Why Sports Media is Changing Forever with Andrew Perlmutter
ABOUT ANDREW:
Andrew Perlmutter is the CEO of NBA Take-Two Media (NBA T2), a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive focused on creating culture-driven entertainment experiences through gaming, storytelling, and fan participation.
Prior to NBA T2, Andrew helped build and launch influential media brands including Quartz and Stat News, developing a career centered on innovative storytelling, audience engagement, and cultural impact.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
How Andrew helped launch innovative media companies like Quartz and Stat News
Why NBA T2 focuses on culture and storytelling rather than traditional esports
How NBA 2K creates authentic connections between fans and professional athletes
The role of participation in modern entertainment and brand building
How first-party data informs content strategy and audience engagement
The story behind NextFanUp and its growing community of NBA 2K players
Why unforgettable fan experiences create stronger loyalty than traditional marketing
How NBA T2 develops original shows like Showdown and Nomad
The connection between basketball, fashion, music, travel, and culture
What brands can learn from immersive communities and fandoms
Building a house of brands strategy across multiple content formats
Why storytelling remains the foundation of meaningful audience engagement“Are you going to sit there and wait for your cheese to reappear, or are you going to go find new cheese?” – Paul Harvey
In This Episode…
Carl sits down with Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of NBA Take-Two Media (NBA T2), to explore how some of the world's most recognizable brands are transforming fan engagement, community building, and sports entertainment through participation. Andrew shares his journey from helping launch groundbreaking media ventures like Quartz and Stat News to leading NBA T2, a culture-first media company operating at the intersection of basketball, gaming, storytelling, and audience engagement.
Together, they discuss why modern audiences no longer want to simply consume content—they want to be part of it. From building fan communities through NBA 2K to creating content that blends sports, fashion, music, travel, and gaming culture, Andrew explains how NBA T2 is rethinking fan engagement for a generation that expects interaction, ownership, and meaningful connection with the brands they love.
They dive into the power of first-party data, the future of sports marketing, creating unforgettable fan experiences, and why participation has become one of the most valuable assets in modern media and brand building. Along the way, Andrew shares lessons from developing innovative content platforms, building audience loyalty, and creating experiences that turn fans into lifelong advocates.
Whether you're building a brand, creating content, leading a community, or simply curious about where entertainment is headed, this conversation offers valuable insights into the future of audience engagement, storytelling, and culture-driven marketing.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
NBA Take-Two Media: https://nba.com
NBA 2K: https://nba.2k.com
Sponsor for this episode...
This episode is brought to you by Epic Made.
Epic Made creates entertainment-quality animation, digital art, and graphic design to elevate brands and build fandom.
We are a collective of senior-level artists across multiple disciplines, producing trailers, key art, social campaigns, branded storytelling, and motion systems for entertainment, gaming, and pop culture brands. Our work has supported major networks and studios, including SYFY and Nickelodeon.
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