Career Options

Example Organizations

Companies in the media, entertainment, and sports industry include large corporations that own a number of studios and networks, such as NBCUniversal, ESPN, Warner Media, Disney, and Paramount. Other organizations include publications such as the Hollywood Reporter and Forbes, companies that own sports teams such as Monumental Sports and Entertainment, and streaming/digital media organizations such as Netflix, HBOMax, Spotify, and TikTok.

Business Development

Business development professionals identify new partners and maintain relationships in addition to negotiating and closing deals. Business development explores potential new revenue streams, analyzes potential investments and internal business development opportunities. In the entertainment and media sectors, business development commonly involves analyzing new media markets, evaluating business plans and opportunities, and financial modeling. In the entertainment, media, and sports industry, this function is often grouped in with strategic planning.

Corporate Finance

Corporate finance professionals investigate acquisition opportunities, gather competitive intelligence, determine synergies and negotiate deals. They also divest businesses that may be undesirable in exchange for cash. Nearly all the major entertainment companies have grown through major acquisitions in the past two decades, increasing the importance of their corporate financiers. Commonly, corporate financiers are former investment bankers or accountants.

Data Analytics

Data analysts work with data to help their organizations make better business decisions. Using techniques from a range of disciplines, including computer programming, mathematics, and statistics, data analysts draw conclusions from data to describe, predict, and improve business performance. They form the core of any analytics team and tend to be generalists versed in the methods of mathematical and statistical analysis.

Human Resources

Human Resources is responsible for the development and delivery of business-focused HR strategies that attract, develop, motivate, and retain employees. HR partners with business leaders to deliver process, programs and services that drive business results and meet the needs of employees. Candidates should have an interest in change management, training and development, benefits, organizational and cultural change, and “people” development. An ideal skillset includes strategic thinking, resource management, recruiting, compensation modeling, policy development, flexibility, and the ability to be an agent for change. An understanding of varying communications and work styles is beneficial. There is a moderate availability of opportunity for human resources roles, and a moderate availability of exit opportunity.

Marketing

Marketing is a primary driving function of the entertainment, media, and sports industry. Corporate marketing assesses consumer reaction to new projects, initiatives, and endeavors. In entertainment, media, and sports, it can encompass many objectives, including market research and the execution of quantitative and qualitative research; management of outside vendors; oversight of new software, focus groups or research studies; revenue projections for new products or projects; pricing models; estimating market penetration and rollout strategies; and creating market plans.

Operations

Many media and entertainment companies manage complex creative and distribution processes with various operational elements and substantial operational costs. Operations professionals develop and implement best practices to improve business processes in various areas within a company, including client interaction, sales and services, marketing, and product development. Problem-solving skills, strategic planning skills, and the ability to analyze and present growth and performance metrics are valuable competencies in operations.

Strategic Planning

Strategists are involved in valuation and negotiation decisions for acquisitions, business plans for new ventures, the expansion of current business lines (and sometimes creating new ones), forward thinking financial plans to provide budgeting and overall prognosis for the health of company divisions, and any other high-level issues the company may be facing. Commonly, strategists are former consultants and bankers.

Global Opportunities

Large U.S. media, entertainment and sports companies typically have a multinational presence and provide and source applicants for all possible locations.