The Sportsbiz Weekly buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards
Sports Business
Mets, in Hiring Financial Firm, Insist It’s Not About Bankruptcy
“CRG Partners lists as its special talents financial advisory work, restructuring and reorganization, and turnaround management — polite descriptions of services needed by companies in distress. The firm’s Web site names a long list of clients, from Kmart to Popeyes Chicken to Sunbeam Products. As of this week, the firm’s client list formally includes the New York Mets.”
2012 – Business In Sports Will See Also-rans, Surprises
“This year’s only labor negotiation will be in the NHL, with the current CBA expiring on Sept. 15. There is way too much at stake for either side to even think about playing chicken, but a work stoppage is still a real possibility. With former MLBPA executive director Don Fehr now leading the NHLPA, owners won’t be able to dictate to the players as they did in the last negotiation.”
Sports Networking
How Diverse Are Women’s College Sports?
“Recently, the NCAA published the most recent school-year’s participation data, which includes breakdowns by sex, race, sport, division, and conference. Because this data set goes back to the 1999-2000 school year, I decided to use it to look for trends in racial diversity in women’s college athletics over the last decade. Several hours and few Excel spreadsheets later, I have the some questions and answers to report”
Sports Leagues Should Embrace Active “Employees” on Twitter
“The best brands invite engagement. They showcase authenticity and reply to criticism, instead of deleting it. They also harness the power of their most credible marketers – their employees. Because of social media, employees now have personal brands of their own and can be quite influential. When you think of the personal brands of professional athletes – ‘Employees’ and their leagues/teams – ‘Companies’, the influence is exponential.”
Sports Marketing
Digital Advertisements Sell Out For the Super Bowl
“Corporations have capitalized on NBC Sports’ decision to live-stream the NFL’s Super Bowl. Advertising packages are sold out for the live streaming broadcast of the Feb. 5 game, NBC Sports spokesman Chris McCloskey told the International Business Times Wednesday. Although the value of an advertising package wasn’t released, there were reports that the package prices ranged from six figures to the low sevens.”
Northwestern Mutual joins March Madness with sports marketing sponsorship
“A new advertising campaign featuring Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. will be unveiled during this year’s men’s Division I NCAA basketball tournament, kicking off the first national sports marketing sponsorship in company history.”
Sports Sponsorship
Growing Company Publicity Through Sports Sponsorship
“The usage of sporting activities intended for marketing has been employed for over one decade and it also has attained recognition because of the development in interest in the many types of sports activities and games. Entrepreneurs took the nice thing about the uniqueness of sporting activities. This is the sole enjoyment in which regardless of number of instances that you get back you can never foresee the results.”
The Relationship Between an Athlete and Your Brand
“Athletes and sports brands are like rhythm and melody. One rarely exists without the other. The symbiosis between the two creates a working relationship where one can benefit from the other and vice versa. It is important for owners of sports brand names to be aware of the relationship of their product and its ambassador.”
Sports Ticket Sales
LSU and Alabama ride money train to title matchup
“Two of the most profitable football programs in the country will ensure another BCS streak continues: National titles staying in the hands of mega-moneymakers.”
Lucky Few To Get 100m Final Tickets After Synchronized Swimming Was Overbooked By 10,000
“Around 200 people who thought their only experience of the London 2012 Olympic Games would be minor heats of synchronized swimming have received an unexpected upgrade to the men’s 100m final following an embarrassing ticketing mistake.”
Sports Social Media
Urban Meyer Bans Twitter for Ohio State Football Players, Sparking a Debate on…Twitter
“Newly hired Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is banning his players from using Twitter, according to Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch. ‘Urban Meyer bans Twitter for #Buckeyes players. Scarlet & Gray Matter, however, remains safely outside the #OhioState clutches.,’ Oller tweeted. The news sparked a bit of a debate, on Twitter of all places, among members of the media. CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell claims Meyers players will miss out on important ‘life skills not taught in the classroom'”
High school basketball video shows power of social media (VIDEO)
“Michael Christenson of Yakima said he was only trying to illustrate a point to a small group of Highland High School students and parents about the need for better basketball officials. To his surprise and dismay, however, the video he uploaded of several hard fouls during the Cowiche school’s boys game at Connell on Dec. 22 has gone viral, collecting more than 25,000 hits since the video was posted on YouTube on Dec. 28.”
Sports Media
Former Red Sox PR Pro Tells All
“Former Boston Red Sox PR pro Doug Bailey has penned a 4,400-word tell-all piece for Boston Magazine, an inside account that will no doubt roil his former clients and agency colleagues. But the piece is a valuable behind-the-scenes look at sports PR, in addition to a treasure trove for Sox fanatics.”
Turner Sports PR Veteran Pomeroy Tips Off Atlanta Shop
“Longtime Turner Sports veteran Jeff Pomeroy has left the programmer to open his own public relations shop.
Based in Atlanta, JDP Communications’ initial client roster comprises A & M Holding Group (AMHG), the owners and operators of Sadekar World Golf; All-American Games, the owners and producers of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl; and the Kenny Smith Entertainment Group. Additional clients are expected to be announced at a later date.”
Sports Technology
New Deal Will Bring WatchESPN App to Comcast Xfinity Subscribers
“We can now add Comcast TV subscribers to the list of TV providers with access to the WatchESPN family of mobile apps. Comcast and Disney (parent of ESPN) announced an agreement that (among a lot of other things) will open the door for Comcast Xfinity customers to access ESPN content on their iPhone, iPad and Android devices with the WatchESPN app.”
Football Failing to Use Technology on Offer
“Soccer is a business enterprise like no other. We are into the early weeks of a new soccer season and there have already been a volume of suspect and poor refereeing decisions. Today we are able to evaluate the incidents from multiple cameras; there are no longer grey areas for for spectators. The cameras reveal everything. We can watch matches on our televisions, our I-phones, our I-pads and other devices. There is no hiding place for on-field officials when they get things wrong.”
Sports Jobs
Sports Jobs “A Drug” for Top Executives
“The Miami Dolphins may have chauffeured a prospective coach and president in by chopper. But the team could probably have just handed the pair some cab chits. Where extravagant enticements are dangled before prospective titans in the “real” business world, major league sports organizations need only hang out a help-wanted sign to lure elite candidates.”
Notre Dame Announces Major Staff Shakeup
“On the eve of the Champs Sports Bowl, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly pronounced himself genuinely “excited” that he would be keep his coaching staff in place for 2012. Five days later, that’s not even close to the reality”
Sports Events
How the BCS Killed the Orange Bowl
“The Orange Bowl was once among the premier games in all of college football, but the BCS has squeezed all the life out of the Miami showdown.” – Great article, particularly after how bad this year’s Orange Bowl was. Disregard the prediction however; Samuel got the team right but no one could have predicted that score.
NHL’s Winter Classic: Its uniqueness fails to come across on TV
“The outdoor game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park has a compelling finish. But as a showcase experience, the Classic falls short.”
Is there anything we missed this week in the world of sports business? Let us know your thoughts about the Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz in the comments below and please feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!
