3 New Industries Where You Can Build Your Career in Sports
Have you ever wanted to design video games? What about working as a sportsbook associate? How about being a marketing manager for a Names, Image, and Likeness firm?
These are the new industries in the sports business, and they present candidates an opportunity to be experts in the future.
Historically, “sports” jobs referenced players, coaches, referees, sideline reporters, ticket sales reps, sponsorship sales reps, and game operations managers…
But the sports industry is growing outside of the box and outside of the stadium, with many organizations pushing the teams, fans, and employees in new directions.
To work in the sports business, that no longer means that you have to work for the team with players on the field.
What does it look like to work in the fastest-growing sports adjacencies? We’re here with The Breakdown on how you find the right opportunity in this new landscape of sports positions.
1/ Sports betting/fantasy sports
Now that 33 states have legalized sports betting, the world of daily fantasy sports has proliferated the market. With just the click of a button online or through sports betting apps, people across the world can place bets on any sport at any time.
Some of the top betting apps have taken the bets right to the fans, as they’ve opened up sportsbook lounges in several arenas across the country. The idea is to open up respective areas to the world of betting, even if the home teams housed in the arenas have an off day.
Sports betting sites/apps are becoming the official partners of major sports leagues now as well, which includes the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and most recently the NHL.
Fantasy football cornered the market on fantasy sports for years, but now other sports have their own fantasy sports leagues, including baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, and soccer.
Where are the jobs: With the rise of sports betting, multiple new categories of employment opportunities will come online in sports and entertainment. Tech-enabled betting platforms will need product and design hires, analytics and statics hires, as well as many in-person administrators to facilitate betting locations across the country.
2/ eSports/VR Gaming
The term eSports is the blanket word for the world of competitive gaming, which has grown at a rapid pace in the past decade. The industry generated nearly $1 billion in 2021 and is estimated to approach $2 billion before 2022 ends.
The world of eSports has broadened its audience through streaming, namely with Twitch or live feeds on YouTube. Advertisers have clamored to showcase the top eSports teams in the world, as several are valued at over $200 million. Some sports figures who are now investing in eSports include Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, Hall of Fame basketball player and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, and legendary boxer Mike Tyson.
Plus, eSports have even helped a generation of gamers get college educations. Over 170 schools in the United States have eSports varsity teams and are a part of the National Association of Collegiate eSports. While most eSports scholarships are partial, some programs have grown enough to provide full-scholarship offers, as they’ve extended $25,000 scholarships to their gamers.
With a real-life metaverse on the horizon, virtual or augmented reality gaming has also blossomed in recent years. The VR gaming industry generated nearly $23 billion in 2020 alone. While there have been sports-themed video games to arise in VR, several leagues are giving VR users exclusive access to game-viewing options.
Where are the jobs: eSports and VR Gaming is a technology-intensive product category, which will yield many jobs in software engineering and design. However, as these teams continue to grow, traditional sports positions (ticketing, revenue management, marketing, event operations, partnerships), will be in demand as teams and leagues build different eSports venues and events.
If you are applying to an NFL or NBA team in a ticketing or sales role, consider checking out eSports opportunities with the same title. Although the team may not yet be a household name, it is a growing format and the top brands could look quite different in 10 years!
3/ NIL: Name, Image, and Likeness
The world of college sports was flipped on its head in 2021 with amendments to Name, Image, and likeness regulations. Now collegiate student-athletes can earn money through sponsorship deals or partnerships with companies.
Although some college programs handle NIL deals in-house, outside companies have really been the driving force of this movement. Some of the organizations involved have launched NIL-specific teams, including luxury car brands, deodorant/antiperspirant brands, sports marketing firms, and even some of the top beverage companies.
The changes with NIL have directly impacted the gaming market as well. Now that college players can make money for their Name, Image, and Likeness, there are talks of NCAA simulations returning in 2023. The last NCAA-themed video game was released in 2013.
Where are the jobs: Given that NIL is, in many ways, an extension of social media and influencer marketing, career opportunities created by NIL’s adoption will focus on those functions. In particular, if you have an interest and expertise in social media management and partnerships, your services will be in demand as a new generation of college athletes seek support to market their Name, Image, and Likeness.
Furthermore, social media posts, while short, elegant, and often “candid,” require significant levels of production quality, copywriting, and even storyboarding to show up as effective. These technical skills will be of the utmost importance as NIL marketing continues to rise.
What could it mean for you as you begin your career in sports?
There was a time when working as a fantasy sports app designer was a non-existent role. But the many changes in sports adjacencies in recent years have opened up a new world of roles in sports.
People may be discouraged from dipping into the sports water, but these sports adjacencies are making it easier for applicants to share their best talents in roles similar to ones they have had in the past. There’s room for public relations specialists, sales associates, content developers, technical solutions specialists, and yes, even video game designers!
Remember, because these industries are new, if you start building your skills in one of these areas today, you could have as much or more experience in that field thank anybody in the market! In what other discipline is that possible?
We encourage you to try something new. New roles with sportsbook lounges and eSports teams are coming about each and every day.
