Young took on her newly created position in 2016, and quickly made it her own. In one year she realigned the company’s marketing and sales structure to better serve advertisers and customers, which led to developing the ESPN Fan & Media Intelligence group. There’s a reason Daenerys Targaryen is her favorite female character on TV. “She started the ‘Game of Thrones’ series as a nondescript character with no voice and being sold by her brother into marriage, and by season seven has conquered multiple kingdoms, brought slaves to freedom and learned to ride a dragon into battle. Need I say more?”
Who is your favorite current female TV character and why?
Daenerys Targaryen. She started the “Game of Thrones” series as a nondescript character with no voice and being sold by her brother into marriage, and by season seven has conquered multiple kingdoms, brought slaves to freedom and learned to ride a dragon into battle. Need I say more?
What industry topic do you think will dominate industry headlines in 2018 and why?
The battle to win eyeballs will continue to heat up. The changing landscape of content creation by old and new players in media will continue. Driven by big name creators shifting spaces from traditional to non-traditional studios, the rise of new partnerships of old/new media, the acquisition of rights and the distribution of that content into various formats and channels will create greater dispersion and fragmentation of the way people consume content.
What is one way the industry can continue to evolve in ridding itself of gender discrimination?
Two ways: those who suffer discrimination have to find a way to make the issue public in order to hold the offenders accountable and 2. Boards and CEOs have to demand accountability by leadership to create transparency and open door policies that enable the right environment for balance and equality.
