John Skipper Exits Meadowlark Media, Leadership Plans Unclear

Miami, FL — John Skipper, co-founder of Meadowlark Media and former president of ESPN, is leaving the company, sources confirm. Skipper co-founded Meadowlark with radio host Dan Le Batard in early 2021. Under their leadership, the company secured a three-year, $51 million deal with DraftKings as its presenting sponsor.

Le Batard has recently mentioned on his show that their contract with DraftKings is approaching its end, but the details regarding Meadowlark’s future leadership remain unclear. One source indicated that Meadowlark intends to shift its focus toward podcasts, such as The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and Pablo Torre Finds Out, while placing less emphasis on documentary content, although some projects will still be in development.

Before his time at Meadowlark, Skipper served as executive chairman at DAZN after resigning from ESPN in 2017. He began his career in music magazines before becoming known for his role in launching ESPN the Magazine. Skipper’s journalistic influence has been credited for several Meadowlark projects, including the recent documentary The Comeback, focused on the Boston Red Sox for Netflix, and an upcoming series on WNBA star Diana Taurasi for Prime Video.

Despite his departure, Le Batard expressed gratitude for Skipper’s leadership in a statement on social media. He mentioned, “I asked him to build a successful, fiercely independent media company within four years, and he has.” Le Batard assured fans that Meadowlark will continue to produce films and documentaries while looking forward to revealing “good news shortly” regarding their audio and video network.

Skipper could not be reached for comment immediately following the announcement.