Company poaching by no means goes over properly with Disney and even much less so once they lose a key govt like Justin Connolly to the likes of the ever dominating YouTube. Which implies, after 20 years on the Walt Disney Firm in varied capacities, and a 2024 inked employment contract, presumed lifer Connolly is now discovering his sudden segue to the Google-owned social media and on-line video sharing platform a bit bumpier than anticipated.
Make that preliminary injunction and maybe everlasting injunction bumpy.
In a brief however sharp breach of contract go well with filed Wednesday in LA Superior Court docket, the Home of Mouse need the courts to cease their not too long ago departed president of Disney Platform Distribution from with the ability to begin his newly created gig as YouTube’s international head of media and sports activities. Like by no means begin it.
Casting any sentimentality apart no matter Connolly’s beforehand lengthy loyal service, and recalling there’s a purpose they name it present enterprise and never present friends, Disney are insisting that the contractual guidelines aren’t any recreation right here.
“In April 2025, Disney grew to become conscious of YouTube’s provide of employment to Connolly,” says the go well with in opposition to the exec and the video platform filed by heavyweight employment legislation agency Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp on Might 21 in DTLA. On November 6 final 12 months, Connolly signed a brand new contract set to kick in on January 1, 2025 and run to December 31, 2027.
That each one modified final week.
“This information got here at a important time in Connolly’s tenure as President of Platform Distribution for Disney. Disney is within the midst of a number of necessary product launches and renegotiation of a few of its largest distribution offers, and Connolly has been the architect of Disney’s distribution technique and its principal negotiator,” Disney declares in the breach of contract, tortious interference and unfair competitors motion. “Critically, Connolly leads the Disney group negotiating a license renewal with YouTube. Connolly has intimate information of Disney’s different distribution offers, the monetary particulars regarding Disney’s content material being licensed to YouTube, and Disney’s negotiation methods, each basically and specifically with respect to YouTube.”
Or to place it within the starkest of Magic Kingdom phrases: “It could be extraordinarily prejudicial to Disney for Connolly to breach the contract which he negotiated only a few months in the past and swap groups when Disney is engaged on a brand new licensing take care of the corporate that’s making an attempt to poach him.”
Disney/Getty Pictures
Each Disney and YouTube declined to touch upon the lawsuit when contacted by Deadline at the moment.
On this C-suite recreation of govt chairs, Connolly exited his Disney put up after 20 years final Friday, simply as the corporate, because it makes clear in its BOC go well with, was nearing a consequential sequence of negotiations. Connolly was to have performed a central function in talks with distribution companions for ESPN‘s forthcoming stand-alone streamer and in addition, sarcastically, carriage renewal talks with YouTube TV. The businesses’ present settlement expires later this 12 months.
Actually, the exec was one among a number of senior leaders at ESPN and Disney (a roster that included CEO Bob Iger) to attend a media briefing final week about ESPN’s streaming technique. When he circulated a memo later that week saying his departure, it reportedly took staff abruptly given he had not too long ago re-upped his contract.
Exposing that Connolly’s now previous function and duties at Disney was of a “particular, distinctive, uncommon, extraordinary, or mental character, which provides them peculiar worth,” the corporate was taken the function of the injured get together right here not disingenuously at first look.
“As a direct and proximate results of Connolly’s breach of the Employment Settlement, Disney has been harmed and can proceed to be harmed,” the Bob Iger-run media colossus asserts of their submitting. “Connolly threatens to, and until restrained, will proceed to breach the Employment Settlement, to Disney and its associates’ nice and irreparable harm, for which damages wouldn’t afford sufficient aid, in that they’d not fully compensate for Disney’s accidents.”
