Cerda joins Disney Plus to lead product; Endeavor Audio adds podcast offerings; Activision adds “Call of Duty” league teams

Former Goldman Sachs executive joins Disney Plus

Michael Cerda, former chief product officer of Goldman Sachs’ online consumer bank division, has joined Walt Disney Co.’s Burbank-based team as vice president of product for its new streaming service Disney Plus. Cerda’s experience includes Live Nation Entertainment, Facebook Inc. and Vevo, and he will report to Disney Streaming Services Senior Vice President Jerrell Jimerson, Variety reports.

Activision Blizzard adds five esports franchise teams

Five new esports teams have joined Activision Blizzard Inc.’s growing list of franchised competitive gaming teams. Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Paris and Toronto will host newly created franchise teams to compete in Activision Blizzard’s “Overwatch” League, according to TechCrunch. In an earnings call May 2, Activision Chief Executive Bobby Kotick said the company will “announce additional owners and markets later this year.”

Endeavor plans increased content offerings

Beverly Hills-headquartered talent agency Endeavor already produces a podcast starring Oscar winner Rami Malek and a popular podcast featuring WWE wrestlers Nikki and Brie Bella, but it wants to expand its offerings. The company has roughly a dozen new projects in its pipeline including a documentary podcast produced with Intellectual Property Corp. about rapper Meek Mill’s time in prison and exoneration fight, and a show produced by Dick Wolf set to release this fall, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.