Playmaker has confirmed the appointment of two new c-level executives as the sports content firm seeks to push for aggressive growth in 2023.
Taz Patel has joined the company as the newly created Chief Business Officer role, while Kristine Bill has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer.
“The appointments of both Taz and Kristine clearly articulate the strategic vision and aggressive growth goals we have set for ourselves in 2023,” said Brandon Harris, CEO of Playmaker.
“In the coming months, Playmaker is keenly focused on expanding our roster of creative talent, bringing to life more public-facing events and developing and redefining strategic brand partnerships, all while continuing to publish the first-rate sports and entertainment content Playmaker has become so well-known for.
“Taz and Kristine will be instrumental in leaning into the momentum Playmaker created in 2022, and springboarding our brand to new levels of creativity, influence and notoriety.”
In the newly created CBO role, Patel will be charged with scaling up the brand’s revenue after Playmaker posted exponential growth in 2022, expanding platform integrations, and securing strategic partnerships.
In his career, Patel has worked with other start-up companies, with exits including from Captiv8, which he founded, BlueLithium and InterClick, both bought out by Yahoo.
Announcing his appointment, Playmaker lauded Patel’s ‘meaningful’ contribution to revenue growth by activating agency and brand partnerships.
“The early-stage companies that successfully scale talent, resources and profit have many of the characteristics Playmaker currently exhibits, most notably a lean operation, correctly leveraging technology and partnerships to maximize its output,” said Patel.
“The sports industry is currently in a renaissance period, moving from its traditional state to the true intersection of entertainment, media and technology. I’m looking forward to utilizing my experience to broaden Playmaker’s sphere of influence and industry market share.”
Meanwhile, Bill has been promoted to COO from her previous role within the company as SVP of Marketing & Events, which she had been in since July 2022.
As COO, Bill will be charged with leading all operations relating to brand marketing, PR, social media, creator content and e-commerce.
Previously in her career, she had worked with firms such as STN Digital, Blast Motion, and GMR Marketing.
“The needs of today’s sports fans are rapidly changing and, as a company, Playmaker is constantly seeking to identify the next great experience, digitally or in-person,” said Bill.
“This year we’ll be expanding Playmaker’s influencer program and developing engaging newsletters focused on specific areas within sports, entertainment and culture, as well as expanding our brand footprint with sponsorships and creative content activations at key tentpole sporting events.
“I’m excited to work with our world-class team of creatives and partners to provide our engaged audience with the exceptional experiences they demand.”
The elevation of Playmaker’s c-suite has come off the back of ‘exponential growth’ despite ‘a series of market challenges’ in 2022.
The firm recorded 300% growth in revenue year-over-year which was driven by the following growth of over 30 social media channels achieving over 20 million followers. Playmaker also secured partnerships with large brands such as Pepsi, PointsBet and No House Advantage.