National Basketball Association

Game Production Lead, Local Media

National Basketball Association$170K — $200K *
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in live sports production, ideally with professional leagues or regional sports networks.
  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Television Production, or related field preferred.
  • Experience in producing/directing live sports broadcasts.
  • Proven experience managing production teams in high-pressure environments.
  • Familiarity with REMI, centralized, or cloud-enabled production workflows.
  • Collaboration experience with engineering and distribution teams.

Responsibilities

  • Lead planning and execution of live NBA game broadcasts on Local Media.
  • Partner with Content Planning to drive editorial and storytelling elements.
  • Supervise production personnel including producers and coordinators during broadcasts.
  • Develop comprehensive game production plans and timelines for broadcasts.
  • Ensure broadcast quality and consistency while respecting team identities.
  • Collaborate with tech teams to utilize advanced production technologies.
  • Mentor production staff and promote a culture of accountability and improvement.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Life/AD&D insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
  • Fertility and family-forming assistance.
  • Wellbeing allowance and educational assistance programs.
  • Mental health coaching/therapy services.
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company matching.
  • Generous time off policy including vacation, sick time, and personal days.
Full Job Description
WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

Game Production Lead, Local Media

Position Summary

The Game Production Lead, Local Media, is responsible for leading the planning and execution of live NBA game broadcasts across the league's Local Media organization. Reporting to the Content Production Lead, this role oversees the day-to-day execution of game productions, ensuring consistent, high-quality broadcasts that align with the editorial vision, production standards, innovation, and operational objectives established by the Local Media leadership team.

Working closely with Content Planning, Production Technology, Broadcast Engineering & Operations, Graphics, Programming, Distribution, and team production personnel, the Game Production Lead ensures live game productions are operationally excellent, creatively compelling, and delivered consistently across all NBA team markets.

This role plays a critical part in supporting the NBA's centralized Local Media model by driving production excellence, developing standardized workflows, and ensuring every live game broadcast delivers an engaging fan experience.

Major Responsibilities

  • Lead the day-to-day planning and execution of live NBA game broadcasts across assigned Local Media productions.


  • Partner with the Content Planning team to execute editorial priorities, storytelling initiatives, and game presentation elements throughout the season.


  • Supervise producers, directors, talent, associate directors, replay operators, production coordinators, and game-day production personnel supporting live game broadcasts.


  • Develop detailed game production plans, rundowns, staffing plans, and operational timelines for all assigned productions.


  • Ensure production quality, consistency, and operational readiness across all game broadcasts while maintaining each team's unique identity and storytelling approach.


  • Collaborate with Production Technology and Broadcast Engineering & Operations to ensure production workflows leverage centralized control rooms, REMI workflows, cloud-based production systems, and emerging technologies.


  • Work closely with Graphics, Creative Services, and Production Operations to integrate graphics, statistical content, sponsored elements, and other storytelling components into live broadcasts.


  • Work closely with the Broadcast Event & Studio Innovation team to ideate, evaluate and implement what is new and next for Local Media game an studio productions.


  • Coordinate with Distribution teams to ensure production deliverables meet technical specifications for linear, digital, and direct-to-consumer platforms.


  • Lead production rehearsals, pre-production planning meetings, post-game reviews, and operational debriefs to continuously improve broadcast quality.


  • Identify opportunities to improve production workflows, operational efficiency, and consistency across all Local Media productions.


  • Support the implementation of new production technologies, alternate broadcasts, AI-enabled production tools, and evolving production workflows.


  • Maintain production documentation, operational standards, and best practices for live game broadcasts.


  • Build strong working relationships with team production staff, freelance personnel, production vendors, and internal business partners.


  • Mentor and develop production staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.


  • Support budget management, resource planning, and production scheduling to maximize operational efficiency.


Required Education/Professional Experience

  • 8+ years of experience in live sports television production, preferably with professional sports leagues, regional sports networks, or national broadcasters.


  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Television Production, Media Production, Journalism, or a related field preferred.


  • Experience producing and/or directing live sports broadcasts.


  • Experience managing live production teams in fast-paced environments.


  • Experience supporting multi-game or multi-market production operations preferred.


  • Experience working with REMI, centralized production, or cloud-enabled production workflows preferred.


  • Experience collaborating with engineering, production technology, graphics, and distribution teams.


Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes

  • Strong expertise in live sports production workflows and control room operations.


  • Excellent understanding of game production, directing, producing, replay, graphics integration, and production coordination.


  • Strong editorial judgment and live storytelling skills.


  • Ability to lead complex live productions under tight deadlines.


  • Working knowledge of modern production technologies, including IP-based production and cloud-enabled workflows.


  • Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.


  • Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional production quality.


  • Excellent collaboration skills across Content, Production Technology, Engineering, Graphics, Programming, and Distribution teams.


  • Established history of creating a culture of consistent feedback and coaching across all levels


  • Commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation.


  • Financial and operational awareness with experience managing production resources effectively.


Salary Range:

$170,000 - $200,000

Job Posting Title:
Senior Director

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.

About National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men's professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams. It is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, and is widely considered to be the premier men's professional basketball league in the world. The NBA was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in New York City. The league's revenue comes from ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships, and media rights. The NBA has a global following and is broadcast in over 215 countries and territories.
Learn more about National Basketball Association
Size
1,100 employees
Industry
Founded
1946

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at National Basketball Association

More Media Jobs

Find similar Game Production Lead, Local Media jobs: