Disney sues YouTube over hiring of platform distribution president Justin Connolly
Disney has filed a lawsuit against YouTube that aims to block the Google-owned video giant’s appointment of Justin Connolly, Disney Entertainment’s president of platform distribution.
Justin Connolly
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution
The long-serving Mouse House executive handed in his resignation last week and is set to join YouTube in the newly created role of global head of media and sports.
That has not gone down well with Disney, which claims it entered into a deal with Connolly last year that locked him in with the company until 2027, with a one-time termination right becoming effective on March 1, 2027.
Disney alleges that, under the terms of that agreement, Connolly was barred from engaging in dealings with competitors. The lawsuit accuses YouTube of inducing Connolly into breaching the employment agreement.
Disney filed the papers on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging breach of contract, tortious interference with contractual relations and unfair competition. It seeks a court order to block the hiring, claiming Connolly could leak confidential information or trade secrets belonging to Disney ahead of a licensing renewal with YouTube.
In the complaint, Kavin Gaut, a lawyer for Disney, wrote: “Connolly has intimate knowledge of Disney’s other distribution deals, the financial details concerning Disney’s content being licensed to YouTube, and Disney’s negotiation strategies, both in general and in particular with respect to YouTube.
“It would be extremely prejudicial to Disney for Connolly to breach the contract which he negotiated just a few months ago and switch teams when Disney is working on a new licensing deal with the company that is trying to poach him.”
Connolly had been with Disney for almost 30 years, joining as a financial analyst before rising through the ranks to become one of the company’s most senior executives. As president of platform distribution, he oversaw direct-to-consumer services and content agreements across entertainment, studios and sports.
Prior to his Disney tenure, Connolly spent 12 years working at ESPN, reaching the position of senior VP of programming.
