The NBA 2K League has hired Andrew Perlmutter as its first chief executive officer starting Monday, following the announcement Wednesday that Brendan Donohue is stepping down as league president.

Perlmutter joins the NBA 2K League from Backbeat Capital Partners, a firm that pursued entertainment IP acquisitions of $50M to $500M in total enterprise value. Prior to co-founding Backbeat, Perlmutter served as chief strategy officer at ITRenew Inc., leading all revenue-generating teams and capabilities for the business.

“The NBA 2K League is a leader in the esports industry and has many new opportunities for growth given the enormous interest in the NBA 2K franchise,” Perlmutter said in a news release Thursday. “I am excited to bring my experiences expanding entertainment and technology companies to this new role.”

Donohue will stay on through the end of October to assist with the transition to new leadership.

Donohue became the NBA 2K League’s first president in 2017 and has overseen its substantial growth through six seasons. The esports league has expanded to 25 teams from its original 17, including 22 NBA-affiliated franchises and teams based in Australia, China and Mexico.

“The NBA 2K League’s success is built on the engaged community of viewers, players and teams who all share a common passion for NBA 2K,” said Chief Operating Officer of 2K Games Phil Dixon. “Andrew’s experience in leading revenue growth and his seasoned business instincts will be an exciting asset as we continue to grow and expand the league.”

–Field Level Media