Head - Licensing, Merchandising and Partnerships, ACG Sports

Title

General Manager – Licensing, Merchandising and Partnerships

Organisation

ACG Sports and India Basketball League (IBL)

Location

Mumbai, with travel as required

Reporting

• Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer
  
  
• Dotted line: Chief Executive Officer
  
  

Role Purpose

The General Manager – Licensing, Merchandising and Partnerships is responsible for building and commercialising the lifestyle, cultural and supply-side ecosystem around the India Basketball League.

The role does not focus on traditional sponsorship sales. Instead, it is responsible for:

• Establishing the IBL’s licensing and merchandising platform
  
  
• Securing long-lead operational supply partners
  
  
• Developing culturally aligned brand collaborations
  
  
• Structuring value-in-kind and IP-leveraging partnerships
  
  
• Protecting and enhancing future sponsorship inventory
  
  

The IBL’s core competition parameters are still evolving, including the number of teams, venues, season structure and broadcast model. Accordingly, the near-term emphasis of this role is to build commercial momentum around the elements that distinguish basketball within the Indian sports landscape: global youth culture, fashion, music, gaming, streetwear, Western aspiration, and lifestyle identity.

This role builds brand equity and commercial foundations ahead of and alongside the formalisation of league broadcast and sponsorship structures.

Key Responsibilities

1. Licensing and Merchandising Strategy

• Develop and execute the IBL’s licensing and merchandising strategy, including apparel, streetwear, footwear collaborations, accessories and culturally relevant merchandise.
  
  
• Identify and contract appropriate brand partners aligned to basketball’s lifestyle positioning in India.
  
  
• Establish product categories, approval processes, royalty structures and brand governance frameworks.
  
  
• Ensure all licensing agreements protect long-term league IP value and avoid erosion of premium positioning.
  
  
• Develop multi-year merchandising roadmap scalable post-launch.
  
  

2. Cultural and Lifestyle Brand Collaborations

• Identify and secure partnerships with brands in fashion, music, gaming, youth culture, digital communities and lifestyle categories.
  
  
• Structure collaborations that leverage mutual IP to drive database growth, fan engagement and cultural credibility.
  
  
• Prioritise partnerships structured on a value-in-kind or cost-neutral basis where appropriate, ensuring economic discipline.
  
  
• Ensure collaborations do not compromise future core sponsorship categories.
  
  

Where appropriate, collaboration agreements may include:

• Defined pre-season rights only
  
  
• Time-bound activation windows
  
  
• Conditional first rights to negotiate future sponsorship packages
  
  
• Clear category carve-outs to preserve premium sponsor inventory
  
  

All partnership structures must be approved by the CCO prior to execution.

3. Long-Lead Operational Supply Categories

This role will own sourcing, negotiation and contracting of key long-lead supply categories, including but not limited to:

• Official game basketballs and backboard systems
  
  
• Official timing partner and timing equipment
  
  
• On-court apparel and uniforms
  
  
• Off-court apparel and travel wear
  
  
• Licensed retail basketball equipment
  
  
• Footwear partnerships (non-exclusive unless approved)
  
  
• Nutrition and hydration partners
  
  
• Hotels and accommodation
  
  
• Airlines and travel
  
  
• Insurance providers
  
  
• Equipment suppliers
  
  

The objective is to secure commercially efficient, brand-aligned supply partners while preserving future premium sponsorship packaging flexibility.

4. IP Leveraging and Co-Marketing Campaigns

• Develop joint marketing campaigns with collaborators leveraging both parties’ IP and distribution channels.
  
  
• Drive measurable database growth and engagement outcomes.
  
  
• Structure co-promotional campaigns that enhance IBL cultural positioning without diluting brand control.
  
  
• Ensure all IP use is contractually protected and centrally approved.
  
  

5. Future Sponsorship Coordination

This role is not responsible for selling core league sponsorship packages.

However, once broadcast arrangements and sponsorship packaging structures are defined:

• Work closely with the Sponsorship and Sales Team to align licensing, supply and collaboration deals with formal sponsorship categories.
  
  
• Transition appropriate collaboration partners into sponsorship discussions where strategically aligned.
  
  
• Ensure no conflict exists between previously executed collaboration agreements and premium sponsorship inventory.
  
  

Governance and Commercial Discipline

• All commercial agreements must align with the CCO-approved commercial strategy.
  
  
• No agreement may restrict or impair the league’s ability to sell future core sponsorship packages without explicit approval from the CCO and CEO.
  
  
• Category exclusivity must be carefully structured and time-bound where required.
  
  

Leadership and Cultural Expectations

This role reports to the Chief Commercial Officer and operates within the executive leadership structure of ACG Sports.

The General Manager is expected to:

• Actively support and reinforce the commercial strategy and direction of the CCO.
  
  
• Work collaboratively with the Chief of Staff / Head of Strategy and senior leadership.
  
  
• Demonstrate maturity and discipline in a founder-led and high-growth environment.
  
  
• Encourage the development and aspirations of peers and direct reports.
  
  
• Operate with humility, alignment and respect for agreed governance structures.
  
  

Strategic alignment and internal cohesion are considered essential performance criteria.

Required Experience

• Significant experience in the sneaker, apparel, lifestyle or sportswear ecosystem.
  
  
• Experience structuring licensing and merchandising agreements.
  
  
• Experience working within or alongside a major global sports league or brand.
  
  
• Demonstrated success in collaborative marketing campaigns leveraging shared IP.
  
  
• Strong network across youth culture, fashion, and lifestyle brands in India.
  
  

Personal Attributes

• Commercially disciplined and structurally minded.
  
  
• High brand sensitivity and cultural awareness.
  
  
• Strong negotiator without compromising long-term value.
  
  
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity while preserving governance integrity.
  
  
• Team-oriented, secure, and supportive of hierarchical clarity.