Who is Dave Barbuto? ESPN whistleblower Sage Steele marries businessman

Former ESPN host Sage Steele recently announced her marriage to businessman Dave Barbuto. Sage shared the news in an Instagram post on September 9, 2025, accompanied by pictures of the couple celebrating with close ones in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sage previously announced her engagement in a separate Instagram post dated April 24, writing:

"Sometimes it takes a while to find your person. Maybe even decades. But when you know, YOU KNOW. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey. It was worth the wait. Dave, I am so excited & beyond grateful to be doing life with you! 🙏🏽❤💍"

Dave Barbuto is an entrepreneur who became the Chief Executive Officer of uBreakiFix by Asurion in 2021, overseeing the company's overall operations and resources.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Dave, who also served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army for eight years, worked as an operations manager at CSX. He first joined Asurion in 2006 as a Senior Director of Call Center Operations, later becoming Vice President of Customer Solutions from January 2015 to April 2021. He completed his bachelor's degree from Creighton University in 1998.

According to the Financial Technology Report, uBreakiFix is a repair provider for top tech devices, which partnered with Microsoft in January 2025. The collaboration allows the company to service Xbox consoles using authentic Microsoft parts, tools, and training.

Asurion acquired the company in 2019. The company, which began as a single store in Orlando in 2009, saw Dave take over as CEO from founder and CEO Justin Witherill.

Per his LinkedIn description, Dave's company has nearly 700 stores across the U.S. and Canada, "helping millions of customers get reconnected to what matters most."

"Our goal is to be a one-stop shop, no matter the product or problem," Dave said in a statement.

Who was Sage Steele married to before Dave Barbuto?

Sage Steele was previously married to Jonathan Bailey. The couple tied the knot on October 30, 1999, and welcomed their daughter, Quinn, on May 23, 2022. They also have a son, Nicholas, born in 2004, and a second daughter, Evan, born in 2006.

Meanwhile, according to his Instagram bio, Dave Barbuto is a father of two kids, whom he frequently features in his posts.

In a September 10, 2025, episode of the Sage Steele podcast, Sage and Dave revealed that they first met on November 12, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Tomahawk charity event.

She explained that her best friend invited her to the event when she met Dave, who introduced himself by saying that their mothers knew each other and that he used to play basketball with her brother, Chad.

"And the story goes that your mom and my mom used to help volunteer at a convent for retired nuns in Kansas in the very early 90s and have kept in touch and been friends for more than 30 years because of that. No matter where my parents have moved your parents have stayed, but my parents have moved. They've kept in touch for 32 years," Sage said.

Describing how she felt about Dave at the moment, Steele added:

"And at that moment, the conversation was legitimate. It was very much like, 'Oh, wait a minute,' and I was so intrigued. And you were polite and very calm, was what I noticed. A very cool, calm confidence," she added.

They also revealed that they had their first date in Whole Foods.

"I was so nervous because I'm trying to remember what I was wearing. It was cold here," she said.

Steele was previously a host at ESPN, which she joined in 2007. In 2021, following controversial remarks during a podcast, she was taken off the air for several days and removed from major assignments. In May 2022, she filed a lawsuit against the network.

They later settled the lawsuit in August 2023, after which she departed from the Bristol, Connecticut-based company. Announcing her exit from the network in a social media post dated August 15, Steele stated:

"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely. I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!"

Life update.
Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely. I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!#SteeleStrong

— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) August 15, 2023

The full conversation between Dave Barbuto and Sage Steele is available on Sage's official YouTube channel, The Sage Steele Show.