Addressing the Deutsche Bank Securities Media and Telecom Conference, Bodenheimer, Co-Chairman of Disney's Media Networks and president of ESPN, said: "We're bullish on continued growth of the company ... we're peddling as fast as we can on every business that serves sports fans."
"Ratings on ESPN are up significantly this year."
ESPN has the security of contracts with all of its 96 million subscribers running until 2010, and a further 80 percent up to 2012, and the network has been "extremely successful in locking up sports rights ... long term," which helps maintain stable distribution rates, he said.
The network's key growth driver, its television business, "continues to be very strong and continues to grow at the same time we are expanding rapidly in digital media," he said.
ESPN's international business also was "growing nicely" and actively looking for new broadcasting rights, including for the upcoming Olympics and English Premier League soccer, he said. "I am bullish on international growth."
