Manager, Creative Strategy – Sports & Entertainment

About WPP Media WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. With exceptional talent, trusted data and intelligence, and world-class partnerships – all united by our pioneering agentic marketing platform, WPP Open – we help clients navigate change, capture opportunity, and deliver transformational growth.  WPP Media is WPP's AI-driven media operating unit, bringing together media, data, and partnerships to deliver creative personalisation at scale. Connected through WPP Open and powered by Open Intelligence, clients see exactly where, how, and why their media investment is working. For more information, visit wppmedia.com . 3135 - Manager (AD), Creative Strategy – Sports & Entertainment - UK Role Summary and Impact WPP Media is the UK’s biggest media agency network. More clients choose to work with us than anyone else in the UK. This success is delivered via a clear, client centric vision – to be the most trusted growth partner for brands. WPP Media Sports & Entertainment is our dedicated practice focused on the development of brand partnerships, sponsorships, branded entertainment and socially driven content solutions for brands. We work with the biggest and most impactful brands, platforms, IP, rights holders, talent and creators to drive our work. We passionately believe that Sports and Entertainment make modern culture. Across sport, music, fashion, gaming and entertainment, they fuel the communities and fandoms that drive audiences and power brand differentiation. The vision of our 100+ dedicated craft experts is simple – We make brands epic in culture. Overview As   Manager , Branded Entertainment you w ill lead the day-to-day strategic development, delivery, and integration of world-class branded entertainment solutions across WPP M edia ’s client portfolio . Sitting at the intersection of media, culture, and storytelling, this role ensures our clients’ brands are authentically connected to the biggest platforms, talent, and IP shaping today’s entertainment landscape. Working closely with senior leadership, WPP agency teams, and external partners, you will lead on responses to complex client briefs , spanning linear and streaming AFPs , social-first series, and talent-led partnerships. You will bridge creative ambition with commercial rigor to build culturally resonant entertainment properties that deliver measurable business impact . Key Responsibilities Strategy & Brief Management • Drive the implementation of the WPP Media’s S&E Branded Entertainment proposition across agency teams and client accounts. • Act as the strategic lead on key client briefs, translating brand challenges into innovative, culturally relevant entertainment strategies. • Identify emerging trends across streaming, the creator economy, gaming, and sports, converting them into actionable opportunities for clients. Creative & Commercial Development • Oversee the ideation, pitching, and packaging of entertainment formats, including long-form documentary storytelling, streaming partnerships, and influencer-led digital series. • Bridge client objectives with external creative partners, studio executives, streamers, and talent to co-develop compelling IP. • Lead commercial deal structuring, contract negotiations, and rights management to ensure brand investments yield strong value and reach. Partnership & Platform Relationships • Cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with key entertainment platforms (Netflix, Amazon, Sky, YouTube, TikTok, Meta, Spotify, etc.), production companies, and distributors. • Harness WPP’s network scale to secure premium access to talent, IP, and exclusive partnership opportunities. • Collaborate with internal talent and influencer practices to seamlessly integrate creator