Company Description

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment companies, owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL), Toronto Marlies (AHL), Raptors 905 (NBA D-League), TFC II (USL) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League. Its charitable arm, MLSE Foundation, focuses on funding initiatives to support youth through sport and recreational programs. In 2017 MLSE Foundation, with support of community and corporate partners, built MLSE LaunchPad, a 42,000-sq. ft. space dedicated to programming that support its four Pillars: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready For School and Ready For Work.

MLSE’s common purpose is to unite and empower employees to deliver extraordinary moments to our fans and each other.

Who We Are

We celebrate the diversity, individuality, and personality of our peers, striving to be the best in class, in every class. We believe in Respect, Resilience, Commitment, and Ambition. We work for, with, and around the people that inspire us to try, persist, and achieve more.

Our work goes beyond games, seasons, trophies, and tours. Our success is measured by more than a scoreboard. Our team is stronger when we stand united. We create, we celebrate, we build, and we become better!

What we choose to do next, means everything! It defines greatness, builds character, makes history, and brings the world to its feet.

So, Are You In?

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

MLSE distributes a vast amount of content that includes live sporting events, team coverage, media scrums and pressers, branded content, commercial content, promotional assets and more. This content is distributed to multiple channels and platforms, including our owned and operated linear channels, our partner channels, team social channels and websites, team apps, every screen in all our venues and out-of-home billboards. Underscoring all this content is a complex set of league and broadcast rights.

This role is central the management of these sophisticated rights. You will need to be able to understand, interpret, communicate and provide clarity to the fine details of the rights to cross company departments and key partners as it pertains to content and creative IP. This role also leads negotiating and communicating content distribution opportunities with third party platforms/channels/distributors for MLSE’s linear and digital content. As an experienced, big-picture, process-driven, diligent, adaptable leader, you will lead the teams responsible for content programming across linear channels, publishing workflows, content planning tools (linear and traffic, and media/digital asset management).

You are not a creative director or content creator, nor do you desire to be one. But you can work well alongside creatives, editors, curators and content producers, digital and brand strategists, and digital product specialists.

You possess excellent soft skills and can comfortably discuss contractual details and positions on contract negotiations with others, at peer and/or senior levels.

The Director of Distribution’s scope is centered around the following key functions.

• Management of league rights and broadcast rights and related agreements:

The complexity of our rights, by virtue of the league rights agreements and broadcast distribution rights granted, requires an individual who can understand, interpret and communicate the nuanced details of rights, holdbacks, exclusivity and means of distribution. You will know and understand all the details of our broadcast and content rights agreements, and league rights as it pertains to game and non-game content. Furthermore you will be a central figure in providing clarity and as a consultant in conversations with multiple partners about said rights, including but not limited to: MLSE executive leadership team, legal team, finance, Global Partnerships, plus key league contacts and our the broadcast rights holders themselves.

• Content Distribution:

MLSE produces linear and digital content to which they retain ownership. In some cases the rights are complicated by league restrictions. You will need to have a good understanding of rights management and use this knowledge to lead sourcing, pitching, negotiating and contracting content distribution deals with third parties. Provide input on new digital product innovation (e.g. content placement in emerging or customized platforms) to extend our reach and optimize fan engagement with our content.

• Content Calendarization:

With such a vast array of content being pushed to multiple platforms for several teams, there can be upwards of 100 pieces of pieces of content published each day. This role is critical in the organization and calendarization of content and systems data architecture. Using new technology to provide better visualization of events and activations across the Marketing group is a key responsibility.

• Programming:

MLSE is the owner of two linear sports channels: NBA TV Canada (NBA TV) and Leafs Nation Network (LNN). Working hand-in-hand with the Manager of Programming, this role oversees scheduling strategies, live game programming, technology upgrades, vendor relationships, ratings and channel analytics, CRTC compliance, VOD strategy.

• Media Asset Management:

MLSE has a vast library and collection of digital and media assets (video, image, motion graphics and related elements across game and non-game content). This role works closely with the Manager of Media Asset Management and is responsible for the workflows, technology tools and storage strategy of all video and photo assets across the organization.

• Traffic:

MLSE traffics ad units to various destinations such as commercial ad load within broadcast, out-of-home billboards, in-arena commercial assets and on-line digital platforms. This role leads all aspects of the delivery of these various assets to the disparate platforms for all teams and for all live and non-live events.

• Channel Distribution:

NBA TV Canada and Leafs Nation Network (LNN) are distributed across various BDU platforms in Canada. This role is directly responsible for the negotiation of affiliate distribution agreements and maintenance of BDU relationships. In addition, responsibility includes a clear and consolidated channel distribution strategy and implementation of distribution on emerging platforms. This includes presentations to senior leadership with financial overviews.

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with leagues, in particular the NBA, to manage MLSE’s broadcast rights and other rights for all game and non-game content.
• Work closely with internal partners, including legal and finance, to ensure league rights are maximized and all shareholders are considered.
• Lead all aspects of the consolidation, organization, infrastructure of all content (including sponsored content) across all channels to ensure flawless distribution of various channel-specific strategies
• Establish guidelines and governance to content inventory oversight/management, content merchandising, distribution workflow and trafficking.
• Identify inventory within our distribution channels eg sellable (sponsor) and revenue generating inventory, vs brand content.
• Negotiate agreements for carriage, distribution and rates for linear channels NBATV Canada and Leafs Nation Network
• Identify opportunities on current and new distribution tactics and platforms and provide analysis, research and arguments to support positions.
• Oversee content sales opportunities (when within MLSE’s rights) on third party platforms and negotiate deals.
• Review and execute legal documents from various leagues.
• Oversee programming strategies to increase reach and minutes viewed on linear channels.
• Ensures linear and broadcast results are captured and distributed and that programming strategy across various levels of the organization.
• Oversee the storage and archival solutions and workflows for MLSE.
• Overseeing the trafficking of all media across all MLSE owned/operated channels: linear, out-of-home, in-venue, web, app and emerging platforms.
• Act as project leader to source technology vendors, negotiate vendor agreements and implement new technology across MLSE programming, traffic and MAM teams.
• Able to present workflow and distribution strategies to executive leadership teams.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to direct reports and their teams.
• Work collaboratively with other both internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years’ experience (Director level or up) in the media industry overseeing content delivery/programming/distribution across multiple linear and digital channels
• Excellent negotiation skills with a minimum of 4 years’ experience contributing to revenue generating deals.
• Ability to define processes, make decisions based on data (provided) and set quantitative goals
• Experience working with technology vendors and negotiating vendor agreements
• Working knowledge of Airtable software
• Experience inspiring, motivating and leading an impactful team
• Determined and test-and-learn oriented
• Experience analyzing and summarizing contracts and legal documents
• Experience creating or reviewing financial models
• Proven leadership ability
• A spirit of collaboration and accountability
• Empowering a strong team of leaders while improving process and establishing critical metrics and clear scope of work and role clarity
• Establishing strong relationships with direct reports and deliver coaching, mentoring and strategic guidance where and when needed
• Demonstrates respect for peers and team members experience and knowledge while able to challenge the status quo
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in advocating and presenting big picture business activity to senior level management (Powerpoint)
• Must enjoy a fast-paced environment that is based on team and individual effort
• Excellent ability to communicate workflow, guidelines and governance for all types of content touchpoints
• Has a working style that demonstrates empathy, transparency and visibility (i.e. breaks down silos)

Additional Information

Please apply by: October 19, 2021

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email accommodations@mlse.com. Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.