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Sean Bratches was promoted to executive vice president, Sales and Marketing, ESPN in October 2005. Formerly president, Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing, he oversees all affiliate and advertising sales, research, marketing and special events. This brings into one division ESPN’s two primary revenue streams, affiliate and advertising sales, supported by marketing, research and client support services.
In his role, Bratches oversees all affiliate distribution, licensing, marketing and local advertising sales for the domestic cable and satellite networks of The Walt Disney Company -- ABC Family, Disney Channel, SOAPnet, Toon Disney, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes and ESPN HD. He also is responsible for the domestic distribution of related HDTV, broadband, video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand, interactive television, pay-per-view, Spanish-language and sports syndication products. In addition, Bratches oversees ESPN’s research department, which serves as a vital link between the company’s strategic planning of new products and services and constantly shifting marketplace dynamics, as well as the company’s special event marketing department.
Bratches also serves on the ESPN Board of Directors. Based in ESPN offices in both New York and Bristol, Connecticut, he reports directly to George Bodenheimer, co-chair, Disney Media Networks, The Walt Disney Company, and president, ESPN and ABC Sports, and to Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television.
Under Bratches’ leadership, ESPN has become the industry leader in creating affiliate value by strategically leveraging its core brand, while creatively integrating a number of high-profile brand extensions, among them ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Outdoors/B.A.S.S., ESPN-owned events and the ESPN Zone, ESPN’s sports-themed dining and entertainment complexes.
Through his leadership ESPN’s newer, emerging networks have achieved record-setting growth. ESPN2 became the fastest cable network in history to reach 80 million homes -- and is now available in over 89 million homes. ESPN Classic now reaches more than 58 million homes, compared to its 6.5 million homes when purchased by ESPN in 1997. ESPNEWS topped the 33 million home mark in 2002, its fifth year of existence – and is now available in over 45 million homes. Additionally, ESPN HD secured over 85% of multichannel video households under contract within its first year of launch.
Bratches joined ESPN in October 1988 as an account executive and, within a year, was promoted to senior account executive. In December 1992, he was named director, Northeast Region, before being promoted to vice president, Eastern Division in January 1995. He was promoted to senior vice president, Affiliate Sales and Marketing in December 1998, then promoted to executive vice president, ESPN Affiliate Sales and Marketing in 2001 and, most recently, served as president, Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing, since 2004.
Prior to joining ESPN, Bratches was a regional sales manager for Storer Television Sales, Inc., where he was responsible for selling national spot advertising for the company’s seven owned and operated television stations across the country.
He is a member of the CTAM Board of Directors and sits on its Executive Committee. He served as co-chair for the 2001 CTAM Broadband Conference, and the organization’s pre-Western Show panel in 2000. Bratches also serves on the WICT Strategic Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors for the T. Howard Foundation.
Bratches received a 2001 Vanguard Award for Young Leadership, the cable industry’s most prestigious award, presented by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. He was recognized in 2004 (#15) by CableFAX Magazine in its annual CableFAX 100 that profiles “Cable’s 100 Heavy Hitters,” and has been named each year since 1999.
Bratches graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1984 with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration.
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