Meet the Team: Mel Hill

To start us off, tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming Senior Account Manager, Football at IMG. 

I joined IMG six months ago. My path here hasn’t been linear, but it’s been shaped by a mix of commercial, partnership and international experience. I started out working across large-scale sporting and cultural events, which gave me a strong foundation in rights delivery, brand partnerships and stakeholder management, as well as an understanding of how commercial value is created on the ground. 

From there, I moved into a startup OTT media platform where I focused on supporting rightsholders with D2C distribution strategies. That experience has shaped how I think about audience reach, fan behaviour and the role different platforms play in growing relevance in both local and international markets. Joining IMG has allowed me to bring those experiences together within football, working at the intersection of rights, partnerships and evolving distribution models. 

What does your role at IMG involve day to day, and what part of the job do you enjoy most? 

Every day at IMG is very different, which is one of the things I enjoy most about the role. My typical day focuses on managing our relationship with two key clients, the Roshn Saudi League (RSL), otherwise known as the SPL and the Gulf Football Federation (GFF – previously AGCFF), alongside close coordination with internal teams to ensure commercial agreements are executed effectively. These accounts touch several of our key capabilities across Rights, Studios, Brand Partnerships and Digital & Data, which means working closely with those teams as well as legal and finance to ensure delivery is aligned across all areas.

What I enjoy most is bringing structure to complex situations. I genuinely enjoy building a good tracker or spreadsheet to keep on top of the many moving parts. Combined with the problem-solving element, it’s really rewarding to turn complexity into something clear and actionable. 

Working in football media rights, what skills or experiences have been most important in shaping how you approach your work? 

Having strong stakeholder management, project management skills and commercial awareness have been fundamental. Especially when working on across IMG’s RSL partnership, where multiple capabilities are involved and coordination across teams and time zones is essential. Attention to detail, the ability to balance competing priorities and clear communication across cultures have also been key. Equally important is an understanding of the broader ecosystem on how production, distribution, digital platforms and fan behaviour all come together to shape effective media rights strategies. 

You work closely with partners across football rights and distribution. What does a successful partnership look like to you at IMG? 

To me, a successful partnership is one where it genuinely feels like you’re working towards the same goal. It’s built on trust, open communication and a shared understanding of what success looks like, whether that’s growing audiences, delivering commercial value, or strengthening a brand’s position in the market. At IMG, I see our role as being more than just a rights intermediary, it’s about being a true partner, staying close to our clients and adapting together as the market continues to evolve. 

Turning to your current focus, what’s it been like working across football in an ever-changing market such as the Middle East? 

Working across the Middle East has been incredibly dynamic, with things moving at a really fast pace. There’s a real sense of ambition and momentum across the region, which means you have to stay flexible and think ahead. Having lived in Saudi Arabia, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly ideas turn into action and how important football is culturally. There’s a strong sense of national pride around the game, heightened by the country’s growing presence on the global stage and the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2034™. That energy, combined with a genuine openness to innovation and doing things differently, makes the work both challenging and genuinely rewarding. 

From your perspective, what makes the MENA region such an exciting and distinctive football market right now? 

The combination of long-term vision and genuine passion for the game. There’s significant investment in football, but it’s clearly part of a broader ambition around cultural development and global relevance, rather than short-term gains. At the same time, there’s a real focus on balancing international growth with serving domestic fans, which gives the region a distinctive energy and sense of purpose. 

What’s a piece of work you’re particularly proud of, and what impact did it have? 

One piece of work I’m particularly proud of is our collaboration with the media sales team on the RSL. By working closely with internal teams, we negotiated an agreement with French influencer Zack Nani as our exclusive broadcaster in France, offering a creative alternative to traditional TV and unlocking younger digital-first audiences. The deal delivered strong engagement across digital platforms and highlighted how new distribution models can complement established broadcast partners to grow overall reach. This reflects a broader trend in the region, where broadcasters and platforms are increasingly packaging content creatively, from localised commentary and shoulder programming to digital-first highlights and social-led distribution, to engage both local fans and global audiences.  

Looking ahead, what opportunities or trends do you think will shape the future of football media rights in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East? 

Innovative distribution models, including digital-native and creator-led formats, will continue to play a bigger role alongside traditional broadcast. There’s also a clear shift towards better integration between live rights, highlights and digital content, allowing rightsholders to reach fans across multiple touchpoints. Data and audience insights will become increasingly important, not just in understanding fan behaviour, but in shaping smarter, longer-term partnerships across the region. 

For someone aspiring to build a career at IMG or in football media rights more broadly, what advice would you give? 

Be curious and proactive! Take the time to understand how the different parts of the industry connect. Relationships and reputation really matter in this space, too, so how you work with people is just as important as what you deliver. Attention to detail is essential, but so is the ability to think strategically, stay adaptable and keep learning as the industry continues to evolve. 

Quickfire Round 

Favourite football moment of all time? 

Scott McTominay’s dramatic late goal, securing Scotland’s return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998! 

Go-to matchday snack? 

 A Steak Pie 

Most-played song on your playlist? 

‘Rein Me In’ Sam Fender ft Olivia Dean