Media Planning Manager

1213 ESPN Sales & Marketing, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 83,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

ESPN in New York, NY is seeking a Media Planning Manager to lead holistic media strategy for key properties and DTC products across owned and paid media. You will align with cross-functional partners and report to the Associate Director of Media Planning & Buying.

The role requires 4+ years in media strategy or planning, a marketing/related degree, and strong skills in TV/CTV, Social, and Digital channels. You will drive insights from campaign data and stay ahead of industry trends to shape ESPN

Qualifications

• At least 4 years of professional experience in media strategy and planning or media buying.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Marketing, Business, related field or equivalent experience.
• Understanding of all media channels with emphasis on TV/CTV/Social/Digital for full funnel plans.
• Experience with social platforms and external social agencies to translate objectives into paid social strategies.
• Comfortable with cross-functional projects and cross-department collaboration.
• Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills for working with internal and external partners.
• Highly organized, able to prioritize and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in analyzing campaign data to glean insights and measure success.
• Knowledge of industry planning and research tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead media plan development and execution of media campaigns across sports and digital products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams; provide media insights to inform strategy and optimization.
• Manage day-to-day work and coordinate with internal and external teams; provide direction to the team.
• Champion new approaches and foster a culture of continuous learning.
• Provide feedback and guidance to junior team members for growth and development.
• Stay updated on sports industry trends, ad products, and viewing behaviors to inform campaigns.

Skills

Media strategy

Media planning

TV/CTV/Digital

Social platforms

Collaboration

Data analysis

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing

Tools

Industry research tools

Job description

Job Posting Title: Media Planning Manager Req ID: 10160939

Job Description: The Media Planning Team at ESPN develops innovative media plans that drive awareness, consumption, subscriptions, and brand affinity across all properties and platforms to affect the ESPN business. The Media Planning Manager will focus on planning the holistic media strategy for key properties and DTC products across owned and paid media. The Manager will be responsible for understanding the various marketing challenges that our business faces and thinking creatively and strategically about how owned and paid media can be used to drive results. This position will report to the Associate Director, Media Planning & Buying. This position is based in New York, New York.

Responsibilities

• Lead media plan development and execution of media campaigns across multiple sports and digital products
• Work closely with cross-functional teams and frequently play a consultative role – by offering media insights to inform strategy, best practices, targeting recommendations, optimization suggestions and recaps where necessary
• Manage day-to-day work and timely communication with internal and external teams while also providing direction, feedback and input to team on documents
• Champion new and innovative approaches, fostering a culture of continuous learning
• Provide feedback and guide junior team members to inspire their growth and development
• Stay on top of sports industry trends, ad products, consumer and viewing behaviors to inform Media plans; provide point of view on relevant marketing campaigns and how ESPN can incorporate new technologies and partners into our campaigns

Qualifications

• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience in media strategy & planning or media buying
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Marketing, Business, related field or equivalent experience
• Understanding of all media channels and experience coordinating across multiple media disciplines with a heavy focus on TV/CTV/Social/Digital for full funnel marketing plans
• Experience working with social platforms and external social agencies, with the ability to translate business and marketing objectives into effective paid social strategies
• Comfortable with complex, cross-functional projects across teams and leagues
• Strong collaborative and interpersonal skills with the ability to work dynamically across departments as well as manage internal and external partners
• Extremely organized and motivated, with the ability to effectively prioritize and multi-task in a very fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Proficient in analyzing campaign data to glean insights and measure success
• Knowledge of industry planning and research tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong entertainment industry knowledge, preferably in sports
• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently with minimal supervision and direction
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Works with urgency, superior time management, problem solving skills and a critical thinker

The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $83,200.00 to $111,500.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Job Posting Segment

Unified Marketing

Job Posting Primary Business

Media

Job Posting Category

Media Planning & Buying - Sports

Employment Type

Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code

New York, NY, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code

Date Posted

2026-09-24

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