Rita Ferro

Rita Ferro began her career helping introduce MTV Latin America to a new generation of viewers. More than 30 years later, the daughter of Cuban immigrants is one of the most influential Latinas in American media, overseeing global advertising for The Walt Disney Company. In 2026, she added another major accomplishment to her career: selling out advertising inventory for the 2027 Super Bowl, with some commercial spots going for $9 million or more.

And that’s only part of what’s ahead. Disney will also broadcast the Grammys, the Oscars and the College Football Playoff National Championship in early 2027. As president of global advertising, Ferro oversees sales across ABC, ESPN, Disney+, Hulu and other major brands.

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Ferro grew up in Miami and studied at Florida International University. In 1993, she joined the team preparing to launch MTV Latin America, at a time when Spanish-language music television was still relatively new. With no established model to follow, she had the chance to try new ideas and help build the business from the beginning.

Her Spanish fluency and knowledge of Latin America helped her land a position at ESPN International in 1997. She later moved into Disney’s U.S. advertising operations, bringing together sales teams that had previously worked separately. As viewers turned to streaming, Ferro helped develop the technology and audience data that would allow Disney to offer advertisers new ways to reach them.

By January 2025, Disney estimated that its ad-supported streaming services reached 157 million monthly active users worldwide. That June, the company announced a partnership with Amazon Ads, combining Disney’s streaming inventory with Amazon’s shopping insights. In 2026, Disney introduced AI-powered advertising tools and interactive formats, while its annual advertising commitments increased by double digits.

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Ferro has also received major recognition for her work. In 2019, she became the first Latina woman to receive the Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication. More recently, in September 2026, she was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame.

International markets remain especially close to Ferro’s heart. “I started my career internationally, and so I’m very passionate about the international part of my job,” she shared in a recent interview. Nearly 30 years after joining Disney, the Miami-raised daughter of Cuban immigrants is still finding new opportunities in the markets that first opened doors for her.