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Doug Perlman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Doug Perlman
Born
Douglas Perlman

(1968-10-08)October 8, 1968
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materDuke University (BA)
University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.)
OccupationSports Media Executive
Known forFounder and CEO, Sports Media Advisors

Doug Perlman is a sports media executive, lawyer and the founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors.[1] Prior to founding SMA, Perlman held senior positions at the National Hockey League (NHL) and at the sports media management agency, IMG, where he served as president of IMG Media, N.A. Perlman and SMA also act as consultants, advising private equity investors assess opportunities in the sports media landscape.

Business career

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Perlman began his professional career as an attorney at Proskauer Rose, a global law firm widely regarded as having the nation’s top sports practice.[2] While at Proskauer, he worked on numerous matters in sports and entertainment, including legal issues for the NHL.[3]

NHL

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In 1995, while still at Proskauer Rose, Perlman was approached to join the legal department at the NHL, which had been a client. He soon transitioned into a business strategy role, helping to establish the NHL's digital operations.[4] This included managing the partnership between the NHL and IBM to build out the league’s digital media presence. As NHL executive vice-president media, Perlman was in charge of the NHL’s media business. He led the creation of the NHL Network, while overseeing national and local media rights deals. He played a lead role in helping the NHL emerge from the 2004-05 lockout, helping the league secure media rights deals with OLN (then owned by Comcast) and NBC.[5] During his time at the NHL, he became a member of commissioner Gary Bettman’s senior leadership team and gained recognition for his skills as a negotiator.[3] At 32, the Sports Business Journal wrote that Perlman found “himself with more responsibility than anyone else his age at a major league sport and perhaps in the entire sports world.”[4]

IMG

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Following the NHL, Perlman was recruited by then-CEO Ted Forstmann to join IMG as the president of IMG Media, North America where he again oversaw all television and digital media businesses, reporting to Forstmann as a member of IMG's six-member global leadership team.[6]

Sports Media Advisors

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Perlman founded Sports Media Advisors in 2009. SMA helps sports properties develop and execute content distribution strategies. This includes negotiating primary media rights deals.[7]

Perlman and SMA have negotiated tens of billions of dollars in television and digital media rights fees for major sports properties, including the NFL, NASCAR,[8] the USTA, Breeders’ Cup,[9] U.S. Soccer, MLB, Ryder Cup,[9] Little League Baseball and Division I collegiate athletic departments.[7]

Other activities

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Perlman also acts as a consultant, assisting private equity groups and other investors who are considering media, technology, and/or sports-related opportunities. He serves as a strategic advisor to the Goal Acquisition SPAC, led by sports agent and investor David Falk and sports business executive Harvey Schiller.[10] Perlman and SMA's also advise non-sports businesses, such as Twitter, EA and Cirque du Soleil,[9] helping them navigate the sports media landscape.[11]

Recognition

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Perlman was named to the Sports Business Journal’s prestigious Forty Under 40 list three times and is a member of the Forty under 40 “Hall of Fame.”[12] He was also named one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports by Sporting News.[13][14]

Early life and education

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Doug Perlman was born in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut. He is a graduate of Duke University where he received a B.A., cum laude in Political Science in 1990, and of the University of Virginia School of Law where he received his J.D. in 1993.

References

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  1. ^ "Home". sportsmediaadvisors.com.
  2. ^ McCann, Michael (March 7, 2013). "Proskauer Rose is the most powerful law firm in sports". SportsIllustrated.com. ABG-SI LLC. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b Siang, Sanyin (November 25, 2019). "Surviving and Flourishing in a Competitive Environment: 3 Lessons from Doug Perlman". Forbes. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b Bernstein, Andy (February 18, 2001). "NHL shoots past NBA in midseason attendance". Sports Business Journal. Leaders Group. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  5. ^ Berman, Andy (March 19, 2006). "Forty Under 40 - Doug Perlman NHL". SportsBusinessJournal.com. Leader Group. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Noted". Wall Street Journal. 8 December 2006.
  7. ^ a b Ourand, John (November 10, 2019). "As Sports Media Advisors turns 10, founder Doug Perlman reflects on key moments that solidified agency". Sports Business Journal. Leaders Group. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  8. ^ Stern, Adam (January 20, 2023). "Key figures in NASCAR's future". SportsBusinessJournal.com. Leaders Group. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Cahillane, Mollie (August 7, 2024). "Ryder Cup adds SMA as strategic advisor". SportsBusinessJournal.com. Leader Group. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  10. ^ Coffey, Brendan (January 22, 2021). "Harvey Schiller, David Falk Sports SPAC Files for $225 Million IPO". Yahoo Sports. Yahoo. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  11. ^ Torromeo, Dave (August 23, 2022). "Founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors on Sports Business". Latin Business Today. Latin Business Today LLC. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  12. ^ Ourand, John (March 11, 2007). "Forty Under 40: Doug Perlman". SportsBusinessJournal.com. Leaders Group. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  13. ^ "THE POWER 100". Sporting News. 230 (2): 17-18. January 13, 2006.
  14. ^ "Stern Leads Commissioners Atop Sporting News' "Power 100"". SportsBusinnessJournal.com. Leading Group. January 4, 2006. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
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