DraftKings hires ex-Amazon and ESPN VP as chief business and growth officer
Marie Donoghue heads to US betting and DFS giant after leading on sports media rights for Amazon Prime for five years
DraftKings has named former ESPN and Amazon vice-president Marie Donoghue as the operator’s new chief business and growth officer.
Donoghue joins the Boston-based giant after more than five years with Amazon where she served as VP of US sports content and partnerships.
In this position, she played a key role in putting Amazon and its streaming service, Amazon Prime, as a notable player in the sports media rights industry.
Prior to joining Amazon, Donoghue spent more than 18 years with Disney-owned ESPN, culminating in her position as EVP of global business and content strategy.
She first linked up with the sports broadcaster back in 1998 within its legal department before shifting across to the business affairs department.
Donoghue eventually rose to the top of that vertical, becoming SVP of global strategy, business affairs and business development in 2012 before heading to the content side in 2014.
In her new role, she will be responsible for uncovering new growth opportunities, leading on internal processes and strengthening the firm’s product and customer experience output.
Donoghue said it was a “special opportunity” to join DraftKings as chief business and growth officer.
She said: “I am thrilled to be joining DraftKings during this exciting phase and have long admired the organisation’s steady rise as an industry innovator.
“This is a special opportunity to expand on its industry-leading position and propel the company to new heights.”
Jason Robins, DraftKings co-founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Marie Donoghue to our executive team and the immense wealth of experience she brings as a highly regarded leader and trailblazer within our industry.
“Marie’s exceptional track record speaks for itself, and she is poised to be a transformative force in our company’s future success.”
Elsewhere, DraftKings is reportedly on the verge of sealing a multi-year media partnership deal with Barstool Sports.
PENN Entertainment shelled out more than $550m for Barstool Sports but, last August, sold the sports media brand back to its controversial founder, Dave Portnoy, for just $1.