Eric Johnson

Biography

Eric Johnson (B.A. ’91) is the founder and CEO of WON Worldwide, a global sports media and entertainment revenue venture firm. Founded in 2018, WON specializes in revenue creation and implementing full-service go-to-market strategies that define the value between marketers, sports leagues, teams, media owners and digital content/social distribution, and via athletes and influencers.

Prior to founding WON, Johnson spent more than 18 years at ESPN, where, in the role of EVP of global advertising revenue and sales operations, he directly led a 400-person team dedicated to growing a nearly $4 billion advertising business for all ESPN global media platforms, including television, OTT/streaming, digital, mobile, app, programmatic/automation, radio, audio, magazine, regional syndication, local, sponsorship activation and events.

Johnson is a board member as well as faculty director of UCLA Anderson’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports (MEMES). As the leading center for business thought leadership in these fields, MEMES provides the academic foundation and current industry perspectives to manage and thrive in an increasingly complex business environment. Annually, Johnson teaches MBA courses such as Evolution of Sports Media, and he has launched a new course, The Impact of COVID-19 on the Sports and Entertainment Industries.

Johnson started his career on the media planning and strategy side, working at many high-profile agencies, including Grey (G2), Deutsch, Dentsu and Foote, Cone & Belding, where he quickly grew to leading the department as VP and media director, working across major categories such as automotive, QSR, tech, retail, CPG and insurance.

In 2008, MIN (Media Industry Newsletter) named Johnson’s team the Multiplatform Sales Team of the Year. He was also named to the 2008 Mediaweek 50, a list of “the most indispensable executives shaping the future of media.”

Johnson splits time between his homes in New York and Los Angeles.