evan denbaum

CAREER INTRO

I’ve been fortunate to segue from one dream job to another during my 25-year career, each one reflecting a different element of my personality and passions. …

DREAM ONE: PRO SPORTS - Cover the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Daytona 500 for America’s longest-running sports publication ✓

DREAM TWO: WWE - Get crushed by 7-foot, 380-pound wrestlers on pay-per-view TV, and create content for the likes of John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Paul “Triple H” Levesque. ✓

DREAM THREE: GAMING LEADERSHIP - Become the “face” and “voice” of the mobile game that would change what’s possible on iPhone. Build verticals from scratch. Architect the world’s No. 1 mobile esport. Rocketship startup to EA exec.

DREAM FOUR: REALITY COMPETITION - Turn a napkin-sketch “transmedia” idea into an award-winning reality competition show backed by Turner and a major video-game publisher. ✓

DREAM FIVE: DISNEY MAGIC - Define a holistic strategy to take a century-old legacy media giant into its next 100 years, working as a creative exec on the inside. ✓

CORE EXPERTISE

  • FANDOM STRATEGY (SPORTS, GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT)

  • DIGITAL PLATFORM & MICROTRANSACTION STRATEGY

  • EDITORIAL & BRAND BUILDING

  • GENERAL MANAGEMENT / P&L OWNERSHIP

CORE STRENGTHS

  • INNOVATION & CREATIVE THINKING

  • COMMUNICATION & STORYTELLING

  • LARGE-SCALE ENGAGEMENT & REVENUE GENERATION

  • GROUP LEADERSHIP & PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

PRO SPORTS , ESPORTS & WWE

My professional sports career really began at age 15, as an intern in the National Hockey League’s Broadcasting & Hockey Operations department in NYC. I was literally out of my league, speaking daily to NHL general managers and broadcast directors.

I worked at the NHL every summer until attending college, where I earned a degree in Journalism & Communication. That paved the way to joining The Sporting News as an editor & writer. I’ve always been drawn — like a moth to a flame — to the strategy, competitiveness and drama of pro sports, and I was closer to the action than ever.

In 2004, I transitioned from sports to “sports entertainment,” where I created content for WWE Superstars ranging in fame from John Cena to The Boogeyman, (whose gimmick was eating live worms on TV and stuffing them into opponents’ mouths). But despite how crazy pro wrestling could be, when done right, it felt like the perfect blend of storytelling and athleticism.

But what I’m perhaps best known for is creating the first — and ultimately largest — fully franchised global mobile esport, selling out events especially across Southeast Asia, with millions of minutes watched on Twitch and YouTube.

After four years as GM & EP at startup Super Evil Megacorp, I’d go on to become an Esports Commissioner for publishing behemoth Electronic Arts. Somehow, my “first” career in pro sports and my “second” career in video games had fused perfectly together, allowing me to create fan & player experiences that drew from the best of both worlds.

COMMUNITY & CONTENT STRATEGY

As one of 11 original Super Evil employees, I built and scaled the Community, Editorial, Customer Experience and Communications verticals from the ground up, hiring world-class talent across those groups. Our motto from the very beginning was, “Welcome to the party!”, operating from the audacious notion that we could create a positive, supportive community in a game genre and industry known for its toxicity. We focused on the ethos of “co-owning” and “co-creating” the game together with our players, engaging in a continuous dialogue that helped our players feel a part of what we were building. That level of personal investment dramatically increased player evangelism and exploded word-of-mouth advocacy.

Apple noticed we were “thinking different,” and it asked to interview myself and our CEO to create a video and set of documentation that could serve as a blueprint for App Store developers who wanted to take a new approach.

During my time leading the Community & Content Strategy groups, I borrowed a famous phrase from my WWE days: “Excellence of Execution,” fostering a culture and expectation of excellence in all our work. Together with some wonderfully talented creatives, we recognized the power of building IP equity — both for player engagement and future “transmedia” opportunities. Long before Riot Games would release the TV adaptation “Arcane” with Netflix, we were developing the finest, deepest collection of character lore & worldbuilding in mobile gaming history.

GROWTH & INNOVATION

My niche in the gaming industry became leading growth and innovation groups that could deepen engagement through unique fan experiences and drive incremental revenue through new technologies and novel concepts. That led to unusual dual roles such as EA Competitive Entertainment Commissioner & Head of Microtransaction Strategy. I’d also add the monikers of Creator & Executive Producer through bringing to market the first video-game-based reality competition show, in an effort to redefine esports as programming far more diverse and inclusive.

Those four years in Electronic Arts leadership set the stage for Disney, as a creative executive directing strategy and editorial for its new Next-Generation Storytelling org. It was wildly ambitious work: setting the vision and long-term strategies to connect The Walt Disney Company, including its physical theme parks, digital media platforms, virtual experiences and ESPN sports. Once again, I was surrounded by brilliant minds buzzing with ideas — and the talent to pull them off — but the unceremonious exit of Disney’s CEO stopped us dead in our tracks.

Looking back on my unusual career to date, I take the most pride from the success (independent of me) of those I’ve mentored and managed along the way.

Many former direct reports are now key decision-makers for some of the world’s greatest games, or have gone on to leadership roles in other industries. Their success is due entirely to their own superb work and talent, but I think they’d agree I have a knack for spotting great potential … and opening the door just wide enough for them to bust through and build careers. 

Winner: 2021 Webby Award, 2021 Tempest Award  & seven Telly Awards.