ESPN NEXT Leadership

Sierra Galanza was named Director, ESPN NEXT & Cross Platform Development in January 2025. In this dual role, she leads ESPN’s early-career development program while driving strategic, cross-platform initiatives for the Global Sports team.

Galanza oversees the development of more than 250 Production Assistants and Content Associates, building a pipeline of talent across studio, live events, digital, and emerging platforms. She led the launch of the NEXT Accelerator—a year-long development program designed to accelerate career readiness for top-performing early-career employees—which expanded to all ESPN offices in 2025. Through her leadership, ESPN NEXT has deepened its integration with priority content areas, ensuring early-career talent is equipped to contribute to evolving production workflows across the company.

She is known for bringing a strong strategic lens and operational clarity to complex, cross-functional work, and is a trusted partner to leaders across content and business teams. Galanza began her ESPN career as a Production Intern in 2019 and advanced through roles as a Production Assistant and Content Associate on SportsCenter and NFL Live. She later served as a Production Coordinator for College Football Studio, supporting College GameDay and the College Football Playoff. Her transition into program and platform leadership reflects a deep understanding of ESPN’s content ecosystem and a commitment to developing the next generation of talent. A Bay Area native, she is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.