James McManus

Senior strategic lead developing global content and platform strategies for top-tier sports rights holders, including the Premier League, Wimbledon, World Rugby, NBA on Prime, Ferrari, and McLaren.

Focusing on storytelling-led strategies across owned and operated platforms to build long-term fandom, future-proof audiences, and unlock new revenue streams.

Role impact

• Strategic leadership and client relationships with premium rights holders, brands, and stakeholders within sport.
• Owning end-to-end strategy delivery that ladders up to client and business goals.
• Developing detailed and actionable content strategies.
• Acts as a senior strategic advisor to client leadership teams.
• Led RFPs and pitches for new client business development.
• Defining frameworks for content strategy, editorial direction, and execution.
• Shapes Two Circles' YouTube and long-form content proposition.
• Drives collaboration across strategy, insights, creative, production, and client operations.
• Spearheading the business content proposition across owned and operated platforms.
• Leads teams of consultants delivering complex, multi-market content programmes.
• Serves as the primary liaison with social platforms on behalf of clients and the business.
• Platform monetisation, social-first storytelling, identifying content trends, and new platform opportunities for clients.

Key achievements

• Winning over 10 new YouTube client channels for the business since joining.
• Delivered the Premier League’s global content strategy across platforms and campaigns.
• Built diversified revenue streams for World Rugby around the Men’s (2023) and Women’s (2025) World Cups.
• Shifted client and internal thinking on YouTube as a core operated platform, leveraging industry-leading amplification and distribution practices.
• Launched NBA on Prime social presence ahead of the 2026/27 NBA season.
• Mentored junior consultants, guiding their professional development, and enhancing the overall capability of the wider content team.

Led and transformed BT Sport’s digital and social ecosystem, overseeing strategy, creative, commercial delivery, and operations across 20+ social accounts and 15m+ followers and subscribers.

Role impact

• Strategically defined BT Sport's content approach, execution, and social tone of voice.
• Delivered live event and campaign content execution and strategy for the world’s biggest sporting events (Champions League, The Ashes, Premier League, UFC, Wrestlemania, and PPV Boxing).
• Built and managed a team of over 15 people with diverse digital skills (social media managers, digital producers, designers, and video editors).
• Created award-winning social-first formats, which led to becoming a reversion for linear TV.
• Owned platform partnerships (YouTube, Meta, Twitter/X, TikTok).
• Worked closely with key rightsholders and internal talent.
• Delivered commercial and sponsorship objectives.
• Integrated social elements into live linear TV broadcasts.
• Managed budgets, performance analysis, and KPI frameworks.

Key achievements

• Grew BT Sport’s YouTube channel from 300k to 4.6m subscribers.
• Delivered over 20 billion social video views across five seasons.
• Multiple industry awards, including the Broadcast Digital Awards, Cannes Content Innovation Awards, and others.
• Led digital coverage for five Champions League Finals, including free-to-air social broadcasts.

Built and scaled the social footprint of a digital media start-up into a global brand.

• Grew the audience from 4,000 to over 3 million across eight social platforms.
• Defined Squawka’s data-led brand identity and unique selling proposition.
• Delivered high-impact branded campaigns with Adidas, UEFA, Virgin Media, and others.
• Drove the Squawka app to No. 2 in the UK sports charts on launch day.