The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports
- Dates: 29 MAY–01 JUN 2024
- Format: In-Person Learning takes place on the HBS campus or a designated location.
- Location: HBS Campus
- Fee: $12,000
Summary
Nowhere has the impact of digital technology been felt more keenly than in the entertainment world, where it has dramatically changed how products are developed and managed—and how talent connects with audiences. In this entertainment management course, you will uncover new approaches for driving revenue and success in today's entertainment environment. Through an up-close examination of why some creative businesses thrive while others fail to survive, you will learn when to make smaller versus blockbuster bets, the best way to capitalize on market disruptions, and how to establish long-term competitive advantage.
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Summary
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Nowhere has the impact of digital technology been felt more keenly than in the entertainment world, where it has dramatically changed how products are developed and managed—and how talent connects with audiences. In this entertainment management course, you will uncover new approaches for driving revenue and success in today's entertainment environment. Through an up-close examination of why some creative businesses thrive while others fail to survive, you will learn when to make smaller versus blockbuster bets, the best way to capitalize on market disruptions, and how to establish long-term competitive advantage.
DetailsExpand AllCollapse All
Allocate resources more strategicallyAllocate resources more strategically
- Evaluate the distinct diffusion patterns typically found in the sale of creative goods and services
- Balance risks and rewards to manage multiple new releases simultaneously
- Execute strategic marketing decisions that take into account different industry players' roles
Make better investments in talent Make better investments in talent
- Respond to the challenges and opportunities inherent in acquiring and developing creative talent and teams
- Make optimal business arrangements with talent and talent representatives
Respond to advances in digital technologyRespond to advances in digital technology
- Capitalize on the explosive growth of online distribution channels and social media
- Develop strategies to exploit disruptive opportunities and anticipate the continuing impact of technological change on your business
Expand your personal and professional networkExpand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
- Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions
Allocate resources more strategically
- Evaluate the distinct diffusion patterns typically found in the sale of creative goods and services
- Balance risks and rewards to manage multiple new releases simultaneously
- Execute strategic marketing decisions that take into account different industry players' roles
Make better investments in talent
- Respond to the challenges and opportunities inherent in acquiring and developing creative talent and teams
- Make optimal business arrangements with talent and talent representatives
Respond to advances in digital technology
- Capitalize on the explosive growth of online distribution channels and social media
- Develop strategies to exploit disruptive opportunities and anticipate the continuing impact of technological change on your business
Expand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
- Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions
Who Should Attend
- Talent in the entertainment sector (film, television, music, nightlife, fashion, publishing, sports, performing arts), such as professional athletes, musicians, and actors
- Agents, managers, and other individuals who represent talent
- Senior or mid-level executives in business development, marketing, and strategic planning, who work or aspire to work for studios, networks, publishers, music companies, performing arts companies, sports leagues and teams, and other creative enterprises
- Brand managers, promoters, investors, and others who are active in the entertainment industry

Program for Leadership Development participants earn 3 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
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Who Should Attend
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- Talent in the entertainment sector (film, television, music, nightlife, fashion, publishing, sports, performing arts), such as professional athletes, musicians, and actors
- Agents, managers, and other individuals who represent talent
- Senior or mid-level executives in business development, marketing, and strategic planning, who work or aspire to work for studios, networks, publishers, music companies, performing arts companies, sports leagues and teams, and other creative enterprises
- Brand managers, promoters, investors, and others who are active in the entertainment industry
Program for Leadership Development participants earn 3 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
Learning and Living at HBS
When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
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Learning and Living at HBS
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When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.
Admissions Criteria and Process
Answering Your Questions
Application Submission
Application Review
Fee, Payment, and Cancellations
Answering Your Questions
Application Submission
Application Review
Fee, Payment, and Cancellations
What You Will Learn
Immersed in a rich and focused learning experience that includes faculty presentations, group discussions, and case studies, you will examine best practices and winning strategies in the worlds of film, television, publishing, music, and sports. Through enlightening cases featuring the NFL, Paris Saint-Germain, Beyoncé, and The Walt Disney Studios, the program provides new insight into strategic entertainment business challenges.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
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What You Will Learn
-
Immersed in a rich and focused learning experience that includes faculty presentations, group discussions, and case studies, you will examine best practices and winning strategies in the worlds of film, television, publishing, music, and sports. Through enlightening cases featuring the NFL, Paris Saint-Germain, Beyoncé, and The Walt Disney Studios, the program provides new insight into strategic entertainment business challenges.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
Key TopicsExpand AllCollapse All
Launching and managing creative products and portfoliosLaunching and managing creative products and portfolios
- Allocating scarce resources across a product portfolio
- Managing production and marketing budgets more effectively
- Comparing potential strategies, such as betting on a blockbuster versus a number of smaller "plays"
- Developing blockbuster strategies for digital markets
- Discovering new ways to engage with audiences
- Measuring threats to revenue models, including piracy, changing consumer perceptions of a fair price, and unbundling
Managing and marketing talentManaging and marketing talent
- Analyzing approaches for acquiring, developing, managing, and marketing creative talent
- Determining when it pays to bet on A-list talent
- Structuring contracts with top-tier and up-and-coming talent
- Collaborating with agencies and other intermediaries in the creative marketplace
- Evaluating the effectiveness of strategies that play to the value of star talent
- Assessing the impact of star-driven, revenue-sharing models
Responding to advances in digital technologyResponding to advances in digital technology
- Surveying how online distribution channels are disrupting the entertainment landscape
- Examining product and talent strategies that succeed in the face of intensifying competition
- Considering how technology is changing the way entertainment executives bet on blockbusters and superstars
- Understanding marketplace disruptors, such as the impact of disintermediation on current distribution models
- Discovering how digital technology is transforming the marketing and distribution of content
Launching and managing creative products and portfolios
- Allocating scarce resources across a product portfolio
- Managing production and marketing budgets more effectively
- Comparing potential strategies, such as betting on a blockbuster versus a number of smaller "plays"
- Developing blockbuster strategies for digital markets
- Discovering new ways to engage with audiences
- Measuring threats to revenue models, including piracy, changing consumer perceptions of a fair price, and unbundling
Managing and marketing talent
- Analyzing approaches for acquiring, developing, managing, and marketing creative talent
- Determining when it pays to bet on A-list talent
- Structuring contracts with top-tier and up-and-coming talent
- Collaborating with agencies and other intermediaries in the creative marketplace
- Evaluating the effectiveness of strategies that play to the value of star talent
- Assessing the impact of star-driven, revenue-sharing models
Responding to advances in digital technology
- Surveying how online distribution channels are disrupting the entertainment landscape
- Examining product and talent strategies that succeed in the face of intensifying competition
- Considering how technology is changing the way entertainment executives bet on blockbusters and superstars
- Understanding marketplace disruptors, such as the impact of disintermediation on current distribution models
- Discovering how digital technology is transforming the marketing and distribution of content
The HBS Advantage
Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe
Dorothy and Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration
Melvin Tukman Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
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The HBS Advantage
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Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe
Faculty ChairFacultyDorothy and Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Technology and Operations ManagementMelvin Tukman Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Finance
Your Peers Expand Your Learning
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Your Peers Expand Your Learning
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Global PerspectiveExperience the world in your classroom.Global PerspectiveExperience the world in your classroom.2%Africa6%Asia Pacific16%Europe13%Latin America3%Middle East60%North America2%Africa6%Asia Pacific16%Europe13%Latin America3%Middle East60%North AmericaExperienceExperienceYears workedYears workedExperienceYears workedLess than 10 yearsLess than 10 years10-14 years10-14 years15-19 years15-19 years20-24 years20-24 years25-29 years25-29 years30-34 years30-34 years35-39 years35-39 years40 years or more40 years or moreLess than 10 yearsLess than 10 years10-14 years10-14 years15-19 years15-19 years20-24 years20-24 years25-29 years25-29 years30-34 years30-34 years35-39 years35-39 years40 years or more40 years or moreExecutive StatusExecutive StatusLevels from CEOLevels from CEOExecutive StatusLevels from CEOZeroZeroOneOneTwoTwoThreeThreeFourFourFive or moreFive or moreZeroZeroOneOneTwoTwoThreeThreeFourFourFive or moreFive or more