Sport Industry Roles – Commercial
These roles within the sports industry can vary dependent on the sport and how much commercial interest there is in the sport. These roles are all about brand exposure and marketing and rely upon relationship building and effective communication.
Here are just some examples of roles that fall within this category. Click on each job title to find out more about roles and responsibilities, and necessary skills required:
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Roles in sponsorship are often tasked to arrange deals between sporting organisations and commercial partners, agreeing terms on the return for their investment.
Other roles in sponsorship might focus on the activations of the agreement, such as ensuring brand exposure, organising sponsor events and campaigns.
Some organisations will use an agency to conduct this role and others will have representatives in-house.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Securing publicity to promote the collaboration or partnership
- Client relations, maintaining the relationship between the sponsor and the organisation
- Ensuring deliverables are met, as per terms of the agreement
- Planning of events and campaigns
- Ensuring branding is aligned to the sponsorship agreement
Necessary skills:
- Excellent customer service
- Sports marketing knowledge
- Creativity and imagination
- Great organisational skills and attention to detail
- Enthusiasm
- Ability to meet deadline
- Strong communication and effective negotiation skills
- Strategic thinking
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Roles in broadcasting and media rights are different to media specific roles such as a journalist or a broadcaster.
These roles focus on the contractual rights of media and broadcasting, harbouring the relationship between the sport and the media channel, where deals are made to secure exclusive rights to broadcast live sports events.
Examples of such relationships include Sky Sports coverage of the English Premier League or BBC’s coverage of the Olympics.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Negotiate broadcasting deals with media channels
- Client relations, maintaining the relationship between the rights holder and the sports organisation
- Sales pitching to broadcasting partners, highlighting the return on investment
- Preparing legal contracts of agreement, supported by sports lawyers
- Ensuring deliverables are met, as per terms of the agreement
Necessary skills:
- Client relationship management
- Sports broadcasting knowledge
- Great organisational skills and attention to detail
- Commercial sales driven
- Enthusiasm to secure top broadcasters
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Strong communication and effective negotiation skills
- Passion for sport and entertainment
- Strategic thinking
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The world of digital marketing is growing rapidly. Organisations are finding that audiences are more engaging in campaigns that grab their attention online and use such platforms to deliver effective growth and digital presence.
Roles within this area involve production of creative digital assets, content and copy for the purpose of marketing organisations, products and services in the sports industry. You will need to utilise your analytical skills to interpret marketing data.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Developing and deliver digital marketing strategies and campaigns
- Designing digital content, assets and copy
- Reviewing brand campaigns
- Managing budgets
- Creating websites and digital media platforms
- Communicating and engaging with clients and customers
- Liaising with creative partner agencies
- Conducting market research and analysing data to inform strategies and future campaigns
Necessary skills:
- Understanding of social media and digital marketing
- Great organisational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent analytical and problem solving techniques
- Ability to meet deadlines
- Strategic thinking
- Project management skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
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Sports Athletes, irrelevant of the particular sport, often require support of a manager (not coach) or team of people to manage their career and their brand.
From a commercial perspective, this includes profiling the athlete and developing their brand. It can involve a lot of administrative support when it comes to contractual negotiations and obligations. It will involve their marketing and brand endorsement, ensuring their advertise and represent brands that they believe in.
Another aspect may well be fan engagement, organising signing sessions, meet and greets and charitable commitments.
Roles and responsibilities may include:
- Researching associated brands and networking
- Building an athlete’s brand profile
- Negotiating sponsorship and endorsement agreements
- Coordinating deliverables of contractual terms
- Planning athlete appearances and brand/product launch events
- Oversee marketing commitments
- Reviewing brand associations
- Communicating and engaging with clients and customers
Necessary skills:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Great organisational skills and attention to detail
- Brand awareness and good commercial outlook
Ready to find out more about a career in the commercial sector of sport? Sign up to our Growing a Global Brand masterclass.
This masterclass offers unrivalled insight and access to industry experts and has been tailored to provide an immersive learning experience for those seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of the key principles and strategies involved in growing a global brand by exploring this topic through well-crafted subjects that provide unique insights into the industry.
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