Sales Director, North America, Sport 24, IMG

Who We Are:

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

Endeavor is a global sports and entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events, and experiences. The Endeavor network specializes in talent representation through entertainment agency WME; sports operations and advisory, event management, media production and distribution, and brand licensing through IMG; live event experiences and hospitality through On Location; full-service marketing through global cultural marketing agency 160over90; and sports data and technology through IMG ARENA and OpenBet. Endeavor is also the majority owner of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company comprising UFC and WWE.

What You'll Do:

The key purpose of this role is to develop key advertising, agency and brand partnerships in the North American market, and drive significant advertiser revenue through IMG’s owned and operated industry leading Sport 24 Live Airline and Cruise ship channel.

The successful candidate will be tasked with developing existing and new relationships with media agencies and brands, ensuring IMG & Sport 24 achieves share of brand budgets and continues to develop market awareness of the channels unique audience offering.

The role holder will secure investment from media agencies/brands in the form of direct IO’s, RFP’s and as the product develops via agency ‘upfronts’ and PMP programmatic deals via trading desks and media teams.

As a key leader and revenue generator within the Global Partnerships team, you will develop, execute and manage complex advertising and content partnership deals

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Establish, grow and maintain media agency and brand relationships, identifying key decision makers to develop strong rapport, generating incremental revenues for our Sport 24 Live Inflight & Cruise ship channel.

• Develop broad advertising, content and partnership solutions with both short & long-term commitments.

• Delivery of sales targets and a go-to-market plan for strategically identified channel partnerships and live broadcast rights properties. The process will cover Audience Analysis, Growth planning, Content strategy, Asset Valuation, Tiering and Packaging.

• Secure investment from media agencies/brands in the form of direct IO’s, RFP’s and as the product develops via agency ‘upfronts’ and PMP programmatic deals via trading desks and media teams.

• Work closely with the Global Partnerships Operations team, Endeavor Analytics and the wider Endeavor Network in general to deliver a cohesive and seamless go to market approach.

• Consistently identify target brands and generate face-to-face / virtual meetings to establish new client relationships.

• Perform contractual negotiations with clients through to signature.

• Support and work closely with Senior Management to ensure commercial partnerships are in keeping with the Channel environment and compliant with content rights holders.

• Work with contracted rights holders to ensure successful contract delivery and renewal.

• Ensure that all pipeline detail and deals are reported and up to date on the global CRM system.

• Maintain a good knowledge of competitor IP and activity in market.

• Weekly / monthly forecasting and reporting to senior divisional management within the IMG Media and Global Partnerships business units

• Compile and analyse revenue figures, while monitoring relevant performance metrics and efficiently managing campaigns to focus on activities that grow revenue, ensuring agency satisfaction.

• Contributing to the development, on-going definition and refinement of ad product, tech developments, reporting and regional sales strategies.

• Implementing plans underpinning delivery of those strategies, continuing evolution of our products and commercial propositions.

• Keeping up to date with the current market, competitor activity and brand spend.

• Any other duties within the scope of your role.

Knowledge and Experience      

• 10 Years + experience within Media Platform / Publisher relationships – preferably across the Digital, DOOH, OOH, Airline, Airport, Transit industry – in region

• Extensive advertising partner sales and strategy development experience

• Demonstrable experience of working with key brands in region and extensive media agency holding group relationships

• Understanding of how to construct 1:1 client direct, agency wide trade, PMP and flexible commercial agreements

• Understanding of working with planning, buying, video, display and trade desk teams within major agencies

• Experience in negotiating high value, complex, commercial contracts and partnership, content and advertising deals across multiple platforms 

• Proven track record of successful client relationships and strategic account management/engagement

• Track record of leveraging referrals, developing leads and securing meetings with prospective suppliers and partners through research, outbound calls and building an industry network profile

• Demonstrable knowledge of accurate forecasting and revisiting business plans regularly

• Effective communication skills with a broad range of audiences. Experience in presenting partnership opportunities to and engagement of senior and c-level executives and targeted companies, brands and agencies.

• A thorough understanding of the end-to-end sales process and the customer buying process (including awareness of the emotional connections required by brands)

• Working knowledge of closing deals including negotiation of commercial terms and working alongside the legal team to negotiate and conclude contractual agreements

• Demonstrable knowledge of the media landscape across Travel, Finance, Luxury, Tourism, Sports media and content activation across all platforms and trends on consumer / fan behavior to target new opportunities

• A clear track record of international media agency and brand relationships is required.

• Self-starter with evidenced experience of delivering multi-million-pound YoY revenue

• Lead negotiations for partnership agreements, ensuring favourable terms and conditions for all parties involved.

• Develop pricing and revenue models to optimise the financial impact of commercial partnerships.

You Have These:

• Deep experience in selling or planning OOH, DOOH and digital advertising to agencies and clients direct is essential.

• An excellent understanding of the OOH / DOOH and digital advertising ecosystem, including knowledge of traditional buying, ad-networks, ad exchanges, RTB, DSPs and trading desks.

• Ability to create compelling media solutions that drive engagement from a buying audience.

• Broad knowledge of the travel, in-flight, airport and transit media ecosystem

• Self-motivated with ability drive internal and external results with high level of independence.

• Ability to work with legal teams and finance to draft, review, and finalise contracts within sports and travel

• Team player: Excellent relationship management skills, tenacious and cross function collaborator.

• An entrepreneurial spirit that enjoys working in a people-orientated company, which sets high expectations.

• Self-Driven: You have fantastic organisational skills, integrity and great follow through. You don’t get overwhelmed easily.

• Strong Presentation Skills

• You have an appreciation of an international and technology-orientated media business units.

• You understand the impact of a highly successful sales strategy.

• Analytically orientated. You can demonstrate impact and efficiency of interventions on the business. You make data driven decisions that add value.

Working Conditions

• This is a permanent position.

• This role will be based at our offices in New York, with some flexibility on remote working as appropriate

• May be required to attend (and travel to) locations, including other IMG buildings and meetings

• Unsocial hours may be required, as dictated by the demands of the business schedule

• Adapting to use of new systems and technology where appropriate

Endeavor unites and brings people together in our love of sport, culture, and entertainment. We understand this can only be accomplished when we lead with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. As a global company that drives culture, we strive to reflect the world’s diverse voices.  

Endeavor is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.

Per local requirements and in the interest of transparency, the range shown below reflects the prevalent current hiring range for this position. Hiring pay rates are based on a number of factors, including location and may vary depending on job-related qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience.  Endeavor strives to provide locally competitive rewards packages, which include base rate along with, as applicable, short- and long-term incentives, growth and developmental opportunities, and robust benefits, such as health care, retirement, vacation and other paid time off, and additional offerings.

Hiring Range Minimum:

$76,148 annually

Hiring Range Maximum:

$101,531 annually