Direct-To-Consumer Growth Lead NBA Africa

Position Summary

The DTC Growth Lead for NBA Africa, will be responsible for developing and executing the growth strategy for the league’s direct-to-consumer platforms, including NBA League Pass, digital products, eCommerce, and fan engagement channels. This role will focus on expanding NBA Africa's digital footprint, growing revenue, and enhancing fan experiences across the continent. The ideal candidate has a strong background in digital marketing, eCommerce, and media, with a proven track record of scaling digital consumer businesses.

Major Responsibilities

• 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
• Lead opportunities for key licensing partnerships to achieve the growth strategy for the business in respect to subscriber and revenue targets.
• Lead external agency partners to deliver a cross-functional plan, strategize and execute performance marketing campaigns to drive the NBA’s subscriber growth and engagement across direct-to-consumer digital marketing channels including but not limited to Paid Social, Paid Search, and Programmatic content
• Lead the generation of a detailed strategic plan, based on the acquisition of relevant market research for initial growth phase of Africa digital business, closely collaborating with the appropriate functional leads/representatives across key disciplines within the NBA
• Act as a key advocate for a fan-centric, data-driven approach to strategy development, execution and evolution across digital product and partnerships
• Develop a deep understanding of overall Africa distribution by market; Partner with DTC and international media distribution teams in NY to establish a multi-year, direct-to-consumer distribution, and partnership strategy
• Work with Africa HQ in Johannesburg and Global HQ in NY to develop pitches for new ways to monetize content and customers with existing and prospective partners
• Instill an analytical mindset in the team to ensure KPIs are maximized on return of ad spend – focus on finding and driving high quality Universal + subscribers as determined by lifetime value
• Become fluent with and collaborate with others regarding all areas of NBA League Pass (LP) e.g. Product, Pricing, Packaging, Marketing, Acquisition, Retention, Financials across Africa
• Contribute to meeting and surpassing financial and subscription goals for NBA direct-to-consumer products in Africa
• 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. Ensure we have the proper and most advanced performance marketing agencies in region, securing the delivery of a plan to optimize spend and CPA targets across channels and initiatives to ensure Universal + acquisition and engagement marketing goals are met, and then summarize results for a broader audience
• Help determine packaging and pricing of subscriptions and services offered within Africa
• Review offerings to ensure best practices and learnings are applied (e.g. retention tactics)
• Assist in the marketing plans for League Pass within Africa (institutional, social, and paid)
• Understand marketplace trends, competitive offerings, new products/technologies, and consumer behavior to spot revenue and fan-engagement opportunities
• Continually make recommendations for additional offerings, adjustments to content offering and distribution approach based on learnings
• Develop and execute programs that engage existing users and address user churn along with the data and technology that power CRM, SEO and Marketing Technology programs
• Work closely with PR/Comms and partner marketing teams to ensure alignment of campaigns for NBA Africa
• Collaborate with product, development, design, and content to articulate product positioning, features, and benefits of DTC products
• Define and execute a comprehensive DTC growth strategy for NBA Africa, focusing on fan engagement, revenue generation, and brand expansion across digital platforms (e.g., NBA League Pass, mobile apps, social media, eCommerce).
• Oversee DTC P&L for Africa, setting financial targets and ensuring profitability while driving revenue growth. Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance analysis for all DTC initiatives.
• Spearhead fan acquisition strategies across digital channels, including paid media, influencer marketing, and partnerships. Drive retention through personalized experiences, loyalty programs, and content that resonates with African basketball fans.
• Utilize data analytics to optimize fan engagement, improve user experience, and increase customer lifetime value. Develop insights on fan behavior to inform strategic decisions.
• Collaborate with NBA Africa’s content, media, and partnerships teams, as well as global NBA teams, to deliver cohesive and compelling fan experiences. Work closely with technology, product, and operations teams to implement innovations.
• Stay ahead of digital and eCommerce trends, particularly in the African market, and incorporate innovative technologies (such as mobile payments, streaming, and interactive fan experiences) into the NBA Africa ecosystem.
• Identify and establish strategic partnerships that will enhance NBA Africa’s DTC growth. Collaborate with sponsors to integrate them into digital platforms and fan engagement strategies.

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Strong critical thinking and analytical capabilities, particularly in customer segmentation and modeling
• Strong project management and interpersonal skills, with ability to take initiative in a challenging, fast-paced environment of multiple priorities
• Ability to work cross-functionally in a global, matrix organization
• Strong analytical skills with acute attention to detail
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Word applications
• Must be comfortable navigating complex, matrix-shaped organizations and be persuasive and empathetic to various departments
• Must be able to cultivate effective partnerships with external companies, representing the NBA in a manner that befits the organization, working to represent the NBA’s interests, but in a way that acknowledges partners’ goals as well
• Ability to develop – and concisely articulate - effective strategies that are grounded in data and audience insights and directly address opportunities/challenges facing our organization
• Willingness and ability to engage with stakeholders (including senior executives), communicate insights and problem-solving in a flexible, professional manner
• 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 of 10 years digital media/direct-response marketing experience, required
• Track record for successfully driving digital audience/customer/fan growth and revenue through paid media across platforms for a direct-to-consumer brand. Subscription experience strongly preferred
• Prior expertise working for a sports organization and supporting celebrity/athlete events, preferred but not required
• Entertainment, advertising, or e-commerce industry experience with demonstrated track-record of developing and driving strategic marketing plans for large, complex organizations
• Experience working with and managing relationships with an outside agency strongly preferred
• Deep understanding of African markets, with experience tailoring strategies to diverse regions and consumer behaviors.

Educational Background Required

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