Creative Strategist, Brand & Partnerships

2KG NBA 2K League Services Corp; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life/AD&D insurance

Short-term disability

HSA/FSAs

401(k) retirement plan

Wellbeing allowance

Paid time off

Job summary

2KG NBA 2K League Services Corp is hiring a Creative Strategist to develop original ideas that connect advertising partners with audiences through branded content, social storytelling, talent partnerships and live experiences. You’ll ideate, craft pre-sale concepts and pitches on the Brand & Partnerships team, reporting to the Head of Marketing.

You will translate client objectives and cultural trends into compelling sponsorship concepts, collaborating with Sales, Editorial, Social, Design,

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of experience in creative strategy, integrated strategy, branded content development or partnership ideation at a media publisher, sports or entertainment company, creative agency or brand.
• Proven ability to translate client briefs and audience insights into distinctive, commercially relevant partnership ideas
• Excellent writing, storytelling and presentation skills, including experience developing proposals and pitching to clients or agencies.
• Strong understanding of sports, basketball culture, entertainment, creators and social platform behaviors.
• Experience developing ideas across social, video, digital, talent partnerships and experiential.
• Strong organization and judgment, with the ability to manage multiple briefs and pitch deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Creative Strategy & Ideation across branded video, social, editorial, talent, gaming and experiential.
• Translate advertiser objectives and target audience needs into clear creative strategies, campaign narratives, and distinctive ideas.
• Lead brainstorms and synthesize contributions into focused, pitch-ready concepts.
• Partner with Sales and Brand Partnerships to respond to RFPs, owning the creative strategy, concept development, and written narrative of proposals.
• Develop proactive ideas that give Sales new reasons to engage partners.
• Lead the creative conversation with Production and Project Management once a partnership is sold.

Skills

Creative strategy

Ideation

Storytelling

Proposal writing

Pitch presentations

Brand partnerships

Audience insights

Cultural trends

Creative leadership

Sports knowledge

Job description

WORK OPTION: In Office _________________

Role Overview

The Creative Strategist will develop original ideas that connect advertising partners with our audiences through branded content, social storytelling, talent partnerships and live experiences. Sitting on the Brand & Partnerships team, reporting to the Head of Marketing, this person will translate client objectives, audience insights and cultural trends into compelling sponsorship concepts and persuasive pitches. This position focuses primarily on ideation, creative strategy and pre-sale development - we’re looking for a strong conceptual thinker and storyteller with a deep understanding of sports, basketball culture and entertainment - someone who can find an unexpected angle, build an idea around it and clearly articulate why it works for a brand. Working closely with Sales, Editorial, Social, Design, Production and Talent, this role will lead creative development from the initial brief through proposal and presentation.

Primary Responsibilities

• Creative Strategy & Ideation
  • Develop original partnership concepts across branded video, social, editorial, talent, gaming and experiential.
  • Translate advertiser objectives and target audience needs into clear creative strategies, campaign narratives, and distinctive ideas.
  • Use audience insights, category research, cultural trends, and past campaign learnings to explain why an idea will resonate.
  • Lead brainstorms and synthesize contributions into focused, pitch-ready concepts.
  • Identify credible ways for brands to participate in basketball culture, sports, entertainment, and emerging fan conversations.
• Pre‑Sale & Pitch Development
  • Partner with Sales and Brand Partnerships to respond to RFPs, owning the creative strategy, concept development, and written narrative of proposals.
  • Write compelling campaign overviews, series descriptions, sample episode ideas, talent recommendations, and brand integration concepts.
  • Present ideas to clients, agencies, and internal stakeholders, confidently explaining the strategic rationale and responding to feedback.
  • Refine concepts throughout the sales process while preserving the central idea and addressing client priorities.
• Proactive Partnership & Content Development
  • Develop proactive ideas that give Sales new reasons to engage prospective and existing partners.
  • Create original branded content franchises, recurring formats and sponsorship platforms with potential for repeat investment.
  • Package opportunities around major sports and entertainment moments, editorial properties, talent access and live events.
  • Maintain a pipeline of ideas, creative references and partnership opportunities informed by emerging trends and advertiser needs.
• Creative Collaboration & Production
  • Consult with Editorial, Social, Production, Talent and other relevant teams during proposal development to assess feasibility, audience fit and resource requirements.
  • Refine concepts to reflect production parameters, budget guidance and available talent or rights.
  • Prepare creative briefs that capture the approved concept, strategic rationale, brand role and essential storytelling elements.
  • Lead the creative conversation with the Project Manager to Production and Project Management once a partnership is sold.
  • Serve as a resource for questions about the original concept, with campaign delivery, timelines, budgets and day-to-day client management owned by the execution teams.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of experience in creative strategy, integrated strategy, branded content development or partnership ideation at a media publisher, sports or entertainment company, creative agency or brand.
• Proven ability to translate client briefs and audience insights into distinctive, commercially relevant partnership ideas
• Excellent writing, storytelling and presentation skills, including experience developing proposals and pitching to clients or agencies.
• Strong understanding of sports, basketball culture, entertainment, creators and social platform behaviors.
• Experience developing ideas across social, video, digital, talent partnerships and experiential.
• Strong organization and judgment, with the ability to manage multiple briefs and pitch deadlines.

Take‑Two Benefits

Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short term disability; tax advantaged accounts such as FSA, a 401(k) retirement plan; commuter benefits, and unlimited time off benefits that include vacation and sick time.

Salary Range: $125,000-$140,000

Job Posting Title: Supplemental Staff Employees currently are eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus, awarded at the sole discretion of the Company and subject to any terms and conditions set by the Company.

Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; fertility and family-forming assistance; wellbeing allowance; educational assistance; mental health coaching/therapy; tax advantaged accounts such as HSA and healthcare/dependent care FSAs; a 401(k) retirement plan; and time off benefits that include vacation, sick time, and personal days.

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status, Familial Status, Status As A Victim Of Domestic Violence Or Any Other Status Or Characteristic Protected By Applicable Federal, State, Or Local Law.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2026-27 season featured 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents. The NBA's digital assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms. The NBA's Tap to Watch provides seamless access to local, national and global live game telecasts via the NBA App, NBA.com, third-party digital platforms and NBA partner platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA's global social impact platform, drives change on issues facing fans and communities in the areas of health and wellness, civic engagement, social justice and inclusion, and sustainability. At the NBA, we're passionate about growing and celebrating the game of basketball. Through the intensity of the game and the amazing athletic skill of our players, we deliver excitement to hundreds of millions of fans around the world. As a global sports and media business, the NBA is so much more. While Basketball Operations runs the league's on-court activities, other departments manage relationships with television and digital media partners, develop marketing partnerships with some of the world's most recognizable companies, oversee the licensing of NBA merchandise, and handle a wide range of responsibilities that drive the NBA's success. Off the court, we're also deeply committed to social responsibility. NBA Cares leads the league's involvement in addressing important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.