San Antonio Spurs hire Brandon Gayle to boost international reach
By Dylan Carter
The San Antonio Spurs are innovating with the times and part of that process is hiring diverse minds to spread the team’s global appeal online.
Not all free agency signings come in the form of players – the San Antonio Spurs recently hired former Facebook executive Brandon Gayle to become the executive vice president of partnerships and revenue of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
After serving as director of global sports partnerships and solutions for Facebook in his six-year stint with the company, Gayle is settling in the Alamo City to help the team spread it’s reach and grow the organization’s international presence online. This is one of many hirings by former general manager R.C. Buford, who was promoted to CEO of SS&E.
For many years, Buford applied his calculated thinking to the roster building and day-to-day operations of running this model organization. Now in a new role, the longtime Spurs mastermind is applying his logic to the growth and expansion of the franchise’s future.
“[Brian is] a dynamic, innovative thinker who has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the world of global sports branding,” Buford said in a press release. “His understanding of content, engagement and analytics is going to benefit all of us at SS&E, as well as our fans in San Antonio, throughout Texas and across the globe.”
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Gayle was a member of Sports Business Journal’s illustrious Forty Under 40 Class of 2018 for his work between Facebook and Instagram. Not only does he provide a fresh perspective to the Spurs’ organization, but he should help the team to create broader appeal via social media and otherwise.
The Spurs are already a global brand, especially considering the team’s affinity for proudly flaunting and grooming international talent. With players from multiple countries and continents across the world, San Antonio has become a melting pot for international talent at the NBA level.
Even though Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are long gone, this emphasis on international culture has become a staple of this organization. Buford is doing an excellent job of preserving this ideology and Gayle should be a great help in those efforts.
One way or another, the San Antonio Spurs will always be proud of the diversity they possess.