VP, ESPN DTC

VP, ESPN DTC

At ESPN, we are shaping the future of sports storytelling and fan connection through innovation, technology, and world-class content. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence the future of ESPN's direct-to-consumer business while helping redefine how fans engage with sports across platforms and experiences.

The Vice President, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) will serve as a strategic leader responsible for shaping the future of ESPN's DTC business while elevating the organization's overall streaming expertise and capabilities.

This role requires a leader with deep, hands-on experience scaling modern streaming or subscription businesses who can translate that expertise into actionable strategy, operational excellence, and long-term business growth.

The VP, DTC will act as both a functional expert and strategic thought partner, driving subscriber growth, engagement, retention, reporting rigor, and organizational capability across the department.

Partnering closely with senior leaders across ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, this role will help align business priorities, optimize performance, and strengthen ESPN's position within the evolving streaming landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

• Bring deep, hands-on DTC and streaming expertise to help guide ESPN's continued evolution in the direct-to-consumer space.
• Serve as a center of expertise and credibility for modern DTC best practices, introducing scalable frameworks, strategic rigor, and operational insights informed by high-growth streaming environments.
• Develop and execute integrated subscriber growth strategies focused on acquisition, activation, engagement, retention, and lifetime value.
• Lead strategic planning around pricing, packaging, bundling, promotional offers, and partnership opportunities to accelerate business growth.
• Identify emerging consumer trends, audience behaviors, and marketplace shifts to inform future growth strategies and product evolution.
• Partner with Finance and Research teams to develop subscriber forecasts, reporting frameworks, growth models, and performance KPIs.

Lead Cross-Functional Growth Initiatives

• Partner closely with Product, Marketing, Content, Research, Technology, and Operations teams to drive alignment and execution across the DTC roadmap.
• Influence product and platform enhancements through the lens of customer acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• Collaborate with Programming, Product, and Editorial teams to ensure content and consumer strategies are aligned to audience demand and business priorities.
• Work with platform distribution and technical operations teams to optimize partner-specific acquisition and activation strategies.

Optimize Performance Through Data & Insights

• Leverage audience data, platform insights, and consumer analytics to inform strategic decision-making and optimize business performance.
• Establish measurement frameworks and reporting cadences to evaluate campaign effectiveness, subscriber health, and growth opportunities.
• Drive a test-and-learn culture focused on experimentation, innovation, and continuous optimization.
• Bring a modern mindset that incorporates innovation, automation, and emerging AI capabilities to improve workflows, audience understanding, and decision-making.

Build Operational Excellence & Leadership

• Elevate the organization's DTC expertise and strategic capability through mentorship, partnership, and best-practice leadership.
• Translate hands-on streaming and DTC experience into scalable frameworks, processes, and operational excellence.
• Partner with senior leaders across content, strategy, and operations to align priorities, strengthen decision-making, and drive business performance.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives within a highly matrixed organization, balancing strategic vision with operational execution.
• Foster strong partnerships across ESPN and The Walt Disney Company while developing high-performing, collaborative teams and culture.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience across streaming, direct-to-consumer, digital media, growth strategy, or related commercial functions, including hands-on experience within scaled DTC businesses.
• Proven success leading subscriber growth, retention, and commercial strategy within streaming, media, or technology environments.
• Deep understanding of the evolving streaming ecosystem, audience behavior, subscriber reporting, and KPI-driven decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders, drive cross-functional alignment, and elevate organizational capability in complex, matrixed environments.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to translate insights into actionable business strategies.
• Strong operational leadership with experience managing multiple priorities in fast-paced environments.
• Passion for innovation, storytelling, sports, media, and delivering exceptional fan experiences.
• The ability to translate and distill complex, cross-company information into clear and effective executive communications; understanding various audiences and how to convey key details and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within streaming, sports, entertainment, media, or subscription-based businesses.
• Familiarity with platform distribution, partnership ecosystems, and digital product strategy.
• Experience leveraging audience segmentation, lifecycle marketing, experimentation frameworks, and data-informed decision-making.
• Track record of building scalable growth strategies in rapidly evolving consumer environments.

Required Education:

• Bachelor's Degree

The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY is $236,000.00 to $316,500.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.