About Executive Director

Premier Academic Sports Business Program For High-Achieving High School Students
Stephen Master is an accomplished and forward-thinking executive in the sports media and analytics space, with over 25 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and academia.

Message From Executive Director

After spending the past 25 years in the sports industry—and 21 years as an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business—I’m incredibly excited to launch the Sports Biz Boot Camp.
I’ve always been passionate about the intersection of sports business and education, and I’ve been fortunate to bring real-world experience into the classroom each semester. As a seasoned sports media executive who has built and led global teams—whether as an entrepreneur, in major corporations, or at world-class properties like the NBA and NFL—I can confidently say that my favorite part of the week continues to be Monday and Wednesday evenings. That’s when I get to engage with 50+ Stern students and dive deep into the business of sports.
My teaching philosophy centers around bridging theory with practice. I regularly invite an expansive network of accomplished colleagues from across the sports business landscape to join me in the classroom. Their real- life experiences add invaluable context to our case discussions and enrich every lesson.

Beyond NYU, I’m deeply connected to the University of Michigan, where I earned my BBA—and where two of my three children have also studied. Since 2011, I’ve proudly served on the Advisory Board of Michigan’s Sports Management Program, one of the top sports business programs in the world. As a board member, I’ve helped reshape the curriculum, launch the largest and most successful student-run sports business conference in the country (MSBC), and built a robust internship program powered by actively engaging our alumni and what we proudly call “The Best Network in Sports.”

Interest in the business of sports has grown dramatically in the last 25+ years. Today, over 250 colleges and universities offer sports management degrees, and top business schools like Stern, Wharton, Ross, Kellogg, and Harvard are incorporating sports and entertainment classes into their curricula.

With that backdrop, the Sports Biz Boot Camps are designed to give high-achieving high school students a collegiate-level introduction to the sports business ecosystem. Participants will gain a head start in the competitive college admissions process and begin building meaningful relationships with professionals across the sports industry.
I hope to have the opportunity to work with you and help launch your career in the Sports Biz.

Executive Director Bio

Stephen Master is an accomplished and forward-thinking executive in the sports media and analytics space, with over 25 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, and academia.
Since 2004, Stephen has served as a top-rated Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, where he teaches sports media, marketing and analytics. He is also the co-founder of Amaze Media Labs, launched in 2020, which has become one of the largest producers of branded podcast content. Amaze works with more than 80 leading brands, including BetMGM, DraftKings, Unilever, Ford, and Visa.
Through his own advisory firm, Stephen currently works with top venture capital firms and early-stage startups across sports, media, and gaming— providing hands-on support in strategy, business development, fundraising, and business planning.
Previously, Stephen spent a decade as Global Head of Sports Media at Nielsen, where he built the division into a $100M+ business and launched FANALYTICS, an innovative platform providing sports leagues and brands with deep insights into fan behavior and engagement.
Earlier in his career, he served as VP of Business Development at the NFL, managing a team focused on securing new corporate partners. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at top agencies including Octagon, where he led marketing solutions and new business development, and began his career at the NBA, helping grow the league’s global brand as a Director in the International Group.
Stephen holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BBA from the University of Michigan, where he has served on the Advisory Board for the Sports Management Program since 2011.
Anushq Bamorya
B.S. Finance - NYU Stern School of Business
Class 2026
“Both classes I took with Professor Master were focused on educating not through textbooks, but through personal "real-world" experiences.  His industry background and professional work experience added a lot of interesting context to our case studies and discussions around the various aspects of the sports business.  The Professor was always integrating stories from working at the NBA or creating some type of partnership directly with FIFA to illustrate how the business operates.”
Aidan McDowell
B.A. Psychology – NYU Gallatin School
Class 2024

“Professor Master’s class offered so many unique opportunities to hear from professionals from across the sports industry. Although, I’ve become an entrepreneur in a different industry, meeting and networking with the guest speakers gave me amazing perspective into running a business. On top of that, one of the speakers that came to the class actually sits on my advisory board and is a massive part of why we are where we are today.”

Camila Kiger
B.A. Business of Media, Entertainment & Technology – NYU Stern School
Class of 2022

“Professor Master’s sports course was the best class I took at NYU. The mix of case studies, real-world experience he brought into the class and the guest speakers were incredible. His class was instrumental in helping secure my first internship at CAA where I have now worked for the past few years in their LA office. When back in New York, I try to reconnect with Professor Master as I always practice what he preached – the three most important things in the sports business, “Relationships, Relationships, Relationships”. That advice has continued to serve me incredibly well in the early stages of my career.”