ESPN elevated Marie Donoghue to exec VP global strategy and original content, a role in which the 16-year veteran of the sports programmer oversees business affairs, business affairs and gaming and partnerships groups.
Donoghue, who continues to report to ESPN president John Skipper, was previously SVP of global strategy, business affairs and business development. Variety named Donoghue to its Power of Women: New York Impact List in April 2014.
“Marie possesses that rare combination of strategic business acumen and creative content development skills,” Skipper said in a statement. “Her expertise will be instrumental as ESPN continues to evolve.”
Donoghue first joined ESPN in 1998 from Starwave Ventures, which produced ESPN’s early Internet products. In 2007, she was promoted to SVP of business affairs and business development and was promoted to SVP global strategy and business affairs and business development in January 2012. Donoghue’s portfolio expanded in 2012 to include the management of ESPN Films and more recently FiveThirtyEight, Nate Silver’s stats-driven website acquired from the New York Times.
In March, ESPN formed Exit 31, which consolidated ESPN Films, FiveThirtyEight and Grantland into one group under Donoghue. Prior to joining ESPN, Donoghue was an associate for Wall Street law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts and spent two years as senior director of legal affairs for PolyGram Holdings, parent company of Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, Mercury Records and A&M Records.
