Sports marketing careers that are in high demand

A recent Morgan Stanley report estimated global sports industry sales at $521 billion.¹ Additionally, PwC believes the global sports sponsorship market will reach $115 billion in 2025, projecting it will exceed $160 billion by 2030.² The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects corresponding above-average growth rates over the next decade for career categories that encompass sports marketing jobs, such as promotions and marketing managers (6% predicted growth over the next decade³) and public relations specialists (5% predicted growth over the next decade⁴).

This post examines some of the most in-demand sports marketing jobs and provides information on salary expectations and tips on how to get your sports marketing career started.

What’s driving the demand for sports marketing talent?

The sports industry is experiencing tremendous growth. Trends in sports marketing include digitization and technological advances, powered by a projected 21.9% compound annual growth rate for the sports technology sector from 2025 to 2030, according to Grand View Research.⁵ Globalization of sports drives audience growth, which adds value to media rights and merchandising for leagues, teams, and players. A recent Nielsen study, for example, estimated that basketball has become the world’s second most popular sport, with 3.3 billion people expressing interest in the game.⁶ Unsurprisingly, the NBA is currently the world’s third most profitable sports league, according to global sports marketing agency Talisman.⁷

All of this robust growth leads to predictions of increased hiring rates in key sectors of the sports industry, such as women’s sports, digital marketing, and data analytics.⁸

High-impact career paths in sports marketing

Digitization, globalization, and more specific trends, such as social media growth and the increasing significance of the branding of individual athletes, drive demand for particular careers in sports and entertainment marketing and adjacent fields.

Social media manager

Social media managers develop and execute strategies that connect brands to audiences on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.⁹ For the sports industry, this is essential: Gen Z is comprised of “digital natives” who are less likely to attend live sporting events than their elders,¹⁰ but very likely to watch coverage online. In 2023, consumer research agency Attest found 81% of Gen Z respondents surveyed used social media daily, with more than 50% reporting they were on social media platforms for more than three hours every day.¹¹

Across the global sports industry, brands need social media managers to curate their content, track engagement stats, and find new ways to attract an audience.

Marketing coordinator

In 2023, a viral ad for the telecommunications company Orange turned women’s soccer into men’s soccer, and then revealed the trick to make a statement about gender bias in sports coverage. The ad won millions of views, countless articles, and even got an endorsement from a French government official.¹²

In 2012, Red Bull got 8 million viewers on YouTube for skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s epic jump from the edge of space.¹³

These are the sort of high-impact campaigns that marketing coordinators hope to create. Marketing coordinators contribute to the execution of brand strategy, developing original material such as videos or blogs, and tracking analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns and content.¹⁴

Public relations specialist

PR specialists in sports marketing cover a wide range of responsibilities, including fostering relationships with media outlets, preparing athletes and coaches for interviews, and crafting narratives around teams and players to inspire fans and captivate audiences.¹⁵

Sports marketing analyst

Using data analytics platforms like Tableau or custom-built customer relationship management (CRM) systems, sports marketing analysts lead the way for teams and brands seeking to capture and analyze data to drive decision-making. A marketing analyst might track fan behavior online or the effectiveness of a social media campaign, providing leadership with evidence to inform shifts in marketing strategy and tactics.¹⁶

Event marketing manager

Sports event marketing is one of the most important jobs in the industry. Most live pro sports are events that need to satisfy not just players and coaches, but tens of thousands of attendees, and potentially millions of viewers.

Whether you’re watching the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, a World Cup soccer final, or a regular-season baseball game, somewhere in the background is a sports event marketing manager (or several) contemplating a job well done.

Careers in sports marketing salary expectations

Sports marketing jobs feature a wide range of salaries. In addition to the usual factors, such as experience and location, compensation is also affected by the type of employer. For example, the social media manager for a major league baseball team can reasonably expect to earn more than someone performing the same duties for a minor league team. With this in mind, it is important to tailor salary level expectations for careers in sports marketing to the type of job, the specifics of the job, and your own experience level.

For example, recruitment website Indeed reports a national average salary for marketing assistants–a largely entry-level role–of $58,822 per year. A more mid-career or senior role, such as public relations manager, garners an average national salary of $68,727 per year. Brand managers and event promoters enjoy average salaries of $80,000+.¹⁷

How to start a career in sports marketing

If you’re thinking about how to get a job in sports marketing, many careers begin with internships with relevant organizations, like local sports teams or agencies.

As you gather experience, build a portfolio that showcases your efforts and successes for future employers. Networking is vital in a people-facing industry like sports as well. Maintain strong networks of past and present employers, mentors, and colleagues.

A degree is essential for most roles, especially those that rely on specific technical or professional skills. Graduate degrees help you develop specialized knowledge for your preferred role or industry, and can also help bolster your practical experience with internship or fieldwork opportunities.

Turn your passion for sports into a professional advantage

At the University of Kansas, you can give your sports marketing career the Jayhawk advantage with a Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) degree in health, sport management, and exercise science with an emphasis in sport management. Our program features a career-focused curriculum taught by world-class faculty. Through your courses, you’ll build the skills and knowledge needed for success in a broad range of sports marketing roles. You’ll also develop valuable relationships with peers and be able to connect with our game-changing alumni network.

To learn more, review our admissions requirements online and contact us today with any questions. If you’re ready to discuss what the Jayhawk advantage can do for your career in sport management, schedule a call with one of our admissions outreach advisors.