Variety: Disney Loses Legal Bid to Block YouTube’s Hiring of Media Exec Justin Connolly

Story from Variety:

A California Superior Court judge rejected Disney‘s request for a temporary restraining order that sought to prevent Justin Connolly from working at YouTube.

Last month, after Connolly left Disney to join YouTube as global VP of media and sports partnerships, Disney sued YouTube and Connolly, alleging breach of contract, tortious interference in a contractual relationship and unfair competition.

Judge James C. Chalfant issued a ruling Wednesday denying Disney’s motion for an injunction after a hearing in the matter earlier in the day. The judge cited three reasons for the decision: Disney’s “Lack of showing of emergency”; that the “Balance of harms works in favor or Mr. Connolly”; and that Disney “has not demonstrated a probability of success on the merits.”

Asked for comment, a Disney spokesperson said, “We are disappointed in today’s ruling, but will continue to pursue our legal remedies.” YouTube declined to comment.

Connolly, who spent two decades at Disney and ESPN, was most recently president of Disney Platform Distribution. In that capacity, he oversaw all third-party media sales efforts for distribution, affiliate marketing and affiliate-related business operations — including with YouTube.

In its lawsuit, Disney said the company’s deal for YouTube TV is due to expire soon and that it “would be extremely prejudicial to Disney for Connolly to breach the contract which he negotiated just a few months ago and switch teams when Disney is working on a new licensing deal with the company that is trying to poach him.”

YouTube, in its June 2 objection to Disney’s suit, said “Google/YouTube has made it clear to Disney that Mr. Connolly will not be involved in any capacity with YouTube’s license agreement negotiations with Disney.” In early April 2025, Google and Disney exchanged communications regarding Google’s desire to hire Connolly for the YouTube role, according to YouTube’s filing. Disney asked for its renewal negotiations with YouTube — which would normally not begin until around August 2025 — to be “prioritized” by YouTube, according to the internet company.

Rather than invoking Connolly’s contract that purportedly prevented him from exiting Disney to join YouTube, according to YouTube, “Disney made clear that it intends to use Mr. Connolly as a pawn to advance the renegotiation of its license renewal with YouTube.”

Meanwhile, according to Disney’s lawsuit, Connolly had signed a three-year contract in November 2024, which his move to YouTube allegedly violated. But according to YouTube, Disney actually employed Connolly on an at-will basis and that an order requiring Connolly to quit his new position at YouTube would be “expressly prohibited by statute and other controlling California law.”

YouTube also challenged Disney’s request for “emergency relief,” arguing in its June 2 filing that “Disney has known for over six weeks that Mr. Connolly intended to leave Disney and join YouTube.”