The top news in #sportsbiz this week includes a major move for Arizona State University, as they begin to offer a sports business degree program. Sports networking site inRecruit.com is growing as evidenced by Brown University joining the site. Other top news includes Fox Sports 1 hitting its projected 90 million homes, Wells Fargo sponsors the MLS and now the Mexican National team, and the 2014 PGA Championship in Valhalla hits single day ticket sales record. Read more below.
Sports Networking
Brown University joins inRecruit.com
The sports business world is quickly evolving to include social media as a necessity. Because of this, sports networking site inRecruit.com should be on your radar.
The new social media platform is touted as “LinkedIn for sports”. With the social network growing, it’s no wonder that Brown Basketball coaches joining inRecruit is big news. Schools, coaches, and athletes are joining the site to create a stronger connection between those in sports and those reporting on it. Malik Allen, co-founder of inRecruit explains why:
“inRecruit is ecstatic to have a superior Ivy League institution like Brown University join inRecruit. The Brown network is very deep and loyal. This is exciting for inRecruit.”
With Brown having the seventh oldest college in the United States, it’s quite a positive statement for inRecruit. If you are a sports media member, inRecruit is worth try. Here are a few of the things inRecruit suggests you can do:
- Track and Connect with Coaches, Athletes, Parents, Fans
- Write articles and post to your connections inRecruit newsfeed
- Customize newsfeed for results on players and teams/schools
- Connect and share to your other social media accounts
You can read more here, and sign up here.
Photo credit – twitter.com
Sports Business
Arizona State University now offers a sports business degree program
Arizona State University has begun to offer new degree programs in business, including one for sports enthusiasts. The addition of this new program is designed to coincide with the evolving world of business. These degree programs will be offered to students attending the W.P. Carey School of Business.
“We always try to evaluate what businesses and recruiters are telling us they want in the workplace,” explains W. P. Carey School of Business Dean Amy Hillman. “They say they’re looking for talented individuals to analyze the mountains of ‘big data’ now coming in from social media and other technology. They’re also looking for great hires in HR, and we’re rounding out the new offerings with a degree in sports and media studies, which should be popular with students.”
About the new sports business program
The sports and media studies degree covers fan loyalty, strategically leveraging communication channels, and increasing revenue. Classes include sports administration, sports relationship management, and sports media. The concentration courses for this degree are offered through ASU’s prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The new program is offered at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa as well. Read more here, or check out the official release here. Photo credit – standwithus.com
Sports Media
Fox Sports 1 reaches 90 million homes
As an update to a previous article, Fox Sports 1 has successfully launched its network to 90 million subscribers. Just a few days ago, the company had been working vigorously to complete deals with DirectTV, Time Warner Cable, and Dish.
Had FS1 not reached deals with these three major cable providers, 40 million subscribers would have missed the networks launch on Saturday. As Fox Sports 1 was set to take over the Speed Channel, talks were stalled with the three major providers due to the rising subscriber fees for the new network. Subscribers had previously paid around 23 cents for the Speed Channel. It is said that Fox was seeking 80 cents per subscriber for the rights to air FS1. According to Joe Flint of the Los Angeles Times, the final details are still being worked out.
At 90 million subscribers one thing is for sure, ESPN has some new competition in Fox Sports 1. The lineup for Monday, August 19 is packed with some of the network’s flagship programs. Be sure to tune in:
| Monday 8/19/2013 | |
| FOX Soccer Daily [Premiere] | Live – 4pm ET |
| NASCAR Race Hub [Premiere] | Live – 4:30pm ET |
| Crowd Goes Wild [Premiere] | Live – 5pm ET |
| FOX Football Daily [Premiere] | Live – 6pm ET |
| Golden Boy on FOX, Daniel Jacobs vs Giovanni Lorenzo | Live – 9pm ET |
| FOX Sports Live | Live – 11pm ET |
Additional scheduling can be viewed here. Photo credit – sportsmediawatch.com
Sports Ticket Sales
2014 PGA Championship breaks single-day ticket sales record
The PGA must be doing something fans love, as ticket sales reached a record high on Monday. Tickets were made available to the public at 10AM and the record was broken by 1:20PM.
Pre registered fans are able to make one transaction for up to 10 tickets. The first of those to pre register on the PGA 2014 site were considered to be “Group A”. This Group A made up approximately 16% of the 51,000 fans that pre registered. Championship director Brett Sterba was optimistic about the data from Group A:
“Based on the data from the first few hours of sales of Group A, we expect the most sought after ticket categories to begin to sell out as we approach the latter purchasing groups.”
Admission for grounds access starts $25. From there, prices rise quickly as the final rounds approach; to about $95. Other packages include Wanamaker Club tickets for about $475 a piece.
As a side note, the PGA provides complimentary Daily Grounds access to those in the U.S. Armed Forces with a military ID, including Active Duty, Retirees, Active Reserve, National Guard and DoD Civilians. Maximum capacity per day will be capped around 30-35,000 fans.
You can read more here.
Photo credit – courier-journal.com
Sports Sponsorship
Wells Fargo sponsors MLS and Mexican National team
Soccer is certainly a growing sport in the United States. With more sponsors like Wells Fargo jumping on board, support is certainly growing.
Wells Fargo recently debuted its support of MLS at the 2013 MLS All-Star game. The company is making big moves within the sport of soccer, as they have also struck a deal with the Mexican National team. The whole idea of these sponsorships is to support the growth of soccer as a major US sport and connect with the local communities.
It is well known that soccer has struggled to grasp Americans as a national sports. But with recent efforts from Wells Fargo, they are looking to turn that around by aligning their sponsorship with MLS’ Community MVP program. This program strives to recognize those individuals who go above and beyond to make a difference in their communities. Kathy Carter, President of Soccer United Marketing, had this to say:
“Soccer fans are passionate, loyal and community-oriented – qualities that Wells Fargo and their team members share and embody everyday as they seek to help their customers succeed financially.”
As soccer continues to grow as a sport in the US, Wells Fargo will be in strong presence to assure goals are meant. Both the sponsorship with the MLS and the Mexican National team last through 2016.
Photo credit – theshingaurdian.com
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