Football Business Not Bulletproof

Without debate football is the most popular sport in this country, though in some parts college may edge out the pros, on the whole the NFL stands atop the perch. Many factors contribute to its popularity – the shorter schedule makes it easier for fans to follow and each game more meaningful, the hitting and [...]

Should Sports Change Revenue Sharing to TARP-like Program?

Last week’s SBJ cover story on the state of Detroit’s sports teams battling through the recession further illuminates how hard the recession has hit that part of the country. Sports teams are the least of Detroit’s problems, yet they remain one of the few refuges for an area fraught with unemployment and failing businesses.
Three key [...]

Can Fans Handle More Fantasy? Teams Should Find Out

Nobody can debate the power of fantasy sports and the value of the marketplace, currently dominated by football. Following typical economics, as customers showed their appetite for more fantasy, competitors have flooded the market with countless products, each claiming a different fantasy experience, or unique prizes. In the end, most of the products are similar [...]

What to Make of the NHL Network

Earlier this decade starting 24-hour cable networks became the cool thing to do for major sports leagues – NBA TV, NFL Network, more recently MLB Network, and of course the NHL Network. The first three have sustained notable successes and failures, nonetheless most people are aware of the three networks and what their position in [...]

Ticket Sales Problems Magnified in NHL

We have focused on lagging NFL ticket sales putting local games at risk of blackout, a recessionary indicator for what is hands-down the most profitable and popular sport in the country. Recent MLB numbers show significant year over year declines in two-thirds of the markets. Hidden behind these stories is the effect on hockey in [...]

Antiquated NFL Blackout Rule Looms Over 2009 Season

Dating back to a time when team owners felt TV viewership cannibalized ticket sales, the NFL blackout rule is now a legacy, antiquated rule that the league should revisit. The rule essentially states that if a team does not sell out (or reach a certain number of tickets sold) a home game, the networks black [...]

ESPN, NFL Make Misstep with Twitter Rules

At least for a week, sports has helped catapult ‘Twitter’ past ‘Google’ in America’s mainstream technology vernacular. ESPN, NFL, reporters, players, leagues, teams – everywhere you turn it seems someone is making policy, discussing a policy, or defying one. It’s outrageous. Warrants a multi-part blog because there’s so much to comment on.
First, the live microphone [...]

Teams Should Not Just Let Players Tweet…

Like it or not (I happen to), Twitter is the flavor of the year, and athletes are embracing it. Teams or leagues that try to stop it or ignore it will be left behind. Similar to children, the more teams reprimand players for using it, the harder they will try to find ways around the [...]

Are Pro Sports Ready to Embrace Gambling?

Without betting, the NFL would not be far and away the most popular US sport. The NCAA tournament would not register the same mainstream impact that causes a major productivity drop for two workdays in mid-March. And most college football bowl games would fail to register on the public radar. Gambling is integral to the [...]

Sports Properties Miss Low-Hanging Fruit in Online Business

Globalization and ethnic diversity are the next frontiers in sports fan development, especially for the three major US sports, each of which has reached some level of saturation in the primary target markets. The NFL, NBA, and MLB have all taken to hosting games overseas, opened player development facilities outside the country (be it minor [...]