Digital giant streams Thursday night NFL football

Amazon has hired former ESPN executive Marie Donahue as VP leading its global sports programming efforts.

Donahue will report to Greg Hart, VP of Prime Video, which has moved into the live sports business by acquiring rights to stream Thursday night NFL football, Premiere League soccer and other games.

At ESPN, Donoghue was executive VP, global business and content strategy until a management shakeup last year.

In addition to overseeing business affairs and the gaming & business partnership groups, her responsibilities at ESPN including management of ESPN Films and FiveThirtyEight, the website not a part of ABC News.

Donoghue joined ESPN in 1998 from Starwave Ventures, the company that produced ESPN’s early Internet products.

Prior to ESPN, Donoghue was an associate for the Wall Street law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts and spent two years as senior director of legal affairs for PolyGram Holdings Inc.