Narrative Designer - Sports

<div class="content-intro"><h2 class="job-details__description-header text-color-secondary font-family-secondary" data-bind="i18n: 'job-details.employer-description-title'">About Us</h2> <div class="job-details__description-content basic-formatter" data-bind="html: pageData().job.corporateDescription"> <div>Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting &amp; Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.&nbsp;</div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p></div><p><strong>Role Summary</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>We're&nbsp;seeking a Narrative Designer to help bring the world of sports to life within a trading card game.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sports&nbsp;has&nbsp;its own energy, mythology, and language. The work is about translating that into a game in ways that feel authentic and earned.&nbsp;</p> <p>You'll&nbsp;work closely with Creative, Game Design, and Art to develop narrative systems that live inside the cards themselves — where mechanics, visuals, and writing reinforce one another.&nbsp;</p> <p>The ideal candidate brings sharp storytelling instincts, a systems mindset, and a serious, lifelong relationship with sports — the kind of knowledge that comes from years of paying close attention, not from research.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What You'll Do</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bring the Spirit of Sports to the Card Frame</strong>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Translate the emotional weight of sports into card-level storytelling.&nbsp;</li> <li>Capture the voice, cadence, and texture of how sports are talked about — by fans, by broadcasters, by the people inside the game.&nbsp;</li> <li>Help shape the editorial tone and identity of the product over time.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Integrate Creative with Game and Product</strong>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Partner with Game Design so mechanics and narrative reinforce one another.&nbsp;</li> <li>Collaborate with Art and Creative to align visual and written storytelling, including writing art descriptions used by illustrators.&nbsp;</li> <li>Contribute to set themes, narrative arcs, and standout moments across releases.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Create and Support Narrative Content</strong>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Write flavor text, card names, and&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;narrative content.&nbsp;</li> <li>Contribute to internal style guides, voice documents, and editorial standards.&nbsp;</li> <li>Support external storytelling efforts (web, marketing, potential media extensions).&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What You Bring</strong>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>A deep, lived knowledge of sports fandom — history, culture, eras, players, and the texture of how the game is followed and talked about.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <li>3+ years of experience in narrative design, writing, journalism, or editorial work — ideally with a meaningful body of work in or around sports.&nbsp;</li> <li>Excellent writing across both short-form (flavor text, headlines, captions) and long-form (features, voice guides, editorial frameworks).&nbsp;</li> <li>A systems mindset — the ability to think about how individual pieces&nbsp;accrue&nbsp;into something larger, and how editorial choices compound over time.&nbsp;</li> <li>Comfort balancing creative vision with system constraints, and working in collaborative, cross-functional environments.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Preferred Qualifications</strong>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>A background in sports writing, journalism, broadcasting, or publishing.&nbsp;</li> <li>A genuine&nbsp;passion for sports card collecting and trading card games.&nbsp;</li> <li>Experience working on trading card games, tabletop games, or live service games.&nbsp;</li> <li>Experience contributing to franchise, brand, or editorial development at scale.&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don’t fall victim to fraud.&nbsp; Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including @collectfanatics.com).&nbsp; For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at&nbsp;</em><a href="http://www.fanaticsinc.com/careers"><span class="s2"><em>www.fanaticsinc.com/careers</em></span></a></p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p>The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. &nbsp;This salary range is specific to Seattle and may not be applicable to other locations. &nbsp;When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit <a href="https://benefitsatfanatics.com/">https://benefitsatfanatics.com/</a></p></div><div class="title">Seattle Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$120,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$140,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p>By submitting your application, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ff494b9931735466ce28d5b/t/69de53bde2c02c25e9c38758/1776178110037/Candidate+Privacy+Policy+April+2026.pdf" target="_blank">Candidate Privacy Policy.</a></p></div>