Flora Kelly promoted to Senior Vice President, ESPN Research

ESPN has promoted Flora Kelly, who has been with the network since 2006, to the role of Senior Vice President, ESPN Research.

The news was shared in an ESPN Press Room release on Monday, saying that the promotion was “recognizing her excellent leadership and sharp oversight of the company’s forecasting and audience measurement across all platforms, as well as consumer insights.”

“Kelly’s promotion builds upon the leadership role she assumed in 2023, when she gained oversight of ESPN Research as Vice President,” Derek Volner wrote in the release. “Under Kelly’s guidance, the department has not only delivered reliable data and insights, but also forward-looking measurement strategies designed to grow and diversify ESPN’s audiences. As the media landscape continues to shift, Kelly’s team plays a vital role helping ESPN reimagine how success is measured and understood across platforms.”

The release included statements from both ESPN Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Chara-Lynn Aguiar and Kelly.

“Under Flora’s leadership, ESPN Research is a go-to resource for sports insights and measurement for the company and across the industry,” Aguiar said. “The consistent high-quality work performed by Flora and her team ensures that we fulfill our mission to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere, as well as continue our evolution as the preeminent digital sports platform. On a personal level, Flora truly exemplifies the ESPN growth story, beginning her career as a research analyst and progressing over the years while succeeding in every role. We are extremely lucky to have Flora on, and leading, our team.”

Kelly, meanwhile, added that he was “thrilled.”

“As media and fandom continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the role of research has never been more critical- or more exciting,” Kelly said. “I’m thrilled to lead this incredible team as we continue to innovate how we understand our audiences, anticipate behavior and define success in this rapidly evolving media landscape.”