Business Development Manager - Sports Marketing

At Keywords Studios, we are seeking a results-driven Business Development Manager to accelerate the growth of our Engage service line across North America. The ideal candidate will be responsible for identifying, prospecting, and closing high-value creative and marketing partnerships with major Sports clients, including professional leagues, franchises, sports broadcasters, and global athletic brands.

Key Responsibilities:

• Revenue Generation: Drive new business growth by identifying and securing multi-service creative and marketing contracts within the Sports sector.

• Strategic Prospecting: Build and maintain a robust pipeline of Tier-1 clients, focusing on marketing and digital / social directors within major sports leagues (e.g., NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS), international federations, athletes and sports-centric streaming platforms.

• Solution Selling: Articulate the full suite of "Engage" services,including Creative Production (hype reels, broadcast graphics, digital content), Social & Influencer Marketing, PR & Outreach, and Strategy & Insight.

• Pitch Leadership: Lead the end-to-end sales process, from initial outreach and chemistry meetings to complex RFP responses and final contract negotiations.

• Integrated Collaboration: Work closely with our internal network of specialized service providers to craft bespoke, integrated solutions for global sports brands and organizations.

• Market Intelligence: Stay ahead of industry trends in digital sports marketing, fan monetization, and athlete-led content to position Keywords as an innovative, essential partner.

• CRM Management: Maintain meticulous records of sales activity and forecasting within Salesforce to ensure transparency across the global BD team.

Requirements:

• Experience: 5+ years of proven success in business development or senior account management within the Sports, Esports, or Sports-focused Creative Agency sectors.

• Industry Network: A strong existing portfolio of contacts within North American sports leagues, teams, athletes and sports-media marketing departments.

• Service Expertise: Deep understanding of the sports creative production lifecycle, fan-base social ecosystems, and the athlete-influencer landscape.

• Social Media: Strong understanding of social media and influencer marketing, ROI and metrics is required.

• Communication: Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills; ability to "sell the dream" while remaining grounded in technical feasibility.

• Commercial Acumen: Strong negotiation skills with a track record of meeting or exceeding multi-million dollar annual sales targets.

• Autonomy: A self-starter capable of operating effectively in a remote/hybrid environment across North American time zones.

• Availability: Willingness to travel frequently for client meetings, major sporting events, and internal site visits.