About the Role & Team

The Sales Manager of Platform Distribution is responsible for the distribution of the full content portfolio aligned with wider TWDC corporate strategies and achieving stretching targets for market and account growth.  

This role will be based in our London Hammersmith office, 4 days a week, with either a Monday or Friday working from home. 

What You Will Do 

Territory Content Distribution  

• Manage the sales and distribution of the full portfolio with a heightened focus on US scripted series and studio features films across Currents and Library content across broadcast and on demand windows.  

• On an ongoing basis creatively tailor sales pitches and sales initiatives to license all content categories across the portfolio to market via direct licensing. Strategies must effectively window content, pace content exposure, and strategically secure and grow on going revenue streams and opportunities.  

• Monitor the marketplace for changes that affect sales activities, both directly and indirectly; Identify and create new opportunities for sales as a result of new entrants, emerging markets, changing technology and/or delivery systems.    

• Regularly provide distribution updates and market intelligence.  Actively maintain a clear understanding of commercial value and impact of new licensing rights.  Actively maintain an understanding of clients’ KPIs, success and challenges.  

• Timely feedback to content revenue forecasts, budgets and 5 Year planning.    

• Constantly work to improve licensing terms and fees across the content portfolio and expand client base  

• Perform other related duties as requested by management, Senior Sales Manager and/or Director CEE & Africa  

Manage relationships with clients in the Territory  

• Sustain and develop strong relationships with established and nascent clients through appropriate levels of regular client contact - communicate regularly with the client e.g. gather market intelligence, keep client up-to-date on Disney content; stay across client’s KPIs and activities.  

• Escalate and work with Sales Director and Senior Sales Manager to manage complex rights, business, security and payment issues with the support of Finance and Legal executives.   

• Inform customers of upcoming Disney corporate events, product programs and services;  

• Follow up with clients on requests and series launches and key feature film premieres or scheduling (holidays)   

• Navigate solutions to contract/distribution issues as they arise in a timely manner and escalate as necessary.    

• Together with Senior Sales Manager and/or Sales Director and marketing team, orchestrate with clients content launches and scheduling that maximize ratings and promotional opportunities.  

Provide expert sales advice about country within Territory (markets, customers, product profitability etc)  

• Use product knowledge and understanding of past deals and experiences with the customer to identify / maximise package sales opportunities.  

Other General Activities 

• Work effectively with departmental colleagues & cross-functionally with members of the Territory.  

• Absorbs additional client engagement from team members during key deal negotiations. 

• Balances adhering to defined business processes with taking opportunities to improve business processes where possible.   

• Shares and learns best practices with counterparts in other markets 

• Drives to continually develop knowledge of the product slate, media types & the territory environment (including customers & market dynamics)  

• Support cross department initiatives and ad hoc projects if required  

Key Performance Indicators  

• Meeting stretching sales targets 

• Accountability for Customer Satisfaction 

• Growth of customers and depth of content licensed by clients 

• Integrated approach to deal planning and negotiations that also benefits the wider media business and, as appropriate, the wider company. 

Internal Working Relationships 

• All Platform Distribution departments (management, finance, legal, research and marketing).  

• Provide sales feedback and market knowledge for producer groups; 

• Maximize the services and expertise provided by finance, deal planning etc to propelled deals and the negotiated commercial terms.  

External Client Relationships 

• Sell across all genres of programming in the portfolio  

• Coordinate windowing that facilitates exploitation of the portfolio across linear and on demand, in Free, Pay and OTT and alongside Disney’s owned services 

• Negotiate and conclude deals with both existing customers and with new customers 

• Maximise services provided by Marketing (e.g. product knowledge, market insight etc) in all sales activity  

 Required Qualifications & Skills  

• Strong and successful experience in a sales role within a media organisation – ideally a minimum of 3 years.  

• Assessing the commercial potential of content, devising and actioning commercial sales plans that delivers the full potential of an IP and maximizes the lifecycle of an IP. 

• Experience licensing US series and Studio Feature films directly with a focus on the CEE, CIS & Africa with excellent breadth of business contacts with Pay and Free broadcast and SVOD clients. 

• Successful experience learning and growing new territories and distribution channels and understanding and commercializing new rights, regulatory changes and technologies. 

• Proven record of growing and maximizing the commercial potential of new and existing clients. 

• Extensive relevant industry knowledge in scripted series and features, market trends, changes in viewing behaviours, acquisition patterns, regulatory environment (and changes), evolving client business. Demonstratable experience of using this knowledge to anticipate and plan for changes and commercializing. 

• Proven ability to identify unique selling points of IPs, clients’ needs and competitor product knowledge 

• Proven ability for deal interpretation & revenue/profit modelling 

• Proven rights management & commercial interpretation of Availability Lists 

• Proven experience of content development, pitch development and opportunity analysis 

• Confident and a self-starter. 

• A comfort and ease in collaborating with internal stakeholders 

• Demonstrable track record of achieving stretching sales targets and delivering growth in excess of the market. 

• Extensive experienced in rights management and distribution of Studio and Network series, Studio feature film and entertainment content. 

• Charismatic and diplomatic with entrepreneurial zeal and the ability to work in a lean, driven and high-demanding environment 

• Excellent communicator, with strong influencing skills and the ability to work with peers and senior executives locally and on a remote basis. 

• Understanding of the broadcast industry and how it is evolving, economics of TV and the marketplace 

• Comfortable and conversant with new technology applications 

• Excellent client relationship skills. 

Additional Information:

• Mipcom and extensive in market travel to CEE and Africa required.  Attend local industry events (day and/or evening) regularly. Additional travel as needed