Ben Pyne is president, Global Distribution, Disney Media Networks. Promoted to this role in June 2007, he has chief responsibility for the international distribution and sales of the far-reaching portfolio of entertainment and news content produced by The Walt Disney Company. This includes all feature films, television series, kids’ programming, made-for-TV movies, miniseries, news documentaries, TV animation and direct-to video content – and their distribution to all platforms, including the burgeoning video-on-demand (VOD) and broadband markets. He also oversees domestic distribution of the Company’s television content handled by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, international content distribution through Disney-ABC International Television, and is responsible for the ABC Television Network’s Affiliate Relations department as well as the Disney & ESPN Media Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing team.

He reports to Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, and Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. For domestic responsibilities concerning ESPN, Mr. Pyne reports to Sean Bratches, executive vice president, Sales and Marketing, ESPN and ABC Sports. He also works closely with Andy Bird, president, Walt Disney International.

Prior to this role, Mr. Pyne served as president, Disney & ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing, a role he was promoted to in October 2005. In this capacity, he directed all affiliate distribution, affiliate relations, affiliate marketing and local ad sales for the U.S. cable and satellite networks of The Walt Disney Company: ABC News Now, ABC Family, Disney Channel, SOAPnet, Toon Disney, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN HD and ESPNU. He also oversaw U.S. distribution of related HDTV, broadband, VOD, subscription VOD, interactive television, pay-per-view, Spanish-language, and sports syndication products. He previously served as executive vice president, Disney and ESPN Affiliate Sales and Marketing, from June 2004 through September 2005 and worked closely with Sean Bratches on the successful integration of the ESPN and ABC Cable Networks Group sales teams.

Previous to the merging of the ESPN and Disney-ABC Cable Networks Groups affiliate sales and marketing teams, Mr. Pyne served from 2000-2004 as senior vice president, Affiliate Sales and Marketing for Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group, overseeing all cable and satellite distribution, local ad sales and affiliate marketing for the four basic cable networks within the Group: ABC Family, Disney Channel, SOAPnet and Toon Disney. Under his guidance, Disney Channel transitioned from a pay cable service to an expanded basic service, growing from 6.5 million U.S. subscribers in 1992 when he joined the Company to the more than 94 million today.

In addition, Mr. Pyne directed negotiations for retransmission consent agreements for ABC's owned stations and has been a key participant in the development and launch of new businesses and services for The Walt Disney Company, including the successful subscription video service ‘Disney Channel on Demand’ and the high-speed access program ‘A Better Connection.’ His team also launched successful affiliate marketing and public affairs initiatives, among them "Learning Together," a critically acclaimed outreach program that has received numerous Beacon Award from the Cable Television's Public Affairs Association (CTPAA).

Mr. Pyne has a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was also Orchestra Manager of the New Jersey Symphony from 1985-90, just prior to attending Business School, and has experience with other nonprofit associations prior to that. Maintaining a strong interest in music, Mr. Pyne continues to play the classical guitar. He currently resides in New York City with his wife and two sons.