ESPN named Justin Connolly, who has headed up college networks (including the SEC Network), as new head of distribution at ESPN and Disney networks, following the recently announced plans by Sean Bratches and David Preschlack to leave at year's end. Before overseeing the successfully launched SEC Network, Connolly spent a decade in ESPN affiliate sales and he had been speculated as a possible successor to Preschlack. Connolly's new title is the one Preschlack held, executive vice president, Disney & ESPN Affiliate Sales and Marketing.

ESPN also elevated Ed Erhardt to president, global sales & marketing, enhancing his portfolio with consumer marketing, ad sales and research. Bratches, who was the longtime head of ESPN distribution efforts, had seen his role expand over the years to include ad sales and other roles, and Preschlack rose to oversee distribution. Pictured: Erhardt left, Connolly right.

Here is the ESPN release:

Two company veterans, Ed Erhardt and Justin Connolly, have been elevated to key positions within ESPN and Disney Media Networks, respectively.

Erhardt, now President, Global Sales & Marketing, will broaden his role to include oversight of consumer marketing, research and advertising sales business operations. In addition to leading an award-winning sales team that provides marketers the widest array of premier multimedia and marketing platforms across the ESPN umbrella, he will be responsible for developing an insights-driven marketing and data organization supporting one of the company’s most important revenue streams: advertising sales. Erhardt will report to John Skipper, ESPN President and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks.

Connolly has been promoted to EVP, Disney & ESPN Affiliate Sales and Marketing. In this role, Connolly will oversee all aspects of domestic distribution and affiliate marketing including affiliate-related business operations for Disney and ESPN Media Networks including ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Fusion, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded, Longhorn Network, SEC ESPN Network, and related Watch, HDTV, video-on-demand, interactive television and retransmission consent agreements for The Walt Disney Company’s eight-owned ABC stations. Based in Bristol and New York, Connolly will report to Skipper and Ben Sherwood, President, Disney/ABC Television Group and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks, working closely with Ben Pyne, President, Global Distribution, Disney Media Networks.

Skipper said: “Ed and Justin have been at the forefront in developing industry-shaping sales initiatives during some of the most exciting times in our company’s history. They are best-suited to create new opportunities for ESPN in the most dynamic media landscape ever.”

Sherwood said: “An outstanding and strategic executive, Justin has a long track record of developing and executing innovative revenue opportunities for Disney/ABC Television, elevating not only our strong brands and services, but those of our distributors. His extensive understanding of our industry from both a distribution and programming perspective is tremendously valuable as we work with distribution partners to create new opportunities that better serve our consumers. I look forward to working with him.”

Erhardt said: “Connecting marketing, data, research and sales more closely is the next step in responding to the changing advertising landscape, and it will position ESPN at the center of where the business is going. Providing our customers with insights that drive their business is critical. The special relationship sports fans have with the ESPN brand provides us with a unique opportunity to innovate with data and creativity, in order to connect our customers’ brands with our fans at scale.”

Connolly said: “I grew up in affiliate sales and appreciate all the work they do, especially after getting SEC Network in more households at launch than any other new network. I’m looking forward to pressing ahead and working with the team on distribution strategies that will meet the growing demands of viewers and their desire to watch the industry’s best news, sports and kids content in entertainment across all screens.”

Erhardt’s leadership at ESPN – spanning 16 years – has been defined by continued innovation in serving advertisers. He worked with Skipper in establishing the industry’s first integrated sales organization across media platforms, widely hailed as the model for future media marketing and selling. His sales and marketing group is ranked at the top of the industry by Myers Reports and Beta Research year after year in innovation and integrated marketing success. Erhardt previously worked at Advertising Age, where he served in a variety of roles which culminated as Vice President/Group Publisher, responsible for all content and business operations. During that time, he was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement.

Connolly was formerly Senior Vice President of College Networks, which included the oversight of the SEC Network, the most successful new network ever launched in cable history. Prior to that, he spent 10 years in affiliate sales and marketing for Disney and ESPN Media Networks, most recently as Senior Vice President of National Accounts. In that capacity, he played a central role in developing the company’s long-term distribution strategy. He recently was selected to the Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame. Prior to joining ESPN, Connolly worked in the corporate finance group for The Walt Disney Company’s corporate treasury department in Burbank, Calif.

Justin Connolly believes he has momentum – not to mention Ole Miss and supporters of the conference’s other 13 schools – on the distribution and programming side of the ball ahead of the SEC Network’s upcoming debut.

ESPN's senior vice president of college networks is gearing up as the SEC Network -- ESPN's venture with the Southeastern Conference -- moves closer to its Aug. 14 kickoff.  Over its freshman season, the network will televise 450 events and present another 550 digital-exclusive live conference contests on SECNetwork.com and WatchESPN.

“We have some real momentum as we move closer to launch. Things are really starting to heat up,” said Connolly during a recent phone interview from the service’s offices in Charlotte.

It’s true. ESPN last week inked a carriage contract for the SEC Network with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, which benefits from distribution negotiations from the nation’s No. 2 cable operator.  Add top distributor Comcast, which has a presence in all 11 of the states home to the 14-school conference and earlier deals with Cox, Dish Network, charter affiliate AT&T U-verse, plus others, and SEC Network has commitments to launch in 60 million households in the footprint and throughout the country.

And counting.

“We’re coming into this with significant distribution at this stage.  We have the top three cable operators and leading satellite and telco distributors and are in conversations with everybody else,” said Connolly. “I’m confident we’re going to get more deals done, but until things are actually signed, a contract is just a piece of paper.”

Connolly, who moved his family to Charlotte and has made trips to all 14 SEC campuses, said conference fans, students and alumni are pumped. “Everywhere I go, people say, ‘You have to get a deal with…’ ‘Is that your provider?’ I ask. ‘That’s my provider.’ "

At this point, Connolly and the SEC Network’s targets remain DBS leader DirecTV, telco Verizon FiOS, which has a presence in SEC states Florida and Texas, and Charter, which operates in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Officials at DirecTV, Verizon and Charter all indicated that their companies continue to negotiate with ESPN for the SEC Network.

SEC Network also has yet to strike a master agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, many of whose members operate in the 11 SEC states.

Connolly and ESPN officials would not discuss the SEC Network's rate card. Published reports suggest that the channel is fetching a $1.40 monthly subscriber fee within the conference footprint and a quarter everywhere else.

Echoing ESPN president John Skipper's goal of attaining similar levels of carriage as broader collegiate service, ESPNU, Connolly said the SEC Network’s affiliate goals are aimed toward “the benchmark” of having the top level of penetration within the conference footprint and the second-level out of market.

“We seem to be getting that mix,” he said, while noting that there is a difference in “the carriage we have in Alabama, than in Oregon.”  

Those receiving the network will witness a three-hour wraparound welcome party, starting at 5 p.m. (CT) on Aug. 14. Programming will emanate from Charlotte with cutaways to campus locations.  Network talent from Brent Musburger and Tim Tebow to Greg McElroy and Paul Finebaum, and many others, will provide updates on conference happenings and what subscribers can expect to see.

“We want to give viewers a flavor for what the network will be about, and for those who don’t know, show them some of the reasons why the SEC is different,” said Connolly.

The network’s early days will also see previews of each of the teams from the nation’s preeminent collegiate pigskin circuit, and encores of 67 classic games from its past.

Connolly said the worldwide leader will also ramp up production on more SEC Storied documentaries, from the creators of the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning “30 for 30” franchise.

Four films are currently in the can, covering the iconic trio of Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas at Auburn University in the 1980s; South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier and his long history with the conference; the tragic story of Ole Miss defensive back Chucky Mullins and Vanderbilt running back Brad Gaines; and the devotion of 14 famous SEC fans.

The latter, The Stars Are Aligned, will air on premiere night at 9 p.m., as director Andy Billman shines the spotlight on such notables as Ashley Judd , Darius Rucker, James Carville and Governor Rick Perry as they profess their devotions to the SEC and their schools.

The output game plan, according to Connolly, calls for 10 SEC Storied entries annually.  They will vary in length from 90-, 60- and 30-minutes, with some launching on ESPNU and others on SEC Network.

The network will also feature SEC Now, its version of SportsCenter five days a week, and SEC Nation, a two-hour version of GameDay, that will be making dedicated conference campus stops and setting the stage for football action.

“It’s hard to get away from the shadow of the great programming on ESPN,” explained Connolly.

Before the football season begins on Aug. 28 with Texas A&M Aggies visiting Spurrier’s Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, subscribers can get an early read on Kentucky’s men’s basketball team. The 2014 NCAA Division I national runner up will engage in the Big Blue Bahamas tour, with contests scheduled against the Dominican Republic national team, the Puerto Rico national team reserves and French first-division club team Champagne Chalons-Reims Basket from Aug. 15-17, as part of a larger competition against those squads.

With its 45-game football slate, SEC Network will feature all of the conference’s squads during the first four weeks of the season.  Each of the first two weeks features six games, before the network settles into tripleheader mode.

Connolly explained that the network will be home to top-level action. While SEC broadcast partner CBS gets first crack at the weekly schedule under the rights structure, “ESPN controls the rest of the inventory,” said Connolly.  As such, matchups will be designated for exposure on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network over the course of the campaign.

SEC Network also plans to give viewers a chance to relive the glory of the past weekend, or lament what might have been with enhanced, film room recaps.

“We’re looking to get the coaches to break down some points of the games,” said Connolly.