ContractEventProgrammer

## Description About Us   Powered by one of the largest global newsrooms in sports media, The Athletic brings sports fans the most comprehensive stories about the teams, sports and athletes they love. The Athletic’s newsroom of 500+ full-time staff delivers in-depth coverage of hundreds of professional and college teams across more than 47 North American markets and all 20 football clubs in the English Premier League, as well as many Championship clubs. About the Role The Athletic is seeking a Contract Event Programmer to develop and execute compelling programming for our live events. This role will work closely with our newsroom, editorial leadership, and commercial and creative development teams to shape conversations, identify talent, and bring our journalism off the page and onto the stage.  This is a highly collaborative, creative role for someone who understands the sports landscape, thrives at the intersection of media and live experiences, has experience sourcing and managing talent, and framing and producing high-level conversations - from top-tier athletes and journalists to emerging voices in the industry.  This is a freelance, project-based position supporting key tentpole events throughout the year.  ## Responsibilities Partner with The Athletic newsroom and editorial leads to develop event concepts and programming that reflect our journalism and audience interests Research, identify, and secure talent - including athletes, coaches, executives, and cultural figures – working through outreach, negotiations, and contracting Build and shape run of show, including conversation arcs, formats and session structure Collaborate with moderators, journalists, and hosts to prepare for on-stage conversations, including briefing materials and prep calls Work cross-functionally with internal teams (editorial, marketing, commercial, creative development, production) to ensure seamless execution Stay ahead of trends across sports, media, and culture to inform timely an