NEW YORK — The NBA 2K League today named Andrew Perlmutter as the league’s first Chief Executive Officer. Perlmutter will begin in this new role on Oct. 2, reporting to a Board of Directors that includes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBA President of Global Partnerships Salvatore LaRocca, Chairman & CEO of Take-Two Interactive Strauss Zelnick and Chief Operating Officer of 2K Games Phil Dixon.
As the NBA 2K League’s CEO, Perlmutter will oversee the league’s business and competition operations. He will be responsible for continuing to grow the popularity of the NBA 2K League through global expansion, corporate partnerships, media and content distribution, community engagement, and grassroots development.
“We are pleased to add an executive of Andrew’s caliber and experience as the first CEO of the NBA 2K League,” said LaRocca. “I look forward to working with Andrew as he leads our league into its next phase of growth.”
Perlmutter joins the NBA 2K League from Backbeat Capital Partners, a firm that pursued entertainment IP acquisitions of $50M-$500M total enterprise value. Prior to co-founding Backbeat Capital Partners, Perlmutter served as Chief Strategy Officer at ITRenew Inc., leading all revenue-generating teams and capabilities for the business, which guided the company’s growth to a ~$1BN sale to Iron Mountain.
Earlier in his career, Perlmutter held several roles with revenue growth, strategic plan development, and digital product evolution as central focuses. As Executive Vice President of Boston Globe Media Partners, he successfully guided business-wide transformation efforts, which included operational restructuring, launching new web brands, and driving deeper engagement through sports offerings. He also served as General Manager & Vice President of Operations for The Daily Beast & Newsweek Company and Director of Corporate Strategy at the Atlantic Media Company.
“The NBA 2K League’s success is built on the engaged community of viewers, players, and teams who all share a common passion for NBA 2K,” said Dixon. “Andrew’s experience in leading revenue growth and his seasoned business instincts will be an exciting asset as we continue to grow and expand the league.”
“The NBA 2K League is a leader in the esports industry and has many new opportunities for growth given the enormous interest in the NBA 2K franchise,” said Perlmutter. “I am excited to bring my experiences expanding entertainment and technology companies to this new role.”
Perlmutter earned his MBA and Juris Doctor from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, respectively, and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.
