Vice President of Sports Content

JOB PURPOSE:

The Vice President of Sports Content is responsible for leading strategy, programming, and media rights for content distribution across TV, digital media, and mobile streaming to maximize reach, engagement, and revenue growth. This role also includes providing strong team leadership to develop and motivate the team, driving accountability and engagement to achieve results.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for maximizing revenue and the success of Midco Sports P&L.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for distributing sports content across multiple platforms, aligning with the organization's goals and target audience.
• Create a roadmap for sourcing new and negotiating existing content distribution rights with leagues, teams, and other stakeholders to secure optimal terms for broadcasting live events, highlights, and other sports programming.
• Oversee the distribution of sports content through traditional broadcast networks, streaming services, social media platforms, and other relevant digital channels.
• Negotiate complex content distribution rights agreements with various stakeholders.
• Analyze data and metrics to identify the most effective distribution strategies for each platform, optimizing content delivery based on audience engagement and viewership.
• Lead, manage and motivate a team focused on content distribution, production operations and digital strategies driving high-quality, efficient experiences and content aggregation.
• Ensure the technical infrastructure and systems required for efficient content distribution are in place and functioning properly.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key partners in the sports industry, including leagues, teams, broadcasters, and technology providers.
• Partner with finance, marketing, events and sponsorships, and advertising sales to align on goals and enhance opportunities to achieve success.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant broadcasting regulations, copyright laws, and distribution agreements.
• Effectively manage a fast-paced environment and a high volume of responsibilities and projects (from evaluation to production through delivery).
• Take educated risks while thinking outside the box and always responding in a timely manner.
• Provide constructive and timely feedback for team members to foster engagement through coaching, training and stretch opportunities to increase team performance.
• Perform quarterly team and partner reviews to drive accountability and performance inclusive of timely management of disciplinary and/or performance issues.
• Follow and serve as a role model in displaying Midco’s Core Values and Leadership Success Drivers
• Adhere to Midco’s privacy guidelines to ensure each customer’s privacy.
• Be available to provide assistance to team members outside of normal business hours as necessary

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Effectively communication and collaborate with internal teams and external partners.
• Demonstrate courage through a willingness to take a stand and tackle the tough issues while acknowledging own limitations, without compromising integrity.
• Practice agility by modeling flexibility, resiliency and change management. Has the ability to cut through ambiguity and not fear the unknown and has a thirst for knowledge and self-awareness.
• Build talent by making the search and development of new and existing team members a priority and investing personally in others’ development.
• Collaborate across boundaries by working effectively across Midco to achieve success, helping to build a foundation for an inclusive and supportive environment.
• Think strategically through maintaining a holistic and long-term perspective, identifying root causes of problems and anticipating unexpected outcomes.
• Exhibit excellent business acumen by pursuing and supporting Midco’s growth and using data to drive decisions and actions.
• Exercise innovative thinking through modeling curiosity and encouraging creativity to keep customers and team members engaged.
• Execute on assigned strategic initiatives or other projects through communicating clear expectations that set a high bar, verifying understanding of expectations and holding self and others accountable for results.
• Support the mission, vision, and values of Midco.
• Apply personal ethics, honesty, initiative, flexibility, responsibility and confidentiality to all of your work and interactions.
• Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner that builds positive relationships with client, team-members and leadership
• Maintain regular attendance to be available to provide direction and communication to team members.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, media or equivalent experience required. Masters preferred.
• Minimum ten years’ leadership experience in sports media, content distribution, or broadcast communications required.
• Must have extensive knowledge of the sports industry, with an emphasis on DI-DIII collegiate leagues, teams, key players and current trends.
• Proven experience in complex content distribution rights agreement negotiations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL & MENTAL QUALIFICATOINS:

• The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate.
• Employees may be required to work in excess of 40 hours per week and other than normal business hours, such as holidays, evenings and weekends as business demands.
• Strong communication skills to effectively convey information internally and externally
• Attention to detail to ensure accuracy with programming, scheduling, and reports.
• Think strategically to develop and implement comprehensive business plans.
• Ability to cast vision and lead team to complete department objectives.

ABOUT MIDCO:

• Midco offers the most reliable wholly owned and operated fiber network spanning 17,000 miles.
• We are a telecommunications leader that is redefining connectivity while being a force for good in the communities we serve.
• We serve nearly 500,000 homes and businesses in more than 400 communities in Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
• Our 1,900 team members work together with integrity, creating a caring culture for a lasting impact.

Ready to work at Midco? We thought so. Here are a few more reasons why Midco is one of the best places to work:

• Free Midco internet & TV
• Great opportunities to get involved in volunteerism
• Generous 401(k) match and paid time away from work programs
• And many more

Midco is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, familial status, membership or activity in a local commission, or any other characteristic protected by law. To view our full EEO and federal contractor supplemental posters, please refer to Midco.com/Federal Posters.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.