Disney loses legal bids to stop YouTube from hiring Justin Connolly

California Superior Court judges rejected Disney's request for a temporary restraining order that attempted to stop Justin Connolly from working on YouTube.

Last month, after Connolly left Disney to join YouTube, Disney sued YouTube and Connolly for breach of contract, tortious intervention in the contractual relationship and unfair competition.

Judge James C. Chalfant issued a ruling Wednesday denied Disney's motion for injunction after the trial earlier that day. The judge cites three reasons for the decision: Disney's "lack of emergency"; "the balance of harm is favorable or Mr. Connolly"; Disney "has not proved the possibility of success in its merits."

When asked about the comments, a Disney spokesperson said: "We are disappointed with today's ruling, but will continue to seek our legal remedies." YouTube declined to comment.

Connolly spent twenty years at Disney and ESPN, and most recently was the president of Disney Platform Distribution. In this capacity, he oversees all third-party media sales efforts for distribution, member marketing and member-related business operations (including with YouTube).

Disney said in the lawsuit that the company's deal on YouTube TV will expire soon, "It will be very biased against Disney because Connolly violated the contract he negotiated a few months ago and exchanged teams when Disney worked with the company to drive a new license agreement."

"Google/YouTube made it clear to Disney that Mr. Connolly will not negotiate with Disney with YouTube's licensing agreement," YouTube said in an objection to the Disney lawsuit on June 2. According to YouTube's documents, in early April 2025, Google and Disney exchanged communications about Google's willingness to take on Connolly's role in YouTube. According to internet companies, Disney requires renewal negotiations with YouTube (usually waiting until around August 2025), and YouTube is "prioritized".

Rather than citing Connolly’s contract, which allegedly allegedly quit Disney to join YouTube, Disney made it clear that it intends to use Mr. Connolly as a pawn to promote renegotiation with YouTube for renewal of its license. ”

Meanwhile, Connolly signed a three-year contract in November 2024, according to a Disney lawsuit, and his move to YouTube was allegedly violated. But according to YouTube, Disney actually hired Connolly on a willing basis and the order to ask Connolly to withdraw from its new position on YouTube is "exclusively prohibited by regulations and other controls California laws."

YouTube also challenged Disney’s “emergency relief” requirement, which said in a June 2 document: “Disney has known that Mr. Connolly intends to leave Disney and join YouTube for six weeks.”