VP, Entertainment Marketing & Talent Partnerships

Company Overview

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.

Achieving our goals requires strong collaboration and partnership between our teams and our internal stakeholders. To best support this, the person who accepts this role is expected to be on site, in office four days per week. To provide our employees with flexibility, we offer a unique benefit where employees at Fanatics' corporate entity can work remotely for up to four weeks per year, which can be taken in daily or weekly increments.

The Role

This role is responsible for developing and managing a world-class influencer and talent marketing program to expand Fanatics Corporate reach and cultural relevance among key audiences. The focus will be on modernizing Fanatics' approach, especially towards Gen Z, Gen A, and diverse segments, by leveraging the enhanced capabilities of the Fanatics ecosystem.

The ideal candidate will be an entertainment industry expert with proven experience in identifying and connecting with both emerging and established talent through strong relationships and creative deal structuring. They must balance the needs of talent with organizational objectives, support decisions with data and research, and collaborate closely with key departments internally across Fanatics Corporate (brand, social, events, etc.) and with key stakeholders across various businesses (ecommerce, collectibles, events, etc.) to drive innovative ideas forward. This role will contribute to the daily management of a prestigious influencer and talent program that earns respect from internal departments, fans, athletes, pro leagues, and partners.

As the primary point of contact for influencers and talent, this candidate will leverage key assets from Fanatics Corporate, including passes to key Fanatics events and tickets to major league tentpole moments (e.g., Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, All-Star Games). The successful candidate will utilize an allocated budget to support key brand campaigns and activations, effectively attracting and securing talent for strategic partnerships and collaborations. This approach aims to broaden outreach and enhance engagement with fans and growth audiences.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will be a well-connected networker with an extensive list of contacts across key industries (fashion, music, creator, sports/fitness, gaming, and culture). They will possess a deep understanding of multicultural, Gen Z, and young millennial consumers, helping to shape fan expression for the Fanatics brand by identifying key influencers and talent aligned with our values.

In their daily responsibilities, this role will build and maintain relationships with both emerging and established talent, creating a diverse roster across specific verticals such as Fashion, Music, Fitness, Creator, Gaming, and Culture. They will create "made for social" moments to generate excitement around critical Fanatics initiatives, including FanaticsFest, key Fanatics Events, and major tentpole moments (e.g., Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, All-Star Games) in collaboration with league partners such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, F1, NHL, and MLS. They will work with relevant talent to create brand campaigns and brand spots for social and linear to drive cultural awareness and traffic for e-commerce (i.e. storytelling campaigns featuring talent wearing key league licensed product apparel and accessories), as well as for collectibles (integrating talent to create storytelling around Topps/sports card culture & memorabilia), etc. They will also conceptualize lifestyle and streetwear product collaborations with relevant fashion designers/streetwear brands and key pro league licenses (NFL, MLB, NBA, Premier League, etc.)/Fanatics Brands (Mitchell & Ness, Nike, etc.), develop unique activation ideas for key Fanatics events, integrate Fanatics into key cultural moments (music festivals, ComplexCon, etc.), align talent with league partners, and execute these concepts through effective project management.

What You'll Do:

• Effectively manage allocated budgets to support key campaigns and activations, effectively attracting and securing talent for strategic partnerships and collaborations.
• Serve as a critical point of contact for influencers and talent, leveraging key assets from Fanatics Holdings Inc., including passes to key Fanatics events and tickets to major league tentpole moments (e.g., Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, All-Star Games) to support key campaigns and activations, effectively attracting and securing talent for strategic partnerships and collaborations.
• Develop and manage a world-class organic influencer and talent marketing program to enhance Fanatics' reach and cultural relevance.
• Collaborate closely with key departments internally across Fanatics Corporate (social, events, etc.) and with key stakeholders across various businesses (ecommerce, collectibles, events, etc.) to drive innovative ideas.
• Create "made for social" moments to generate excitement around initiatives like FanaticsFest, significant tentpole events (e.g., Super Bowl, NBA Finals, MLB World Series, etc.).
• Conceptualize lifestyle and streetwear product collaborations with relevant fashion designers/streetwear brands and key pro league licenses (NFL, MLB, NBA, Premier League, etc.)/Fanatics Brands (Mitchell & Ness, LIDS, etc.),
• Work closely with relevant talent to support brand campaigns and brand spots for social and linear to drive cultural awareness and traffic for e-commerce (i.e. storytelling campaigns featuring talent wearing key league licensed product apparel and accessories), as well as for collectibles (integrating talent to create storytelling around Topps/sports card culture & memorabilia), etc.
• Develop unique activation ideas & integrate Fanatics into key cultural moments (music festivals, ComplexCon, etc.)
• Modernize marketing approaches targeting Gen Z, Gen A, and diverse audience segments through the Fanatics ecosystem.
• Identify and connect with emerging and established talent, fostering strong relationships and creative deal structures.
• Balance the needs of talent with organizational objectives while supporting decisions with data and research.
• Build and maintain ongoing relationships with a diverse roster of talent across Fashion, Music, Fitness, Creator, Gaming, and Culture verticals.
• Execute concepts and initiatives through effective project management to ensure successful outcomes.

What We're Looking For:

• A minimum of 15 years of experience in managing external talent and relationships
• A minimum of 10 years of quantifiable experience in conceptualizing unique Influencer Marketing Campaigns, event activations and experiences and proven track record of bringing new concepts to life via successful event management and event production
• A minimum of 5 years of experience overseeing/leading/managing the growth of a team of direct reports.
• Ability to evaluate potential talent on brand fit for Fanatics against a set criteria.
• Brand, music label, or otherwise talent management experience preferred
• Track record of accomplishments in working with key music festivals, cultural moments, fashion/streetwear brands, etc.
• Track record of accomplishments in the influencer and talent space; specifically in bringing big and new ideas to life successfully
• Proven ability to manage and lead multiple projects under aggressive time constraints with many cross functional stakeholders
• Proven ability to maintain and lead strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Have a deep understanding of departmental business objectives and how/ when Influencer Marketing makes sense and will drive tangible results
• Ability to present recaps, decks, ideas, etc. to internal teams, executives, and external partners
• Excellent presentation skills, communication, project and event management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to establish deep and dynamic relationships with partners within the sports, music, creator, gaming, fashion, and fitness genres as well as talent agencies, media partners, publicists, managers, etc.
• BA/BS from undergraduate university with a degree in marketing, communications, or related field.
• A sports fan in general
• Energetic, Flexible, Resourceful, Collaborative

Other Key Attributes / Characteristics:

• Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities
• Must be willing to work early mornings, nights and/or weekends
• Strong writing and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to use good judgment and to exercise discretion in confidential matters
• Must possess outstanding work ethic and be highly self-motivated

Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-Time Staff
• Flexibility to work nights, and some weekends

The salary range for this position is $250,000 to $350,000, which represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training.