LONDON and NEW YORK­—DAZN Group, a global sports streaming platform, has appointed industry veteran Kevin Mayer as the chairman of its Board of Directors. He succeeds John Skipper who is stepping down and will remain on the board as a strategic adviser to DAZN.

“As chairman, I’m looking forward to partnering with the management team and my fellow directors to help DAZN build on its impressive track record of success in developing a truly global sports platform,” said Mayer in a press statement.

Previously Mayer was chairman of direct-to-consumer and international at The Walt Disney Co., where he launched and managed its streaming businesses including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Hotstar. He was also responsible for overseeing Disney’s global advertising sales, content sales, channels sales and international operations. Prior to that role, Mayer served as Disney’s chief strategy officer, leading the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox and BamTech.

Skipper, who joined DAZN Group in 2018, is stepping down to focus on newly launched content company Meadowlark Media.  DAZN intends to invest in and collaborate with Meadowlark on original programming projects in the future.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished over the past several years. We’ve secured rights to the world’s premier sports leagues, dramatically increased subscriptions and revenues, and launched our platform in more than 200 countries and territories,” said Skipper. “It’s the ideal moment to transition the company into its next phase of growth.”

In the announcement, Len Blavatnik, chairman of Access Industries and DAZN Group's majority investor, said, “As the world of sports and media continues to transform, DAZN Group remains a key holding within the Access portfolio. A seamless transition from John to Kevin and the recent move to deepen the executive team’s expertise with co-CEOs James Rushton and Shay Segev will accelerate the company’s momentum.”

BRISTOL, CONN.—John Skipper is out as ESPN president and co-chairman of the Disney Media Networks, according to a press release from the sports broadcaster on Monday. Skipper, in the press release, cites his struggle with substance addiction as his primary reason or stepping down.

John Skipper

“I have struggled for many years with a substance addiction. I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem,” Skipper said in the press release.

“I come to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down.

“As I deal with this issue and what it means to me and my family, I ask for appropriate privacy and a little understanding.”

George Bodenheimer, ESPN’s president from 1998-2011 and its executive chairman until May 2014, will take over as acting chairman of the company for the next 90 days as Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO, seeks Skipper’s permanent replacement.

“I join John Skipper’s many friends and colleagues across the company in wishing him well during this challenging time,” Iger said in a statement. “I respect his candor and support his decision to focus on his health and his family.”

Skipper came to ESPN in 1997 as senior vice president and general manager of ESPN The Magazine. He took over his role as ESPN president on Jan. 1, 2012.

This is another major change for the sports broadcaster, as the company has made major layoffs in recent years and is currently planning the launch of its own streaming service in 2018. Disney, which owns ESPN, also recently closed a deal with 21st Century Fox for a large portion of its assets, though Fox Sports was not included as part of the deal.