After over two decades at Disney, platform distribution president Justin Connolly has exited the entertainment giant to join YouTube as its global head of media and sports, an individual familiar with the matter confirmed to TheWrap.
Connolly’s exit comes as Disney is preparing to launch its ESPN streaming service this fall ahead of carriage negotiations with YouTube TV – discussions that he has previously led on behalf of Disney.
On Thursday, Disney sued YouTube and Connolly in state court in Los Angeles alleging breach of contract, tortious interference with contractual relations and unfair competition. Per the complaint, Connolly signed a new three-year contract with Disney in November, which included a one-time right to terminate effective March 1, 2027, so long as he provided written notice no later than Dec. 31, 2026.
“Connolly has intimate knowledge of Disney’s other distribution deals, the financial details concerning Disney’s content being licensed to YouTube, and Disney’s negotiation strategies, both in general and in particular with respect to
YouTube,” Disney’s lawyers wrote. “It would be extremely prejudicial to Disney for Connolly to breach the contract which he negotiated just a few months ago and switch teams when Disney is working on a new licensing deal with the company that is trying to poach him.”
Disney said it first became aware of the offer from YouTube in April and that Connolly formally resigned on May 16 and did not respond when asked when he would be starting at YouTube. The company is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions.
A representative for YouTube did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment on the lawsuit.
At the Alphabet-owned video platform, he will oversee partnerships with major media companies, including Disney, as well as sports leagues. His oversight will include distribution deals for YouTube TV, which has more than 8 million subscribers, and the company’s live sports portfolio, per a memo from YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe.
Since 2019, Connolly has been tasked with overseeing Disney’s third-party media sales efforts for distribution, affiliate-related business operations for all of its direct-to-consumer services and linear media networks, and content sales agreements for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. He first joined Disney in 2003 as director of ESPN strategy and operations and went on to serve in various roles including executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing, senior vice president of college networks and vice president of distribution strategy.
Disney’s platform distribution and platform distribution strategy executive vice presidents Sean Breen and Jimmy Zasowski will serve as interim leaders of the division as the company figures out next steps.
