ESPN Exec Sean Hanrahan Expands Role to Include Brand Marketing

Sean Hanrahan, who has overseen ESPN’s Marketing Solutions group since 2008, has added Brand Marketing to his portfolio. While Marketing Solutions focuses on integrated sales marketing and promotions, the Brand Marketing team is squarely focused on ESPN’s relationship with its fans and is responsible for driving awareness, tune-in and usage across all of ESPN’s platforms.

This group develops award-winning campaigns like “This is SportsCenter” and works closely with the production and programming groups to maximize the impact of the marketing and communications strategies developed for each initiative.

The move is designed to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of both groups and is part of an alignment of the overall sales and marketing functions at ESPN, which began when Ed Erhardt gained oversight of both groups in 2015.

Said Erhardt, president, global sales and marketing: “By more closely aligning these teams we will be able to drive better results for our clients while serving our fans better than ever before. Sean has been driving innovation in the sales group at ESPN for the past 16 years and his expertise in this combined role will be invaluable to our overall efforts.”

Hanrahan, whose new title is senior vice president, brand and marketing solutions, will continue to be based in New York City and will report to Wanda Young, who recently joined ESPN as senior vice president, Marketing and Consumer Engagement.

Having joined ESPN in 2000 as vice president of Sponsorship Management and Promotions, Hanrahan was promoted to vice president of Strategic Partnership & Sponsorship Management in 2002, developing sponsorship strategies for all parts of the sales organization.

In 2004, Hanrahan was one of seven people appointed to the Senior Management team, leading the reorganization of the Customer Marketing and Sales division as it became the first multimedia sales force in the media industry, and assumed the responsibility of managing the ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine ad sales groups.

Prior to joining ESPN, Sean worked at Tracy Locke. His last position there was as Executive Concept Director of an innovative think tank called the Department of Ideas. Before that he was the head of client services on the Pepsi business where he was responsible for the strategic and creative development of major national promotions such as Pepsi’s tie-in with Star Wars: Episode One and The Pepsi Challenge.

Hanrahan is a graduate of LaSalle University.