Sports media juggernaut ESPN has promoted Flora Kelly to serve as the network’s Senior Vice President of ESPN Research, the company announced on Monday.
As part of her new role, Kelly will take on more responsibilities, to include oversight of ESPN’s audience measurement, forecasting, and consumer insights at a pivotal moment for the sports media landscape. She previously served as Vice President of ESPN Research after being promoted to that role two years ago.
“Under Flora’s leadership, ESPN Research is a go-to resource for sports insights and measurement for the company and across the industry,” said Chara-Lynn Aguiar, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at ESPN. “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.”
Aguiar noted Kelly’s steady rise through the ranks since starting as a research analyst in 2006. “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’s group has been central to rethinking how ESPN evaluates success amid significant shifts in media consumption. Her team’s work includes not only core measurement and analytics, but also future-facing approaches to capture evolving viewer behavior across streaming, digital, and linear platforms.
“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 in a statement on Monday. “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.”
A graduate of Hofstra University, Kelly holds a master’s degree in social research from Hunter College. She is also an active voice in the industry, sharing commentary on measurement and branding strategies via her social media presence, @ESPNFlora.
ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Company.
