505: Inside ESPN’s Innovation Engine with Kevin Lopes

Joe Favorito and Tom Richardson welcome Kevin Lopes, Vice President of Business Development and Innovation at ESPN, to the CUSP Show to discuss his 18-year journey at the company and how ESPN continues to evolve at the forefront of sports media. From starting as a programming coordinator to leading innovation initiatives, Lopes shares how timing, relationships, and a willingness to embrace new technology shaped his career. The conversation explores ESPN’s early push into streaming with ESPN360 and WatchESPN, including how the company helped build the foundation for today’s digital sports ecosystem. Lopes explains how early rights deals were driven by trust and long-term relationships, and how ESPN worked with schools and conferences to professionalize streaming long before it became mainstream. Lopes also breaks down the creation of ESPN’s Edge Innovation Center and how partnerships with companies like Microsoft, Accenture, and Meta help the company stay ahead of emerging trends. Whether it’s VR, AI, or new distribution platforms, the focus remains on ensuring ESPN is prepared for whatever the future of sports consumption looks like.Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-lopes-4160aa2/The CUSP Show is hosted by Joe Favorito (@Joefav) and Tom Richardson (@ConvergenceTR) and produced by Sam Henry (@s_henry11), LJ Holmgren (@LJ_Holmgren), and Danny Hagenlocher (@DhColumbiaSPS), with social media efforts led by Lissa Ruiz and Sydney Cristall. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecuspshow.substack.com