Ron Semiao

RON SEMIAO
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ESPN FILMS & CREATOR, ESPN X GAMES

An action sports industry and sports television pioneer, Ron Semiao, was named senior vice president, ESPN Films in 2007. As the creator of the X Games, Semiao has been instrumental in the development of the event and franchise both domestically and internationally.

As Senior Vice President, ESPN Films, Semiao oversees the newly established initiative to extend the ESPN brand into sports-themed theatrical motion pictures as well as the continued development and creative aspects of major properties including the ESPYs and the X Games
franchises.

Prior to his current position, and since 2002, Semiao served as senior vice president, ESPN Original Entertainment. In that role, Semiao launched the network’s forey in to sports-themed films, tv series, reality programing, and scripted drama.
Semiao had served as vice president, programming and managing director, Global X Games since January 2001. As managing director Semiao was responsible for fostering the overall growth of the franchise in the United States as well as launching the brand in a number of key international markets including China, Japan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.

Semiao joined ESPN in April 1985 as a program analyst. In 1987, he moved to ESPN’s production operations department. In 1989 Semiao was named operations producer, and was made senior operations producer in 1990. While in production operations, Semiao coordinated operations for ESPN’s coverage of Major League Baseball. He moved to the programming department in August 1993 as a programming acquisition and planning specialist. Semiao was promoted to director of programming for ESPN2 in January 1995. In this role he was part of the senior team responsible for launching and defining the culture of the new network by placing original and unique programming on the air. After successfully launching ESPN 2 and creating the X Games and Winter X Games platforms, Semiao was promoted to vice president, programming in April 1999.

A native of New Bedford, Mass., Semiao graduated from the University of Bridgeport.