Business Affairs Director

PlayStation•Los Angeles, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is seeking an experienced Business Affairs Director to serve as a senior commercial leader and lead some of our most significant, complex and strategically important negotiations for PlayStation Productions, our in-house production team focused on bringing PlayStation’s iconic game franchises to new audiences through film, television and other entertainment formats. This is a senior individual contributor role requiring deep entertainment industry expertise, exceptional commercial judgment and the credibility to independently represent SIE in negotiations with senior executives across studios, streaming platforms, production companies, agencies, producers and other rights holders. The Business Affairs Director will own commercial strategy and negotiation for material transactions from initial deal structuring through agreement on key business terms. The role will also advise senior leadership on deal strategy, commercial models, market precedent, risk and the longer-term implications of proposed arrangements. Working in close partnership with Creative, Finance, Legal and our first-party game studios, the Business Affairs Director will determine and advocate for commercial positions that enable compelling creative partnerships while protecting and maximizing the long-term value and flexibility of SIE’s intellectual property. This role does not have direct people management responsibility but is expected to operate as a senior leader through expertise, influence, judgment and functional leadership. This role is based in Culver City, CA.

Requirements

10 to 15 years of progressive experience in entertainment business affairs, deal-making or a closely related commercial role, ideally within a major studio, streaming platform, television network, production company, agency or other sophisticated entertainment organization.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required.
Extensive experience independently leading complex, high-value and strategically significant entertainment transactions, with a demonstrated track record of successful negotiations with senior executives and sophisticated counterparties.
Deep expertise in entertainment industry business models, economics, deal structures, customs and practices across film and television.
Strong working knowledge of intellectual property, licensing, development, production and distribution arrangements and their commercial implications.
Demonstrated ability to develop commercial and negotiation strategy, evaluate deal economics and value drivers, and structure solutions to complex or novel business issues.
Exceptional negotiation skills and commercial judgment, including the ability to assess leverage, determine appropriate trade-offs, navigate impasses and recognize when individual deal terms may create broader precedent.
Demonstrated ability to operate with significant independence, authority and discretion, including in high-stakes or sensitive negotiations involving senior internal and external stakeholders.
Strong executive presence, with the ability to establish credibility and effectively influence executives and counterparties at all levels of seniority.
Ability to provide clear, pragmatic recommendations to senior leadership, distilling complex commercial issues into actionable choices and articulating the implications of different paths.
Demonstrated ability to influence across functions and organizations without relying on reporting-line authority.
Strong strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills, particularly when navigating ambiguity, novel business models or precedent-setting transactions.
Ability to manage multiple sophisticated negotiations and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

JD, MBA or other relevant advanced degrees are preferred but not required.
Experience working with video game intellectual property, franchise-based entertainment or adaptations is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead SIE’s most complex, material and strategically significant commercial negotiations across film, television and other entertainment projects, including development, production, licensing, co-production, and other strategic content arrangements.
Set and drive commercial strategy for assigned transactions, establishing negotiating positions, identifying value drivers and acceptable trade-offs, and determining the appropriate path to successful outcomes.
Independently negotiate with senior external counterparties, including studios, streaming platforms, production companies, producers, agencies, talent representatives and other rights holders, representing SIE’s interests with credibility and authority.
Structure and negotiate key business terms across a range of entertainment agreements, including writer, producer, director, talent, attachment, option/purchase, licensing, co-production and related deals.
Serve as a senior advisor to leadership on business affairs matters, providing clear recommendations on deal structures, commercial models, negotiation strategy, market precedent, business risk and long-term implications.
Evaluate when established market or SIE precedent should be followed, challenged or evolved, balancing the requirements of individual projects with the potential implications for future transactions.
Partner with Finance to understand project economics, valuations, value drivers and financial guardrails, translating those inputs into commercial strategy, deal structures and negotiating positions.
Partner closely with Legal to ensure negotiated commercial positions are appropriately reflected in agreements, providing clear business direction and resolving commercial issues that arise through long-form negotiations.
Work closely with our first-party game studios and IP creators to understand franchise priorities, rights considerations and long-term strategic objectives, ensuring deal structures appropriately protect and enhance the value of our IP.
Identify and develop creative solutions to complex or novel commercial issues, balancing creative ambition, partner objectives, economics, risk and SIE’s long-term interests.
Assess the broader implications of significant deal terms and structures across the PlayStation Productions portfolio, identifying potential precedent, opportunities and risks beyond an individual transaction.
Build and maintain senior relationships across the entertainment ecosystem, including studios, platforms, agencies, producers, representatives and other strategic partners.
Maintain a sophisticated understanding of entertainment industry economics, market practices, competitive dynamics, emerging business models and evolving deal structures, using those insights to inform SIE’s commercial positions.
Provide subject matter leadership and expertise across PlayStation Productions and the broader organization, serving as a trusted resource on entertainment deal-making and business affairs matters.
Drive cross-functional alignment on deals, synthesizing perspectives from relevant internal stakeholders and escalating material commercial decisions where appropriate.