VP Brand & Sports Marketing

VP Brand & Sports Marketing

ESPN's Sports Marketing organization is a centralized team of strategic marketers responsible for driving audience growth, fan engagement, and integrated marketing strategy across ESPN's sports marketing properties, platforms, and brands. The team leads marketing efforts for premier league and college sports partnerships—including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, College Football, NCAA Championships, WNBA, ACC Network, and SEC Network—while supporting key business priorities across the ESPN app and our direct-to-consumer initiatives.

The organization also serves as a steward of the ESPN brand, leading flagship campaigns, original content marketing, fan experiences, and tentpole events such as the ESPYs. Through audience insights, cultural relevance, innovation, and digital engagement, the team works to expand fandom, connect with emerging audiences, and strengthen ESPN's position at the intersection of sports, culture, and entertainment.

Position Summary

The Vice President, Sports Marketing & Brand is responsible for leading marketing strategy, audience growth, and fan engagement across a diverse portfolio of sports marketing properties, brand initiatives, fan experiences, and consumer-facing platforms. This leader will oversee integrated marketing efforts spanning live sports, college sports networks, brand campaigns, fan marketing, and consumer products, while driving meaningful connections between fans and ESPN's content, talent, and platforms.

The Vice President will serve as a key strategic partner across ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, collaborating with stakeholders across Programming, Content, Product, Research, Communications, Distribution, Ad Sales, and Direct-to-Consumer businesses. This leader will be responsible for shaping innovative marketing strategies that strengthen ESPN's brand, expand audiences, deepen fandom, and drive business results across a rapidly evolving media landscape.

What You'll Do

Sports Marketing Properties & Audience Growth

• Lead integrated marketing strategy for ESPN's portfolio of sports marketing properties, including ACC Network, SEC Network, WNBA, College sports, NCAA Championships, and other key league and conference partnerships.

• Drive audience growth, fan engagement, and business performance through innovative, data-driven marketing strategies that deepen fandom and expand reach across both existing and emerging audiences.

• Leverage audience insights, fan behavior, digital engagement trends, and cultural relevance to strengthen ESPN's connection with fans across streaming, social, mobile, and future platforms.

Brand Marketing & Fan Experience

• Shape and execute ESPN's brand marketing strategy across flagship campaigns, original content, tentpole events, fan experiences, and cultural moments, including initiatives such as the NFL Draft, College GameDay, and the ESPYs.

• Develop integrated campaigns and experiential programs that strengthen brand affinity, create memorable fan connections, and position ESPN at the intersection of sports, culture, and entertainment.

• Oversee consumer products and licensing marketing initiatives to extend the ESPN brand and deepen fan engagement beyond content consumption.

Innovation & Business Impact

• Champion innovative marketing approaches that leverage emerging technologies, AI-enabled capabilities, audience intelligence, and evolving consumer behaviors.

• Partner across ESPN and The Walt Disney Company to develop marketing strategies that support audience acquisition, engagement, retention, and long-term business growth.

• Lead strategic planning, resource allocation, and budget management across a diverse portfolio of properties and initiatives.

Leadership & Strategic Partnership

• Build, develop, and inspire a high-performing organization through empathetic leadership, coaching, mentorship, and a commitment to inclusion and collaboration.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, league partners, and key stakeholders, influencing strategic priorities and driving alignment across complex, matrixed organizations.

• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning while developing the next generation of marketing leaders.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 12 years of experience leading sports marketing, brand marketing, media, entertainment, streaming, or consumer-facing businesses, including leadership of high-performing teams.

• Proven success developing integrated marketing strategies that drive audience growth, fan engagement, brand affinity, and measurable business results across sports marketing properties, brands, and platforms.

• Deep understanding of fan behavior, digital audience engagement, streaming, social ecosystems, emerging technologies, and the evolving sports and media landscape.

• Expertise building brands through impactful storytelling, integrated campaigns, experiential marketing, and culturally relevant consumer experiences.

• Excellent business acumen with the ability to leverage audience insights, data, and innovation to drive growth and influence strategic decision-making.

• An empathetic, transparent and inclusive leader with exceptional executive presence, communication skills, and the ability to influence stakeholders across complex, matrixed organizations.

• Passion for sports, culture, and innovation, with a growth mindset and commitment to shaping the future of fan engagement.

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Additional Information

Ability to travel to sporting events, industry conferences, and partner meetings, and work evenings and weekends as business needs require.