ESPN Reveals Sweeping Content Reorganization Under Burke Magnus

As I read through this reorganization announcement from Burke, it’s clear that he has a deep understanding of the intricacies of ESPN and the sports world. With his extensive background in content creation and operations, it’s no surprise that he is steering the ship towards even greater success.

ESPN is undergoing significant restructuring in its content management, as outlined by its content president Burke Magnus. This new organizational setup aims to promote key figures, while also leading to departures of certain employees.

In a memo to ESPN staff on Monday, Magnus announced that these changes aim to make our company more agile, cooperative, and forward-thinking. We are dedicated to fostering the growth of our employees, and this restructure will offer fresh opportunities or advancements for those who are broadening their roles or seizing new chances.

At the helm of the latest structure, you’ll find Mike McQuade, a seasoned 37-year ESPN veteran who has been appointed as the Executive Vice President of sports production. His responsibilities will involve supervising production and studio shows that are dedicated to specific sports. Meanwhile, David Roberts will serve as both Executive Vice President and Executive Editor for sports news and entertainment. His role will encompass overseeing ESPN’s news operation, as well as non-sport specific programming such as First Take, SportsCenter, and The Pat McAfee Show.

From now on, Magnus has designated Roberts, McQuade, Kaitee Daley, Freddy Rolón, Brian Lockhart, Chris Calcinari, and Nick Parsons as his direct reports. He also mentioned that with the adoption of this new organizational setup, there may be some job reductions. However, he emphasized that this change will also present fresh prospects for our team members.

“He acknowledged that changes and adjustments can be challenging, but stated that this restructuring has been designed to optimize the Content department for both current and future operations, providing chances for colleagues throughout the organization to develop and flourish. We will adapt the framework to mirror our business’s ongoing transformation, and it’s essential for everyone to adopt a mindset that embraces change.”

As a devoted sports enthusiast, I find myself witnessing a pivotal phase in ESPN’s journey. They are currently mapping out a premier streaming service for the upcoming year, all while securing a long-term contract with the NBA. Magnus, in his insightful piece, highlighted that this fresh organizational structure is the result of extensive discussions with around 75 ESPN executives from various ranks within the company.

“Magnus stated that our Content team is currently at the forefront of the industry, and these upcoming actions will solidify our leading role even more, allowing us to consistently deliver sports content whenever and wherever fans want it, while also continuing to generate value and outcomes for The Walt Disney Company.”

You can read his full memo, below.

Dear Colleagues,

Starting from May, we’ve been devising a strategy to revamp our department, aimed at boosting collaboration, streamlining functions, enhancing alignment, and reallocating resources towards expanding sectors. To find the most effective structure, we consulted Disney’s organizational development team, who interviewed approximately 75 ESPN stakeholders. With their suggestions and thorough consideration, I am excited to unveil our new departmental structure.

By making these changes, I am confident that we’ll operate with greater strategy, teamwork, and agility as we strive for excellence across all aspects of our work. Rest assured, we remain dedicated to fostering employee growth, and this restructuring will create fresh opportunities or advancements for those taking on expanded roles or new challenges.

A primary takeaway from the interviews was the suggestion to streamline studio, production, and editorial operations for improved efficiency and creativity. To that end, our Sports Production team, headed by Mike McQuade, will encompass sport-specific productions as well as studio shows. Conversely, our Sports News & Entertainment team, under David Roberts’ leadership, will focus on integrating and centralizing cross-platform editorial, news, coverage, and non-sport specific studio programs such as SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up, The Pat McAfee Show, ATH, PTI. This reorganization aims to foster a more unified approach across our sports content offerings.

In assuming leadership of ESPN’s fresh Sports Production team, longtime ESPN employee Mike McQuade has been elevated to the position of EVP. Previously, Mike served as a producer for various sports events such as the Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open, NHL, Boxing, Golf (Masters & PGA Championship), and SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt – a program he played a significant role in creating. Among his numerous achievements, Mike skillfully led our coverage as producer of the breaking news about Scottie Scheffler’s arrest, demonstrating his capability to swiftly direct teams responsible for crucial content with precision and excellence. Apart from his extensive background in production, Mike is renowned for his storytelling abilities across various platforms, innovative thinking, meticulous attention to detail, and relentless pursuit of results. Additionally, he is a mentor who values investing time in employees at all levels. Mike will be moving to Bristol. Further details regarding Mike’s new team and the structure of his group can be found below.

Moving forward, a key suggestion is to simplify and consolidate our digital, social media, and streaming operations. This would facilitate cross-platform collaboration and strategic discussions, all guided by a single leader – Kaitee Daley. The aim is to broaden our reach and prepare for the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) phase of our growth.

Furthermore, we’re unifying our International Production team, ESPN Deportes and International Editorial teams, as well as the Business Operations for International, all under the guidance of a single manager – Freddy Rolón. This move aims to strengthen our global sports influence.

As a fan, I’m excited to share that the SIG group is being restructured into two main divisions – Research and ESPN Stats & Analysis. The Research team, which plays a crucial role in enhancing our storytelling capabilities, will now work more closely with the News & Entertainment group, headed by Maria Soares, under David Roberts. On the other hand, the Stats & Analysis team, essential for our digital strategy, is moving to the Digital, Social & Streaming Content team, led by Kaitee Daley, and will be supervised by Nicole Pelaez-Dandrea in specific.

To clarify, the individuals who report directly to me are David Roberts, Mike McQuade, Kaitlyn Daley, Freddy Rolon, Brian Lockhart, Chris Calcinari, and Nick Parsons.

David Roberts, EVP, Executive Editor, Sports News & Entertainment

David has excelled in his role managing our NBA and WNBA assets as well as our studio programming. I want to express my gratitude for the outstanding progress he’s achieved with both leagues and our daily shows, which have seen impressive growth. David will now shift his focus to Sports News and Entertainment, and his team members will be SVP Maria Soares (heading our centralized Sports News and Coverage, including Research and Digital Editorial), SVP Mike Foss (overseeing Sports Studio and Entertainment, including SportsCenter), and VP Chris Buckle (responsible for Investigative and Enterprise Journalism).

1. In this organization, the following individuals report to Maria Soares: David Kraft (VP of Newsgathering), Lauren Reynolds (VP of Digital Editorial in the Universal Coverage Group), Kristie Blasi (Sr. Director of Research & Bottomline), Jack Obringer (VP of Wraps, Sales, Integration, and Editorial Graphics Producers), and Stacey Pressman (Sr. Director of Talent Producers).

Mike McQuade, in his position as Executive Vice President for Sports Production, will oversee a team of four direct reports. Mark Gross, currently SVP, will manage events and studios for the NFL, Monday Night Football, Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, University Football League, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Boxing, and Golf. Another yet-to-be-determined SVP will handle events and studios for the NBA, WNBA, NHL, College Ice Hockey, and Tennis. Meg Aronowitz, as an SVP, will look after events and studios for Major League Baseball, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, NCAA Women’s and Men’s Basketball, School Control Rooms, College Baseball, Pro and College Softball, Girls and Boys Little League World Series. Lastly, Kate Jackson, in her role as VP, will be responsible for Wrestling, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Field Hockey, College and Professional Lacrosse, Special Olympics, Formula One, and special event productions such as the ESPYS.

Reporting to Mark Gross: VP Steve Ackels (MNF), VP Seth Markman (NFL and CFB studio shows), and a new VP Sports Production role for the Super Bowl will be posted. As you know, with our most recent NFL agreement, ABC/ESPN joined the Super Bowl rotation, with this outstanding opportunity beginning with the 2026 season, on Feb. 14, 2027. This new VP position will enable us to fully focus our resources and efforts on creating another defining moment for this company with our Super Bowl. In addition, VP Amanda Gifford (CFB, CFP, UFL), VP Shawn Murphy (CFB, CFB Spring Games, Boxing), and VP Glenn Jacobs (UFC) will report to Mark. While Golf will move to Mark Gross, Mike McQuade will continue to cover until a plan is in place.
Until the new SVP is determined, the following colleagues will interim report to Mike McQuade: VP Tim Corrigan (merging NBA and WNBA responsibilities), newly promoted VP Linda Schulz (NHL Studio and Event and College Ice Hockey), Coordinating Producer II Hilary Guy, Coordinating Producer I Terrell Bouza, and a new VP Sports Production role for NBA and WNBA Studio shows that will be posted. Tennis will continue to report to Mike McQuade until a plan is in place.
Reporting to Meg Aronowitz: VP David Ceisler (Women’s and Men’s CBB, LLWS), VP Phil Orlins (MLB and Technology), newly promoted VP Pete Watters (SECN), Coordinating Producer II Andy Green (Non-traditional Productions), Sr. Managing Producer Dan Kole (School Control Room and Packager Services), and a new VP Sports Production role for ACCN and NCAA Studio that will be posted.
Reporting to Kate Jackson: Coordinating Producer I Erika Galbraith (Lacrosse, Volleyball), Coordinating Producer II Aaron Katzman (CBB GameDay, NBA Draft, college soccer, and beach volleyball), and a Coordinating Producer I role to be posted.

Kaitee Daley, SVP, Digital, Social & Streaming Content

Kaitee’s strategic approach to social media has significantly contributed to ESPN becoming a highly successful, forward-thinking, and interactive brand on social platforms. As we move forward as a leading digital sports platform, Kaitee will revert to her digital media background to oversee audience engagement across ESPN mobile apps, streaming, SEO, and Stats & Analysis. This role will be under the supervision of VP Nicole Pelaez-Dandrea (ESPN Digital Audience Engagement). Additionally, VP Celia Bouza (Multi-Platform Video) will continue to report to Kaitee while taking on oversight of YouTube and digital video. Kaitiee’s direct subordinates also include Senior Director Amanda Anderson (Social Operations and Audience Expansion) and Senior Director Brett Edgerton (Social Sports and Partnerships), with Omar Raja maintaining his position as talent and social strategist. New roles will be created in the expanding areas of Digital Product Alignment, Direct-To-Consumer, and Social.

Reporting to Celia Bouza: Sr. Director Josh Barbarotta (Digital Video Content & Solutions), Sr. Director Jeremy Fitch (YouTube), and Sr. Director Max Kelley (Social Production & Creative).
Reporting to Nicole Pelaez-Dandrea: Sr. Director Nick Loucks (Mobile Apps), Sr. Director Emily Schaible (SEO, Content Optimization), Sr. Director Patrick Caulfield (ESPN Stats & Analysis), Director Erin Spraw (Audience Engagement), and Sr. Director Dominic Ridgard (Streaming).
Reporting to Amanda Anderson: Sr. Manager Lauren Giudice (Women’s Sports, espnW, Social Referrals), Digital Video Producer II Justin Rockhold (Snapchat, Platform Development), Sr. Manager Arthur Kogan (Audience Expansion), and Sr. Manager Ann Drinkard (Social Operations).
Reporting to Brett Edgerton: Director Annie Dunbar (Social College Sports), Director Nicole Williams (Social Pro Sports), and Manager Mike Powers (Social Sponsorship).

Freddy Rolón, Head of Global Sports & Talent Office

In his esteemed role at ESPN and across the industry, Freddy’s leadership is widely respected. He’ll leverage his skills in audience expansion and content strategy to progress a unified department that combines Production, Editorial, and Business Operations teams, all focusing on global sports. This new position for Freddy arrives at a critical juncture as we embark on our agreement starting from the 2025-26 NBA season, where Disney’s international streaming package of NBA and WNBA games will be accessible on its digital platforms, marking a significant expansion of global sports for Disney. In addition to this role, Freddy will supervise the Talent Office, an essential function supporting the entire organization, as well as ESPN NEXT, our highly successful early-career program, aiding in its ongoing growth through his extensive experience as a mentor, advisor, and leader. Reporting to Freddy are SVP Rodolfo Martinez (International and ESPN Deportes Production), VP Rosetta Ellis-Pilie (Talent Development and Negotiations), VP Oscar Ramos (Global Digital Editorial and ESPN Deportes), and newly promoted VP Stan Thomas (Cross-Platform Development & Business Operations, focusing on international). Many thanks to Celia Bouza for her exceptional leadership of the NEXT program over the past 5 years. A Senior Director of ESPN NEXT will report to Freddy, with the position to be filled shortly.

Brian Lockhart, SVP, Original Content

The exceptional storytelling abilities of Brian have significantly boosted our Original Content and Films. Notably, his latest achievements encompass ESPN+’s new original series, In The Arena: Serena Williams, as well as a captivating lineup of 30 for 30s this summer. Moving forward, Brian will continue to manage Original Content, Business Affairs, and Talent Relations, and will now also supervise the award-winning Features group. His team includes Vice Presidents Marsha Cooke (ESPN Films), Lindsay Rovegno (ESPN Originals), Andy Tennant (E60, Content Integration), Craig Lazarus (Original Content and Features), Heather Anderson (Original Content and Business Affairs), Chantre Camack (Talent Relations), and Kati Fernandez (Original Content Development). The responsibilities of Craig, previously in SCEU/CCU, led by Julie McGlone, will now fall under Mike Foss’s organization with Julie reporting directly to Mike. Vice President Jose Morales (Features) will still report to Craig. This update comes from Chris Calcinari, Senior Vice President, Content Operations.

In this new arrangement, Chris will further excel in his leadership role within our Content Operations team. His responsibilities will extend to managing Studio and Remote Operations, as well as assuming oversight of Studio & Event Directing, all under the supervision of VP Scott Favalora. Notably, Scott will now report directly to Chris. The reporting structure for Chris’s other team members remains unchanged: VP Francis Legros (Studio Production Operations), Directors Carlton Young and Dennis Cleary, Executive Director John LaChance (all Remote Production Operations), Director Antwuan Dance (Crewing & Resources), Director Chris Strong (Production Operations Specialists), Director Dan Lannon (REMI Production Operations), and Director Kimberly Kanner (Production & Business Operations). The significance of this function cannot be underestimated; our success depends on the expertise, commitment, and round-the-clock work ethic of Content Operations to satisfy our fans.

Nick Parsons, VP, Content Business Operations

Nick, who has been focused on strategic planning for the Content organization and who will continue to partner with Finance on all Content spending, adds several content-related management operations and planning groups to his team, further ensuring strategic resource management across Content. Reporting to Nick are VP Miranda Thorpe (Charlotte Office and Production Management), VP Christie Dockman (Management Operations) and Sr. Director Marissa Cucolo (Office of the President of Content and Content Business Optimization). Nick will continue to manage our relationship with Omaha Productions.

Each of my direct reports will be reaching out to their teams over the next 24 hours to respond to questions and further explain how their function will operate.

As a part of this reorganization, a few dedicated colleagues will no longer be with the company. With respect and admiration, I thank these colleagues for their commitment to ESPN and have communicated resources to help support them during the transition.

I understand how difficult change and shifts can be. With this reorganization, we have set up the Content organization to best operate now and in the future, while creating opportunities for colleagues across the organization to grow and thrive. We will continue to tweak the structure to reflect the constant evolution of our business, and all of us should embrace change.

Our Content team leads the industry, and these actions will only bolster our dominant role, allowing us to continuously cater to sports enthusiasts, regardless of time or location, while consistently generating value and outcomes for The Walt Disney Company.

Working together, through mutual assistance and joint efforts, we’ll triumph as one unit. I eagerly anticipate our future interactions – details for a comprehensive Content Town Hall gathering will be unveiled within the upcoming weeks.

Thanks,
Burke

2024-08-26 19:56

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