Direct-To-Consumer Growth Lead - NBA Africa at National Basketball Association (NBA)

Position Summary

NBA Africa has identified the growth of its direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital platforms (i.e. NBA League Pass, NBA2K, NBA Topshot, NBA Store, and other such existing and future digital products) as a key component of its fan engagement and commercial strategy on the continent. The Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) Growth Lead will work closely with the Business Development, DTC, Product, Content and Marketing teams in Africa and the US to define and execute the strategy, including licensing and strategic partnerships, to drive revenue growth, subscriber acquisition, and fan engagement for the NBA’s DTC offerings across the continent.

Major Responsibilities:

• This role will closely align itself with the overall media business (i.e. PAY TV, Free-to-Air and digital content licensing) to integrate and drive subscription and monetization of engagement or transactions, with fans that have an NBA digital relationship (via email or by creating an account).
• This role will work with other key internal departments and external research and marketing agencies to help grow and engage our subscriber base through a variety of DTC platforms and channels.
• Act as a key advocate for a fan-centric, data-driven approach to strategy development, execution and evolution across digital products and partnerships.
• Lead the generation of a detailed strategic plan, based on the acquisition of relevant market research for the initial growth phase of the Africa digital business, closely collaborating with the appropriate functional leads/representatives across key disciplines within the NBA.
• Lead opportunities for key next-generation digital partnerships to achieve the growth strategy for the business with respect to subscriber and revenue targets, including lead generation and business development for partnerships to drive access (eg content aggregators, fintech, telecommunications, broadband, gaming, connected devices and content warehousing).
• Become fluent with and collaborate with others regarding all areas of NBA League Pass (LP) e.g. Product, Pricing, Packaging, Marketing, Acquisition, Retention, and Financials across Africa.
• Help determine packaging and pricing of League Pass subscriptions and services offered within Africa.
• Collaborate with the Content Team to develop compelling content offerings tailored to African audiences for DTC offerings.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Team to lead external partners to deliver a cross-functional plan, strategize and execute performance marketing campaigns to drive the NBA’s subscriber growth and engagement across DTC digital marketing channels including but not limited to Paid Social, Paid Search, and Programmatic content.
• Help develop financial budgets and projections for our digital business in Africa. Track performance and optimize for all KPIs. Provide performance insights for continuous product improvement.
• Review offerings to ensure best practices and learnings are applied (e.g. retention tactics).

Required Skills/Knowledge:

• Entrepreneurial mindset and approach to build and grow this business area. Excited and energized by ambitious financial and subscription goals.
• Creative thinker about partnership opportunities; execution-oriented to drive negotiations and conclude deals.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical capabilities, particularly in customer segmentation and modelling
• Strong project management and interpersonal skills, with ability to take initiative in a challenging, fast-paced environment of multiple priorities
• Outstanding quantitative, financial, research and modeling skills
• Exceptional verbal, written, presentation and interpersonal skills
• Verbal and written fluency in English required, French or Portuguese an added plus but not required

Experience Needed:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in the digital AND broadcast media space.
• Track record of successfully driving digital audience/customer/fan growth and revenue through across platforms for a direct-to-consumer brand.
• Subscription experience strongly preferred
• Prior expertise working for a sports organization, preferred but not required
• Entertainment, advertising, or e-commerce industry experience with a demonstrated track record of developing and driving strategic commercial plans for large, complex organizations

Educational Background Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred but not required