Programming Coordinator, Direct to Consumer

ESPN’s Direct to Consumer team oversees the content, performance, operations, strategic growth, and partnerships of ESPN’s Direct to Consumer services, including ESPN+.

The Programming Coordinator, Direct to Consumer will support the team in ESPN’s Direct to Consumer strategy across all platforms, including content prioritization, content communication, and partner management. The Coordinator will support all content related planning, operational and technical related processes, be responsible for daily QA of the offering, and coordinate across business units as needed. The Coordinator contributes to the content strategy workflows to maximize subscriber growth, viewership, value, and revenue.

The role handles Direct to Consumer’s school production program for college sports, including serving as the main day-to-day partner for schools and for the strategic programming of their content, which includes upwards of 20,000+ events. The coordinator operates daily maintenance of ESPN+, managing metadata and operational needs, and serving the critical needs of our partner schools.

The right person for this role is a self-starter, eager to learn, well-versed in the streaming media ecosystem and experienced in navigating cross-functional relationships within and outside of an organization.  This person has exceptional communication and organizational skills and can work across stakeholders to build consensus around strategies and opportunities. This person will also have knowledge and interest direct-to-consumer technology, sports rights, and programming. This person thinks big, learns quickly, and approaches everything with enthusiasm. Finally, this person has an interest in adapting to our ever-changing industry, and similarly, the candidate should expect that this role and its day-to-day responsibilities may also change to adapt to the needs of the team, specific initiatives, launches, and more.  If you are passionate about crafting and executing ideas that will continue the transformation of our media landscape, then this is a phenomenal role for you.

Responsibilities:

• Responsibilities across the Direct-to-Consumer business, including management of the commercial distribution networks, competitive tracking of industry trends, and support of our growing ESPN presence across Hulu and Disney+ (in collaboration with key stakeholders in Editorial, Product, Distribution, and Data/Analytics).
• Assist in content planning, on-service merchandising, slate management, and programming insights that contribute to a cohesive strategic content approach for the services.
• Ensure timely and effective communication of programming information to the Direct-to-Consumer team, and across multiple departments.
• Manage long-term and ad-hoc projects to support the broader strategy of the Direct-to-Consumer team and ESPN overall.
• Collaborate cross functionally to ensure projects deadlines.
• Expand and strengthen relationships with key partners to drive mutual growth and success.
• Lead cross-functional workstreams and facilitate internal collaboration.
• Build well-organized presentations, including for presentation to senior leadership, explaining complex situations clearly and simply.
• QA the Direct to Consumer offering on all platforms, and supply feedback.
• Works as a member of the Programming Department at large to contribute to the overall strategy for the company across platforms.
• Champion new and innovative approaches, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Proactively contribute innovative ideas to continue to grow our businesses.

Qualifications:

• Proficient computer skills, emphasis on Microsoft Office and Google suite
• Practiced user of new media platforms
• General knowledge of the sports media and streaming industries
• Basic knowledge and passion for emerging competitive digital video products and platforms
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the capability to interact across levels and support decision-making
• Highly organized and efficient person. Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate, high-quality work
• Motivated to work in a complex and high energy environment
• High level of curiosity and self-motivation in digging deeper into data/trends and driving impactful insights
• Proactive by nature and comfortability with problem-solving and navigating through ambiguity
• Highly collaborative with a team-first attitude
• Effectively manage multiple demands for self and others
• Quickly adapt to new technologies and thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum one year of experience in the sports media industry, direct-to-consumer, television programming and/or sports league/team/college conference environment
• Strong overall sports knowledge 
• Exceptional quantitative and analytical abilities
• High level of partner management and interpersonal skills
• Strong working knowledge of ESPN’s digital platforms, as well as knowledge of content scheduler and/or Media Central
• Experience with Airtable
• General familiarity with reading and comprehending legal contracts
• General familiarity with media and footage rights
• Strong presentation skills

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s degree

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