In 2023, the company partnered with ESPN and rebranded its sportsbook to ESPN Bet.
As Disney's CTO, LaBarge oversaw numerous product rollouts, including the integration of Hulu into Disney+ and the planned launch of the ESPN streaming app.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Aaron's caliber join Penn's leadership team,” said Jay Snowden, Penn CEO. “Having overseen a global organization of thousands of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists and data scientists who have created some of the world's largest and most successful media properties, I am honored to lead our technology and interactive division. There is no better candidate for that future.”
“I plan to use my experience at Disney and ESPN to make ESPN Bet an integral part of the sports fan experience,” said LaBerge. We are redefining how we interact with games.”
Mr. LaBerge served as EVP and CTO of ESPN from 2015 to 2018. In addition to streaming, he was the primary architect in the design, development and engineering of ESPN's state-of-the-art facility in Bristol, CT. Los Angeles; Charlotte, North Carolina. It includes data centers and infrastructure that connect those facilities in Austin, Texas, as well as around the world. He also oversaw the design and development of the multi-platform technology supporting the launch of the SEC Network.
From 2007 to 2012, LaBerge was co-founder and CEO of Fanzter, Inc., a venture-backed consumer software and digital product development company. At Fanzter, he directed all day-to-day operations and led the development and launch of a variety of consumer-focused internet and mobile products, social technology and commerce.
