
Brett Yormark
CEO of the Brooklyn Nets & Barclays Center
As the Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brett Yormark oversees the business enterprise that manages and controls the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, the New York Islanders business operations, the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the Nets’ Development League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. Yormark is a member of the Board of…
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Full Bio
As the Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Brett Yormark oversees the business enterprise that manages and controls the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center, the New York Islanders business operations, the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and the Nets’ Development League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
Yormark is a member of the Board of Advisory Directors for both the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. Alongside Charlie Walk of the Republic Group, Yormark co-founded the BSE Advisory Board, which provides strategic guidance and supports development initiatives and unique content opportunities for Barclays Center.
Since its grand opening in September 2012, Yormark has had oversight for all facets of Barclays Center, including operations, event programming, sales, and marketing. In January 2007, Yormark secured a 20-year strategic marketing partnership with Barclays, which includes the naming rights to Barclays Center.
Yormark oversaw all aspects of the Nets’ move to Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2012, including the rebranding, marketing, and sponsorship sales. Since he joined the Nets in 2005, Yormark’s mission has been to make it the most accessible, inventive, fan-friendly, and community-active team in sports.
In leading the team’s relocation and marketing campaign, Yormark developed and transformed the Nets brand from a traditional sports team to a trendy lifestyle brand, revolutionizing the public appeal through marketing, partnerships, and public relations efforts. In the 2012-13 season, the team’s first in Brooklyn, the Nets reached the top five in merchandise sales at the NBA Store and on NBAstore.com, after the team was last in the league in merchandise sales during its final season in New Jersey.
Yormark and the Nets’ marketing team created and introduced the team’s successful “Hello Brooklyn” campaign, a multifaceted marketing campaign that built a connection between the borough and its new home team, and captured the attitude, pride, and history of Brooklyn. #hellobrooklyn was seen by 25 million Twitter users on April 30, 2012, the launch day of the Brooklyn Nets brand. Yormark was also instrumental in arranging for the unique black-and-white color scheme of the Brooklyn Nets, which became the first team in the NBA to wear the color combination.
Yormark negotiated the agreement with JAY Z to open Barclays Center with eight consecutive nights of concerts starting on Sept. 28, 2012. JAY Z unveiled the Brooklyn Nets jersey on stage, marrying sports and entertainment in unprecedented fashion.
Yormark was also instrumental in facilitating the move of the New York Islanders to Barclays Center in October 2015, and spearheads the team’s marketing, ticket and sponsorship sales, and in-game experience.
In keeping with his goal to bring the best programming to Barclays Center, Yormark has secured high-profile programming alliances with the industry leaders in concerts, professional boxing, top college basketball, and family shows. Some of the programming alliances have included Live Nation for concerts, Feld Entertainment for family shows such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, and dick clark productions, which broadcasted worldwide Barclays Center’s renowned New Year’s Eve concerts on ABC’s Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
In fall 2015, Yormark oversaw a partnership with TIDAL to become the title sponsor of Barclays Center’s theater. Yormark also secured an alliance with Billboard to unveil the Billboard Lounge, an exclusive lounge area situated on the arena’s event level.
In making Barclays Center a must-play for college basketball, Yormark secured agreements to host the storied ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2017 and 2018, and the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2016. Additionally, Barclays Center hosted the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship for four consecutive years and the event will return to the arena in 2019.
Furthermore, in fortifying Barclays Center as the center of boxing in the country, Yormark helped bring several nationally televised Premier Boxing Champions events to the venue in 2015 and 2016. Overall, Barclays Center has hosted more than 130 fights and dozens of world championship bouts. In further diversifying its BROOKLYN BOXING platform, BSE launched an apparel line featuring activewear and lifestyle apparel, and named Brooklyn native and WBA world middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs as the face of the brand.
In addition, Yormark was influential in negotiating a partnership with Tribune Media’s New York television station, PIX11, which now has New York’s only Brooklyn bureau, headquartered inside the arena where it broadcasts live daily.
Through the arena’s partnership with Disney Institute, Yormark has made great customer service a priority at Barclays Center. With its comprehensive program, Disney Institute trains Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment employees in providing a Barclays Center guest experience that is unmatched by any major sports and entertainment venue in New York.
In 2013, Yormark was instrumental in securing the winning bid for BSE to renovate and operate the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island. Upon completion of renovations in spring 2017, the venue will host world-class sports and entertainment events.
Yormark joined the Nets after a successful six-year period with NASCAR, for which he helped build the stock-car racing company into a major sports property. As vice president of corporate marketing in 2003, he oversaw a $750 million deal with Nextel Communications — changing the name of stock car racing’s premier circuit to the NASCAR Nextel Cup — at the time the largest sponsorship agreement in the history of American sports.
Yormark has been named the maximum three times to the “Forty Under 40” list by Sports Business Journal and was selected twice to the “40 Under 40” list by Crain’s New York Business. In 2013, Yormark was honored by March of Dimes with the “Sports Leadership Award.” He has been profiled in Newsweek, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, Gotham, Hamptons, Success, The New York Times, and USA Today, and on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, and CNBC.
Yormark sits on the board of the City Parks Foundation and NYC & Company. He is the proud father of Madison, 15, and Drake, 12, and is married to Elaina Scotto.
Testimonials
Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!

LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!

MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!

SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!

SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!

CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!

PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.

GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.

FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!

FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
A Conversation With Brett Yormark
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LAST LOOK: Brett Yormark
Brett Yormark (Brooklyn Nets): The globalisation of sport
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