Career guide
Entertainment Marketing Jobs: Film, TV, Streaming, Gaming and Live Events
Entertainment marketing jobs promote films, TV shows, streaming services, games, music, books and live events. The main roles are campaign and release marketing, publicity, social and content, creative and trailer work, partnerships and promotions, audience insights and subscriber growth, at studios, networks, streamers, game publishers, agencies and venues.
Key takeaways
- Entertainment marketing jobs promote films, TV, streaming services, games, music, books and live events to the audiences most likely to watch, play, read or attend.
- Campaign or release marketing, publicity, social and content, creative and trailers, partnerships and audience insights are the main entertainment marketing roles.
- Entertainment marketing runs on release dates, so campaigns build to a premiere, launch or opening and then shift to keeping people watching or playing.
- Streaming services and game publishers also hire growth, lifecycle and CRM marketers, because they earn money from subscribers and players over time.
- Assistant and coordinator roles at studios, networks, agencies and publishers are the usual way into entertainment marketing.
What is entertainment marketing?
Entertainment marketing is the work of getting audiences to watch, play, read, listen to or attend something: a film, a series, a game, a book, a tour, a festival. Each release is its own product with its own launch, so entertainment marketers run many short, intense campaigns rather than one long one. Brands also use entertainment to sell their own products, through partnerships, product placement and sponsorship.
Who hires entertainment marketers?
Entertainment marketers work at the companies that make and distribute entertainment, and at the agencies and venues around them. The table shows the main employers and what marketing does at each.
| Employer | What marketing does there | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|
| Film studios and distributors | Campaigns for theatrical and digital releases | Campaign manager, publicity, creative advertising, media |
| TV networks | Promote shows, schedules and the network brand | On-air promotion, social, publicity, brand |
| Streaming services | Promote titles and grow and keep subscribers | Title marketing, growth, lifecycle and CRM, social |
| Game publishers and studios | Launch games and keep players engaged after launch | Product or brand marketing, community, influencer, user acquisition |
| Book publishers | Launch titles and build authors’ audiences | Marketing coordinator, publicity, digital and social |
| Live events, theaters and venues | Sell tickets for shows, tours and festivals | Event marketing, ticketing, partnerships |
| Entertainment agencies | Trailers, key art, social campaigns, publicity and media for clients | Account manager, social strategist, creative roles |
| Brands working with entertainment | Partnerships, promotions and product placement | Partnerships manager, promotions manager |
Music has its own structure of labels, managers and streaming platforms; our guide to music marketing jobs covers it in detail.
What are the main entertainment marketing jobs?
The main entertainment marketing jobs are campaign or release marketing, publicity, social and content, creative, partnerships and promotions, audience insights, and subscriber or player growth.
| Job | What you do | Good background |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign or release marketing manager | Plan and run the full campaign for a title from announcement to release | Marketing coordinator, agency account roles |
| Publicist | Press coverage, premieres, junkets and talent interviews | PR specialist roles |
| Social media and content | Run title, show or game channels; trailers, clips and memes | Social media jobs, video editing |
| Creative advertising | Trailers, key art, posters and ads | Agency creative, design, editing |
| Partnerships and promotions | Brand tie-ins, co-promotions and sponsorships around releases | Partnerships coordinator, sales |
| Audience insights and research | Test trailers and campaigns, size audiences, track awareness | Market research and analytics |
| Growth, lifecycle and CRM | Bring in subscribers or players and keep them | Lifecycle, CRM, performance marketing |
| Community and influencer marketing | Work with fans, creators and streamers, especially in gaming | Community manager, influencer marketing |
How is entertainment marketing different?
Entertainment marketing is different because every campaign builds to a fixed date that rarely moves: a premiere, an opening weekend, a launch day. The first days after release often decide how the title is judged, so the pressure peaks right then.
A few other things set it apart:
- Each release is a new product. You may run several campaigns a year, each with its own audience and story.
- Talent and rights shape the plan. Actors, authors, creators and their teams have approvals and schedules. Footage, music and likeness come with rights limits.
- Fans talk back. Trailers, casting news and release dates spark immediate reactions online, and teams respond in real time.
- After launch matters more than it used to. Streaming and games earn money over time, so marketing keeps going long after release to hold subscribers and players.
- Hours follow the schedule. Premieres, launches, conventions and live events mean evening and weekend work around key dates.
How do you get a job in entertainment marketing?
You get into entertainment marketing through entry-level roles at studios, networks, publishers and agencies, and by showing you understand audiences, not just that you love the work. Everyone who applies loves movies or games; what helps you is proof you can reach people.
- Start in a coordinator or assistant role. Marketing coordinator and assistant jobs at studios, networks, streamers, publishers and agencies are the usual first step. Our list of entry-level marketing jobs covers what they involve.
- Look at agencies. Entertainment agencies work on many titles for many clients, so you learn fast. Our guide to in-house vs agency marketing covers the tradeoffs.
- Build an audience of your own. A review channel, a fan account, a newsletter about upcoming releases or a gaming stream shows you know how to grow and hold attention. Put the numbers on your resume.
- Bring transferable skills. Growth, CRM, performance marketing and analytics are in demand at streaming services and game publishers, and they’re scarcer than enthusiasm.
- Know the calendar. Follow release schedules, trade press and campaign launches in the part of entertainment you want, so you can talk about recent campaigns specifically.
If you want a first step today, pick one recent release in your area and write down three things its campaign did well and one you’d change. It’s the start of a strong interview answer.
What should you research before an entertainment marketing interview?
Research the company’s upcoming slate, its recent campaigns and how its channels talk to fans. Know the titles releasing in the next year, what the last few campaigns looked like (trailers, social, partnerships, events) and how audiences responded. For streaming services and games, look at how they promote to existing subscribers or players, not only new ones.
When they ask about your favorite campaign, pick one you genuinely loved and explain why in your own words; your taste is part of what they’re hiring. Our guide to researching a company before an interview covers the general method.
How much do entertainment marketing jobs pay?
Entertainment marketing pay follows the role, and BLS doesn’t publish a separate figure for entertainment marketing. Use the nearest occupation: our marketing manager salary page for manager roles, the marketing specialist salary page for coordinator and specialist roles, and the PR specialist salary page for publicity. Entry roles are competitive, so ask about pay early.
Tailor your resume to the entertainment role
Entertainment postings ask for specific proof: audience growth, campaign results, launches you supported. Recon reads the posting and your resume and suggests rewrites that lead with what this role needs, using only what’s already true on your resume.
FAQ
What do entertainment marketers do?
Entertainment marketers plan and run the campaigns that get people to watch, play, read or attend: trailers and ads, publicity, social content, partnerships and events. At streaming services and game companies they also work on keeping subscribers and players engaged.
Do you need a film or media degree for entertainment marketing?
No. Studios, networks and agencies hire marketers with marketing, communications, business and many other degrees. Proof that you can grow an audience or run a campaign counts for more than the degree title.
Where are entertainment marketing jobs located?
Many film and TV jobs are in Los Angeles and New York, and many publishing jobs are in New York. Streaming and gaming companies hire more widely, and some roles are remote or hybrid.
What is the difference between entertainment marketing and publicity?
Publicity is one part of entertainment marketing: earning press coverage and managing talent interviews and premieres. Entertainment marketing also covers paid advertising, social, creative, partnerships and audience research.
Is gaming marketing part of entertainment marketing?
Yes. Game publishers hire brand, product, community, influencer and user acquisition marketers. Because games earn money long after launch, live-service games keep marketing teams busy for years.