VCU news

By Joan Tupponce

Kam Black’s computer savvy has served him well in the world of social media. In the past three years, he has generated over 250 million views and is now working with some big names in sports.

Black, who earned his master’s degree in mass communications and multimedia journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, recently became a content creator on the social media team at EA Sports, working on two of the video game developer’s top titles: Madden NFL and EA Sports College Football.

The job merges Black’s ongoing interest in sports, computers, graphics and art, fields that he once didn’t think could be combined into one career.

“I never had the push or platform to express myself through the computer,” said Black, a first-generation college student from southeast Ohio. “Once I found the opportunity to cross paths between sports, creativity and the media side, things started to click for me.”

A high school teacher encouraged Black to pursue a career in media after seeing his graphic design of basketball great LeBron James that he created with an alternative version of Photoshop.

“This type of work combines my left and right brain abilities,” Black said – bringing an idea to life from scratch with his computer.

After graduating from Ohio University, Black moved to Los Angeles and started networking. He landed a contract with the social media team at Fox Sports in Los Angeles.

“I was curating social media content for television during the FIFA Women’s World Cup [in 2019] and men’s Gold Cup soccer tournaments,” he said. “That opened the door for me to join Overtime sports media company in 2020 as a digital contact assistant for their mobile app.”

Black was responsible for turning noteworthy stories into short-form content, complete with graphics.  “They needed material that was easily consumable to the public,” he said.

During the pandemic, Black decided to return to school to get a master’s degree to help further his career.

“I wanted a school with a reputable athletic program. I knew that VCU had a great basketball team,” he said. “I decided to go to VCU and complete my degree online while working for Overtime. The Robertson School was a good fit for me.”

Black worked with associate professor Karen McIntyre, Ph.D., throughout his graduate studies and praised her support. “She guided me through the entire process,” he said.

After finishing his master’s, Black worked with a collective of sports influencers, serving as chief of staff for 2HYPE. The YouTube creator group, which produces basketball and other sports videos, has more than 38 million subscribers.

“I was managing their social media and helping out with YouTube production,” he said. “I was essentially helping them run the business.”

That gave him insight into how influencers interact with sports. Black started working with more influencers on an entrepreneurial basis, serving as a production manager for multiple YouTube creators.

In 2023, Black attended the Super Bowl in Arizona, representing influencers who were paid by Gatorade. He also traveled to Salt Lake City to work with Nike, PlayStation and the NBA during NBA All-Star Weekend.

“While I was there I also collaborated with NBA athletes. That opened up so many opportunities to travel,” he said.

As an entrepreneur, Black has produced over 250 million views on social media outlets such as TikTok and Instagram. Now, he’s taken a more traditional route at EA Sports. “I’m doing graphics, content and editing,” he said.

For Madden NFL, Black has created video content featuring former NFL stars Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Marshawn Lynch.

“I’m getting to tell unique stories and push the boundaries of sports and media,” he said.

Looking ahead 10 years, Black hopes to add a much loftier title to his name.

“I would really like to be a media executive at a major sports media company in Hollywood,” he said. “This is something I love to do.”