News

Walt Disney Co. further realigned its ad sales efforts, noting that it would work to position its sales teams to have “a deeper level of advisory relationships with marketers” as Madison Avenue increasingly puts new emphasis on all forms of video, not just TV, as a means of reaching consumers.

Disney earlier this month combined ESPN and ABC ad sales for the first time, naming Rita Ferro to oversee all outreach to marketers. She will oversee efforts to win ad support for the company’s entertainment, sports, news and kids linear and digital TV and radio businesses – giving her oversight of everything from TV ads on ABC to video and banner units on ESPN Mobile.

“Combining world class sales teams from across the company will result in a more efficient and effective way for our clients to do business with us. Further, our focus on deeper, data-driven understanding of our...

Disney’s reconstituted advertising sales unit has set details, priorities and the top executive team for its approach to capturing brand dollars in a fast-moving media environment.

Rita Ferro, who recently added ESPN to her portfolio as president of Disney Advertising Sales, said her group would be divided into three distinct divisions: Sales, Client & Brand Solutions and Revenue & Operations. The ad sales group is under Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International umbrella, a newly minted cornerstone of the company, which is preparing to close its $71.3 billion acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox and launch a long-awaited streaming service in 2019.

The announcement of the interconnected series of moves said they would “better serve the evolving needs of advertising clients,” as well as “providing marketers and agencies with a single, integrated organization” for all of Disney’s holdings. The new scheme, Ferro said, “will result in a more efficient and effective way...