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Location

Bristol, CT | United States

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Job description

Job Summary:

The Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions is responsible for league sports rights acquisition, programming strategy and the day-to-day management of the professional and youth baseball, softball, and hockey categories (MLB, NHL, LLBI, etc.) from a Programming perspective working across the full portfolio of The Walt Disney Company’s (TWDC) business divisions and departments to optimize the investment in the categories. 

This senior leader is responsible for all business activities related to the assigned programming categories’ maximizing ratings and revenue and is a resource for the rest of the company to draw upon for strategy, direction and new business initiatives related to ESPN’s programming assets and the contractual rights set.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as best-in-class leader for their team of reports, for their established sports categories with key stakeholders across TWDC, and externally with existing and potential partners.
• Establishes vision and Programming strategy; identifies sports properties for acquisition; leads negotiation of multi-media sports rights agreements with external rights holders; works to maximize these rights across platforms while cultivating strong, productive relationships with the sport’s business leads. 
• Envisions, proposes, and operationalizes initiatives across the portfolio of ESPN businesses to maximize viewership and return on investment for all assigned properties across TWDC. 
• All business issues and activities regarding the assigned sports categories are to be coordinated through this senior leader’s office.  
• Manages the Programming budget and P&L for assigned categories. 
• Is the central point of contact for ESPN and TWDC at large with the rights holders.  
• Establishes oneself as an expert and is knowledgeable about all initiatives related to each property throughout all divisions and departments of the company and in the competitive marketplace. 
• Manages the preparation of all necessary acquisitions’ documentation including profit/loss analysis, approved agreement term sheets, and contractual agreements in conjunction with ESPN strategy and legal services. 
• Provide leadership, development and mentorship to the team and champion a collaborative, equitable and inclusive culture.
• Interfacing with and leading interdepartmentally:
• Content Strategy & Scheduling regarding program or event scheduling
• Disney Advertising & Sales regarding commercial opportunities and obligations
• Platform Distribution regarding affiliate opportunities and relations
• Marketing regarding marketing and promotional opportunities and obligations
• Communications regarding media coverage and publicity
• Content regarding production approach, innovation, digital and social
• Program Finance regarding profit/loss statements, long -term planning, program profitability, annual financial plan budgeting and quarterly forecasting

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of diversified experience in setting vision/strategy, negotiations, television and digital programming, television production, or sports marketing and sales  
• Strategic thinking – demonstrated experience setting and articulating strategic vision and leading teams to develop action plans consisting of clear and measurable goals
• Demonstrated experience building and leading high performing teams 
• Demonstrated exceptional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong relationships and work collaboratively with top executives and key stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• Has already-existing strong relationships in the professional and college sports space
• Must be comfortable and effective presenting to senior executives
• Knowledge of the sports television and digital landscape, including Direct-to-Consumer
• Knowledge of the P&L process, Nielsen research & ratings and other analytic and data-based tools used in business decisions

Required Education :

• Bachelor's Degree

#ESPNMedia

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Salary