Exclusive: ESPN open to considering other equity deals

• ESPN's recent deal for NFL media assets included the league taking a 10% stake in the broadcaster. It also took a minority stake in the Premier Lacrosse League in renewing that media rights deal.

What they're saying: When asked if he would consider other deals like those, Pitaro said "The answer is yes, if it makes sense, if we believe that it would help us advance our place with sports fans."

• Pitaro said he's confident about regulatory review for the NFL assets because ESPN sees the transaction as a "pro-consumer, pro-fan offering."
• MLB commissioner Rob Manfred earlier this week mentioned the league is nearing a deal with ESPN and other broadcasters. Pitaro said ESPN wants to help address the access challenge for fans when it comes to local content.
• "We at ESPN, we're the front door, we're the starting point for sports fans, we're the access point and we believe we can help solve that," he told Axios' Sara Fischer. "So, we've made very good progress over the past couple of months and I'm very hopeful that we can get something done."

Catch up quick: Last month, ESPN launched its highly anticipated new streaming service.

• The service includes a slew of new fan-centric features and is available in a bundle with Fox One.
• Still, Pitaro emphasized ESPN is continuing to invest in all its platforms, including pay-TV.

Go deeper: Sports streaming enters a bold new era