Overview

• Disney filed suit on May 21 in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing YouTube and Justin Connolly of breach of a three-year contract, tortious interference and unfair competition.
• Connolly signed the November 2024 agreement with Disney that included a one-time termination right effective March 1, 2027, and disclosed his move to YouTube in April 2025.
• In its June 2 opposition, YouTube contends Connolly was an at-will employee and pledges he won’t handle any licensing negotiations with Disney.
• YouTube’s filing accuses Disney of using Connolly as a “pawn” to pressure its license renewal talks, while Disney argues his intimate knowledge of its distribution deals poses irreparable harm.
• The court’s decision on the temporary restraining order could set a precedent for enforcing fixed-term pacts and affect executive mobility in the streaming industry.