Disney-ABC-ESPN Names New Sports Exec

LONDON, July 16:
Disney-ABC-ESPN Television has named Murray Barnett to the new role of VP of
sports channels and syndication for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Barnett will be
responsible for maximizing revenue and distribution for ESPN’s channels and
content—ESPN Classic, NASN and ESPN in the Middle East and
Africa—as well as sports program syndication and representation and
sublicensing of sports rights. He will report to Simon Amselem, the senior VP
of channel and sports distribution for EMEA, and will continue to be based in
London. Most recently, Barnett served as the VP of TV sales for EMEA and head
of international syndication sales.

Amselem said, “Murray is
the ideal person to run our sports distribution group in EMEA, given his
syndication and channel distribution experience and his knowledge and passion
for the ESPN brand and products. His energy and expertise, combined with the
enhanced synergies achieved through our integrated TV distribution business,
will lead to increased growth of ESPN’s brands in EMEA.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski