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Workforce Development

Comcast NBCUniversal Harnesses Marquee Sports Moments to Provide Workforce Development Opportunities to Emerging Creators

levi

August 12, 2026

At Comcast NBCUniversal, the biggest sports moments aren't just opportunities to engage audiences—they're a chance to invest in the next generation of storytellers. Nonprofit partner agencies and their apprentices around the country have been a key part of the storytelling behind major sports events. Throughout 2026 – from Super Bowl LX and NBA All-Star Weekend to Telemundo's coverage of the FIFA World Cup – NBCU transformed must-watch moments into hands-on learning experiences for emerging creators. Through production assignments, behind-the-scenes exposure, and engagement with sports league professionals, apprentices acquired practical skills and gained industry experience that will help prepare them for career and life.

RE:IMAGINE

A partnership between the NBA Foundation and NBCU's Creative Impact Lab, Atlanta-based nonprofit creative agency RE:IMAGINE produced a PSA campaign featuring Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker that aired across Comcast and NBCUniversal platforms throughout the NBA season. One PSA aired during the Bucks vs. Hawks MLK Day pre-game broadcast, and RE:IMAGINE apprentices went behind-the-scenes to document the game while experiencing the energy of a major NBA event up close. This project gave apprentices the opportunity to work alongside professional talent and use their creativity to bring stories of teamwork to life.

"When RE:IMAGINE was invited to engage with the Atlanta Hawks on Martin Luther King Junior Day, I was so happy to get the exposure we needed, and someone even called us ‘a big deal.’ This made me feel so good about my creative job at this small nonprofit in Georgia and it boosted my confidence as a professional. I’m so grateful to the NBCUniversal Creative Impact Lab, the NBA Foundation, the Atlanta Hawks, and RE:IMAGINE ATL for giving me these opportunities to grow as a professional, leader, and storyteller."

– Ciara Franklin, RE:IMAGINE Apprentice

YouthBeat

With excitement building for Super Bowl LX, two apprentices from Oakland-based nonprofit Youthbeat stepped into the action alongside NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48. Embedded with local production teams, they documented community sports activations and created social content that captured the region's passion and anticipation ahead of the big game.

“Drawing on the production skills they developed through Youthbeat, the emerging creators captured and edited original content for our social media platforms while gaining firsthand experience working in a newsroom environment. Through mentorship from our NBC creative team, they strengthened both their technical abilities and professional confidence, and it was rewarding to see their growth throughout the program as they helped tell the stories behind some of the Bay Area's biggest sporting and community events.”

– Liza Catalán, Community Engagement Manager, NBC Bay Area

When Telemundo's Tu Momento. Tu Jugada. Mobile Experience arrived in the Bay Area, Youthbeat apprentices helped document the Bay Area stop of the nationwide initiative, which uses the power of sports to promote teamwork, leadership, and community engagement. The nationwide initiative engaged hundreds of youth, families, and community members through soccer clinics, mentorship opportunities, cultural celebrations, and fan experiences. As more than 600 students and community members explored the National Mobile Experience Tour in San Francisco, apprentices captured the event and created content reflecting local stories ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The experience gave apprentices firsthand exposure to live event coverage while producing content tied to one of the country's largest community sports initiatives.

Venice Arts

NBA All-Star Weekend gave young creators from Los Angeles-based nonprofit creative agency Venice Arts the opportunity to tell stories of impact both on and off the court. In the lead-up to the event, apprentices documented Habitat for Humanity Los Angeles home builds supporting families affected by the 2025 wildfires. During All-Star Weekend, they captured a culminating Habitat for Humanity build alongside community volunteers and NBCU employees celebrating the power of service. They also filmed the NBA All-Star Pitch Competition, sponsored by Comcast, a program that provides entrepreneurs with funding for their ventures and the opportunity to gain valuable input from influential business leaders across the NBA Family. By connecting community impact efforts to one of basketball's biggest weekends, apprentices developed the skills to tell emotionally resonant stories and produce content with both local significance and national reach.

“Working on the NBA All-Star Pitch Competition was one of those experiences that reminded me why I wanted to pursue a career in film and post-production. As an editor, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to tell a story in a way that feels authentic and impactful, and getting the opportunity to observe that alongside the NBCUniversal team was incredibly rewarding. It gave me a firsthand look at the level of collaboration, creativity, and attention to detail that goes into producing professional sports content, while giving me the confidence that I'm on the right path as a creative.”

– Esteban Castaneda, Venice Arts Apprentice

Go behind the scenes of these experiences with Venice Arts Executive Director, Jaime Zavala.

Kids In The Spotlight

Apprentices

As part of the LA84 Foundation’s 26 for 26 grant program, Kids In The Spotlight and Venice Arts apprentices created Spanish-language PSAs spotlighting organizations which expand access to youth sports across Los Angeles, including Los Angeles City College, AYSO Palmdale, and KEEN LA. The spots illustrate how sports can foster belonging and opportunity for young people and aired on the local Telemundo station, giving apprentices the unique experience of seeing their work broadcast to their community. Their projects were also showcased at the Play Equity Summit hosted by the LA84 Foundation.

“As producer, I was tasked with creating narratives that showcased the impact of [the summit] and its implications for the community and the future of youth involvement in sports. Witnessing the youth's excitement about soccer and their goals was a reminder of why I love storytelling. These experiences furthered my development as a creative by allowing me to make an idea a reality and revealing how the creative process is unique for every project. There is peace in the controlled chaos of production that thrills me, and I love the impact my art has on the audience.”

– Cheyenne Williams, Kids In The Spotlight Apprentice

Wide Angle Youth Media

In partnership with NBCU's Creative Impact Lab, Baltimore-based nonprofit creative agency Wide Angle Youth Media teamed with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to produce a bilingual PSA campaign promoting Yes, Coach! and ¡Sí, Coach!, free online resources for youth sports coaches with the goal of training 100,000 mentors by 2030. Reflecting the campaign's focus on mentorship, apprentices closely collaborated with NBCU creative professionals throughout the production process before the PSAs aired across Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Telemundo platforms leading up to and during the FIFA World Cup.

"Opportunities like this give our apprentices the chance to work on large-scale productions while taking on meaningful creative roles. They weren't just observing; they were leading key parts of the production and seeing their ideas come to life in front of a global audience. This is the kind of real-world experience that can shape the next step in their careers."

– Susan Malone, Wide Angle Youth Media Executive Director

Across projects, apprentices gained in-depth production experience, worked alongside industry professionals, and contributed to content that reached local and national audiences. Whether covering live events or producing PSAs, emerging creators developed skills through NBCU’s sports partnerships that support future careers in media and entertainment.