Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 8/30/10
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT@sponsorpitch Geico Joins the #Magic & Amway Center http://su.pr/20MAjJ
RT@SBJSBD Adidas renews contract with MLS, signs deal for more than $200 million. http://su.pr/1wpBLx
RT@SBJSBD Hot NFL ad market has Fox heading into season with only a few Super Bowl spots left to sell. http://su.pr/1MpIcl
Oklahoma City Thunder have ended their naming rights contract with Oklahoma City Ford Dealers. Will seek new partner: http://su.pr/1MYv2h
RBS drops sponsorship of The Open after 9 years. No surprise, RBS has no ticket/hospitality tracking method: http://su.pr/2VVjdQ
RT @darrenrovell1 Ralph Lauren and Venus Williams push sports marketing envelope http://su.pr/2CGv5N
Discover Financial will be the next sponsor of the Orange Bowl- taking over for longtime sponsor FedEx: http://su.pr/At9NFv
CBS goes on record: NFL ad sales have fully bounced back from the recession: http://su.pr/8rJvyw
With DuPont possibly leaving Jeff Gordon Walmart looks to possibly step in as major sponsor: http://su.pr/2INwSd
RT@si_nfl Goodell: NFL targeting 2012 for 18-game season http://su.pr/1zLuDi
RT@sponsorpitch Panasonic Takes @USOpen #Tennis 3-D, Signs 3-year #Sponsorship http://su.pr/1YqzNZ
RT@sponsorpitch New Gin Brand Finds Its First Sports #Sponsorship http://su.pr/2KMGcL
Darren Rovell on why the MLB information leak matters: http://su.pr/1rIpom
Spotlight Ticket Management’s Sports Business Links Of The Week: Herbalife, Yokohama, MLB financials leaked? & More http://su.pr/32N0Od
RT@darrenrovell1 Brand Affinity Technologies gets $20M. Should sports marketing firms be shaking in their boots? http://su.pr/30vsdI
RT@SBJSBD Eight AD’s from the Big 12 met with Learfield Sports on Friday to discuss forming their own cable network. http://su.pr/1T0Ix6
Anheuser Busch and the Orlando Magic come together on naming rights for new Budweiser Baseline Bar: http://su.pr/AA6tG6
RT @sponsorpitch Formula 1 signs up UBS as Global Partner http://su.pr/1iwHBU
RT @sponsorpitch LG nixes shirt #sponsorship for Fulham Football Club http://su.pr/1nnZpJ
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 8/23/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Yokohama shows confidence in NFL Sports Marketing
Yokohama Tire Company may not be as well known to Americans as Firestone or Goodyear, but that will all change soon if this Southern California company has anything to say about it. According to an article posted by Modern Tire Dealer, Yokohama has added two more NFL teams to its sports marketing sponsorship program, after recently signing a deal with the Dallas Cowboys. The Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens are the latest teams who will be featuring the tire brand with signage around their stadiums, radio advertisements, in-game announcements, LED board displays, and unspecified hospitality opportunities. In addition to these three NFL teams, the Yokohama brand is also on display with the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Angels.
Yokohama company officials have made it quite obvious what their goals are with their sports marking program, stating quite simply “As with the Cowboys program, the sponsorship of the Broncos and Ravens is designed to generate store foot traffic and sales for Yokohama dealers.” Clearly they recognize the value of sports marketing and appear to be expanding this division of their business model, but once a business strategy is in place there must also be a system to record and justify this spend. It will be very interesting to see what kind of metrics Yokohama uses to track the effectiveness of these partnership deals including, of course, the NFL tickets that come along with it.
Herbalife Continues Global Exposure with New Sports Sponsorships
Herbalife Ltd., along with its independent distributors, already sponsor about 150 athletes, fitness and sporting events around the world including soccer giants FC Barcelona and LA Galaxy. According to a press release posted on Market Watch, Herbalife is expanding their exposure by announcing three new sponsorships in various sports arenas around the world. First is a partnership with top Israeli football club, Maccabi Haifa FC, as the official sponsor for sports nutrition. Herbalife will see their brand added to the team’s training kit shorts, around the stadium and training facilities, the team bus, and additional exposure through the team’s official media channels. The company also signed India’s four-time world boxing champion, MC Mary Kom, which could prove to be an especially lucrative deal as she is tipped as one of the top medal contenders in the 2012 London Olympics. The final sponsorship announcement was a contract extension with Saina Nehwal, the current #3 ranked badminton player in the world.
Sports marketing provides an excellent platform for global brand exposure when used correctly, which is clearly demonstrated by Herbalife. Though they have a particular niche being involved in the nutrition and health-lifestyle industries already, strategic planning is evident as they target a mix of world-renowned teams as well as top regional athletes that not only make them a globally appealing brand but also provide exposure throughout all of the top sports around the world. Obviously every company looking to increase exposure of their brand through sports marketing will not have the resources to reach out to a global market right from the start, but Herbalife proves that it may be wise to think outside the box when it comes to spending sponsorship dollars. With ticket management software like Spotlight TMS available to corporations these days, data illustrating the return on investment of less-traditional sponsorships is instantly available to prove their worth. Sometimes it’s worth taking the road less traveled.
Foxwoods Resort Casino has seen the benefits of Sports Marketing…So Where’s the Proof?
Robert Victoria, Chief Marketing Officer for Foxwoods Resort Casinos, is a firm believer in the benefits of utilizing sports marketing to introduce his brand to new consumers. Foxwoods already has several marketing deals with professional teams in Boston, New York, and New Jersey. In a recent Q&A with the Norwich Bulletin, the first question posed to him bluntly asked, “Is the casino seeing an impact from those sports marketing agreements?” To which he replied, “They’ve generated very positive feedback. The most popular seems to be the (WNBA) Liberty deal. I’ve gotten hundreds of notes on that one alone. It’s helping us build up our database of customers in western Connecticut and New York.”
Notes. It’s always nice to hear positive feedback from clients who enjoyed attending an event or hear that consumers saw your logo on an arena or jersey, but notes alone are not enough to prove to investors and prospective business partners that a company’s marketing spend is being used effectively. How much profit was made on each investment? Did the deal come through with the clients who were brought to the last game? Where’s the documentation for the IRS that the ‘unused’ tickets actually went unused and are a proper write off? Mr. Victoria is absolutely right - sports marketing is an incredibly beneficial tool to bring more exposure to your brand - but after the economic recession companies are more liable than ever for every dime spent and must assume the responsibility to prove to partners and consumers that every sponsorship is beneficial to their business’s growth and success. This is exactly that drives the need for ticket management systems like Spotlight TMS.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SBJSBD Discover Card Expected To Be New Title Sponsor Of Orange Bowl. http://su.pr/1XQ8SK
PGA Championships corporate spending down 15% while firms buying are called into question. Same story- same solution: http://su.pr/3CsiaQ
RT @SBJSBD Seven new sponsors announced today for Louisville’s KFC Yum Center. http://su.pr/925yF9
OKC Thunder announce sponsor expansion with Love’s and Hertz Corp: http://su.pr/1BrVzG
RT@SportsMoneyBlog Yankees President Randy Levine expanding the team’s business model. http://su.pr/2ocro0 Forbes SportsMoney
Yokohama announces intent to sponsor more NFL teams expanding partner teams by two: http://su.pr/1lhrRA
Interesing insights from each of the Atlanta pro sports franchises on pricing and attendance during a recession: http://su.pr/AacbK7
Not pretty news for the New York Giants: SBJSBD NY Giants selling single-game tickets without PSLs through Ticketmaster. http://su.pr/2JQ
NY Giants backtracking on “sell out” and “psl” claims: http://su.pr/30R3sK
More on Yokohama Tires expanding sports marketing portfolio with NFL during a recession: http://su.pr/22VXJu
RT @SportsMoneyBlog Tennis players, led by Maria Sharapova, rule as the top-paid women in sports. http://su.pr/2JtyO3
Consol Energy Center opened to rave reviews last night with a Paul McCartney performance: http://su.pr/2gk6qG
RT @sponsorpitch Arena Football League signs NAPA Auto Parts to low-six figure title #sponsorship for #AFL champ game http://su.pr/1QbiMD
Herbalife continues dramatic push into sports marketing- this time with a global focus by the LA based firm: http://su.pr/1SU1Sd
Has Texas passed Notre Dame as the most powerful college football program? http://su.pr/1L9V5B
Foxwoods CMO drops ball on opportunity to highlight sports marketing benefits. How do you track effectiveness? “Notes”? http://su.pr/4HGbAu
RT @darrenrovell1 Pittsburgh Pirates make a boatload of gold by not spending money http://su.pr/1AVlVr As fans, should we hate them?
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 8/16/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Disturbing Ratings For PGA When Tiger Falls
It is a commonly shared thought by many, whether rightly or wrongly, that the success of Tiger Woods has driven the popularity of golf this past decade. Tiger’s astonishing numbers, including 71 PGA tour wins and 14 Major Championships already put him in golf’s most elite company. But his off the course problems and recent slump may pose dangerous for the popularity of the PGA. An article recently written in the Bleacher Report shows just how detrimental Woods’ struggles may become for the sport of golf. The Bridgestone Invitational and the Greenbrier Classic had less than half as many viewers this year when Tiger was not playing on Sunday than the year before when Tiger was in the hunt. TV ratings dropped from 4.3 and 3.7 to 2.3 and 1.2, respectively. Simply put, if Tiger is not playing, golf is not as popular according to this report.
Golf is driven by attendance numbers and TV viewers, and if both of these numbers continue to drop, it will negatively effect the whole circuit, eventually meaning smaller paychecks for the players and less publicized competitions. The PGA is set to renew its TV deal at the end of the 2012 golf season and if Tiger Woods has not turned around his game by then, the TV contract could be worth considerably less (in the hundreds of millions). Does Woods drive the success of a tour that has successfully flourished even after losing stars like Nicklaus and Palmer? We may find out soon.
Many believe there will never be another Tiger again…. however common sentiment was there would never be another “Jack” again either.
PGA Championships Corporate Hospitality Down 15% - Corporations Called Into Question
The PGA Championship returned to Whistling Straits this past weekend to a chilly dose of reality at a course where they were welcomed with open arms six years ago by Corporate America. Corporate spending was down an estimated 15% as chronicled in this piece by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The reasons given for the lack of corporate involvement play like a broken record of the worst kind to all purveyors of sports marketing and events: Firms do not want bad PR, the recession is not over, and the justifiability of entertaining at such events has been effectively called into question.
Firms Don’t Want Bad PR
“I think we’re really in an era now of corporate frugality, that companies are afraid to be seen by consumers and the public at large as going to excess on anything anymore,” said Dennis Garrett, a marketing professor at Marquette University.
This very same sentiment is what took over in 2008 when Northern Trust was raked over the coals for sponsoring a major PGA event in Los Angeles while banks were taking federal bailout packages. Action is required on both sides of the coin for sports marketing to return- as detailed in this blog piece- with both the event and the participating firms bearing the responsibility of tracking and defending a business process that works.
Validity Of Sports Marketing On-Site
“The reality is that at a place like a basketball game or a golf tournament, no one is discussing business,” Jay Soled, business professor at Rutgers University.
Unfortunately, Mr. Soled has had quite the forum to share his unsubstantiated and highly emotional views on the business aspect of entertaining at a sporting event. Mr. Soled’s viewpoint is discussed in this piecewith actual numbers showing the correlation of influenced revenue to entertaining at sporting events. In a silo we all wish all business decisions were made solely on facts. They are not, however, and data points that most decisions are significantly influenced by relationships that are built in numerous environments including attending a memorable event together. Unfortunately for Mr. Soled’s arguement, we’d estimate based on our numbers fewer than 15% of corproate America even takes the deductions in question.
The numbers simply show that Mr. Soled is incorrect. Spotlight owns no tickets, sells no tickets, and is solely interested in the tracking of sports and entertainment marketing through tickets and access and can safely say, from an objective point of view, that sports entertaining does drive business when done effectively. When done ineffectively, however, it can be one of the biggest wastes of money on any firms balance sheet.
The call continues to both sporting providers and corporate America alike to join the data revolution. Integrate tracking programs into the corporate culture and back up spending with clear facts. Spotlight Ticket Management is one of those tools.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SBJSBD Discover Card Expected To Be New Title Sponsor Of Orange Bowl. http://su.pr/1XQ8SK
RT @darrenrovell1 Another niche sport dies? Beach Volleyball League, AVP, says it will shut down http://su.pr/3FI9Oh
Once a team files for bankruptcy, leagues are no longer in charge RT @ si_mlb - Rangers case is wake-up call to leagues http://su.pr/1MGnvx
NBA working on its collective bargaining agreement - Stars attend meeting and are encouraged by the process - http://su.pr/1ZqrGp
Nike hesitant to give James media time at Sponsored USA Basketball event - LeBron’s image affecting sponsor status - http://su.pr/4iRDKO
Sponsor’s bet on Miami Heat could pay off big - http://su.pr/2EFCCE
Two big NBA stars sign onto for the ‘12 Olympic Team looking to keep America on top of the world of basketball - http://su.pr/2IG6le
RT @SBJSBD - Former Rockets prez George Postolos and Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores emerge as potential Pistons bidders. http://su.pr/2Gzd8f
LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade all present for a negotiation meeting with the NBA over the CBA - http://su.pr/6m0wXs
Theres a new twist to the sale of the St. Louis Rams - RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Billionaire Stan Kroenke’s two-part deal. http://su.pr/5SRI0n
Just how tied in is Tiger Woods to ratings success for the PGA? Some believe more than sponsors would like to hear: http://su.pr/3uE1IG
Knicks franchise and MSG still selling tickets despite LeBron and Isaiah Thomas decisions - http://su.pr/1W6prh
NMSU and Michigan the latest CFB teams to have twitter banned/warned about - coaches: “stay away from social media” - http://su.pr/2Xrzvl
RT @BizballMaury-MLB unanimously approves ownership transfer or Texas Rangers to Greenberg-Ryan group by a vote of 30-0. http://su.pr/1u2GO3
RT@SBJSBD Sources say Budweiser reportedly taking NASCAR sponsorship to Harvick. http://su.pr/7JRQ9Z
RT @darrenrovell1 Nike Prez: LeBron’s move to Miami is a good move for the brand http://su.pr/7JYe1Z
“How Adolf Hitler & the Nazi’s cost the New York Giants & Jets $30 million a year” - The story of the Allianz deal: http://su.pr/1SkKsh
Focus on the Family plans to continue to use Tim Tebow as sports figure representative - http://su.pr/2PLFGp
Ilitch no longer the only suitor interested in Pistons - http://su.pr/8DPmGY
Nets apply for a name change - Prokhorov looking to change the image and face of the Nets franchise w/ move to Brooklyn http://su.pr/6MWMoH
Interesting sponsorship choices for USA mens bball - “USA Basketball Unveils Partnerships With Tiffany & Co., Got Milk”- http://su.pr/28qkwk
Spotlight continues growth! Hiring multiple new ninja’s as Team Relationship Associates: http://su.pr/1xYcsb
Papa John pulls its brand from bowl game, becomes official pizza sponsor of the NFL instead - http://su.pr/2ZMB9R
Average Heat ticket prices rise by over 500% as Miami prepares for a breakthrough season - http://su.pr/9XGQLq
Kovalchuck’s 17-yr contract rejected by arbitrator. Big decision involving the avoidance of salary cap in future - http://su.pr/31oSRN
Spotlight Ticket Management continues exponential growth. Looking for a Marketing Ninja with some PR Assasin interests…http://su.pr/2EplOg
Probes trying to stop agent misconduct and redefine the line between amateur and pro - http://su.pr/1p2MtI
Mike Ilitch gaining support to become Pistons new owner - wants to become Detroit sports kingpin - http://su.pr/21stME
RT @WesleyMallette: 12 reasons why athletes should partner with a strategic PR team. http://su.pr/1kdnxQ
NBA and NBPA working to settle on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement - http://su.pr/A1Ettp
Is letting fans “name the price” of tickets a good business decision? The Florida Panthers believe it is - http://su.pr/35Jhvy
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 8/9/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
NFL Commissioner says Jaguars Fans need to Step Up
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is on a tour that will bring him to eight NFL cities over the span of 6 days. According to an articlewritten in the Miami Herald, on August 2nd, Goodell shipped off to Jacksonville to send a resounding message. The Jaguars reside in one of the smallest markets of any NFL team and have struggled to keep attendance numbers up despite fielding a competitive team. Goodell stressed the importance of attendance in the upcoming season, urging fans to realize the direness of the situation. As bigger cities such as Los Angeles may be seeking a franchise to bring in, struggling small market teams such as the Jaguars may fit the bill perfectly for a relocation. The Jaguars have been doing everything in their power to boost attendance, such as dropping ticket prices and selling naming rights to both their playing field and their practice field. It is now up to the fans of Jacksonville to decide whether or not this franchise will continue to play there.
The NFL will be keeping close tabs on the Jaguars and Jacksonville’s ability to bring in fans will probably decide its fate. The Jaguars front office is optimistic about the future, especially with the backing of local businesses such as EverBank and Blue Cross. To avoid blackouts, the Jaguars must sell about 5,000 more season tickets and a about 2,000 more single game tickets and premium seats. Companies invested in the Jaguars with corporate tickets would be smart to use the Spotlight Ticket Management Solution to more effectively allocate their tickets for a greater ROI. This would not only help companies economize their tickets, but also ensure that they would be filling the seats that the Jaguars so desperately need filled.
Selling premium tickets and luxury suites in this environment is not easy. Customers and firms are consistently demanding more of teams and providers than to simply “entertain clients.” Spotlight, currently partnered with over 30 teams in all 4 major sports, is a vital tool in the belt of any team sales professional.
New Mercedes-Benz Premium Club at Amway Center the Latest in a Trend
According to an articlewritten by Don Muret in the Sports Business Journal, the Orlando Magic have signed a three-year naming rights deal with Mercedes-Benz for a 13,000 square foot luxury hospitality space. The suite will be called the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, and is valued in the “mid-six figures” annually. This lucrative sponsorship creates a lounge that will see approximately 1,000 high-end ticket holders paying anywhere from $275-$1350 for their tickets coming through for every home game. Perks include free buffet and drinks, a window facing towards the Magic locker room, and other exclusive opportunities only available to members. This new addition to the Amway Center gives Mercedes a high-profile visibility increase in the arena to go alongside other sponsors such as the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Premium hospitality clubs continue to permeate into the sports industry both in arenas looking to pare down the number of suites (TD Banknorth Garden, Sun Life Stadium) and in new venues, most famously Cowboys Stadium’s club in Dallas. Other teams are starting to employ smaller and shared suites to tailor their offerings to the customer and offer “a premium ticket experience accessible by everyone.” It will be interesting to see if these clubs actually cannibalize suites business with groups of 8 to 10 opting to buy the club option in lieu of a 12 person suite.
Sports tickets and suites continue to evolve to an ever-changing market and Spotlight continues to be the only effective tool in managing these assets.
GM Cranks Up Ad Spending For NFL’s Super Bowl
The automobile industry was one of the sectors hit hardest by the economic recession. General Motors, one of the most effected corporations, was subsequently forced to cutback spending in a number of areas, with marketing and advertising being arguably two of the largest. Suzanne Vranica writes in the Wall St. Journal that former superpower GM plans to increase its ad spending tremendously, citing the need to “build the brands” as the main reason. For years, General Motors was one of the industries biggest advertisers. It plans to boost its advertising campaign this year by 10s of millions of dollars, starting with one of the nation’s largest events, the Super Bowl.
As companies become more financially stable, they will continue to increase their advertising spending to pre-recession numbers. As sponsorships are, for better or worse, one of the first things to go when money is tight, it is also one of the first things to come back, as the impressions it receives are unmatched and the brand building quality of sports is irreplaceable. Lucrative deals with big events such as the Super Bowl will become more common in the years to come, as companies seek to increase visibility to customers. Sports advertising is one of the best ways to receive a high return on investment, lending to the millions of dollars spent in this arena annually. The real question is: Will firms like GM be more accountable and responsible this time around- putting in place processes to measure sponsorship effectiveness, company sports ticket use, and return on investment?
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - New NFL Headquarters Signal A Lockout: NFL cutting costs in preparation for a work-stoppage. http://su.pr/7kH1Re
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The Detroit Pistons: How Timing And Location Impact Franchise Value http://su.pr/2OGZ3m
RT @SBJSBD - MLS extends Commissioner Don Garber’s deal through 2014; total pay could go above $3M per year. http://su.pr/21bkyj
RT @TheBigLead - Lofty Baseball Attendance Figures Show Novelty of New Stadiums, Not Burgeoning Popularity http://su.pr/2b9wc7
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Ranger Fans: Beware Murdoch: Folding sports franchises into corporations rarely works out well. http://su.pr/1bm4jw
RT @darrenrovell1 - Nike refuses to get into the $1B toning shoe market. Now it’s finally firing back http://su.pr/2pEX61 Are they right?
RT @darrenrovell1-NPD Group: Global sales of sports equipment, apparel & footwear was $282B in 09, 1st decline in 5 yrs http://su.pr/2eCmhb
Goodell sends clear and obvious msg to NFL Jaguars- up attendance or risk leaving town. Not an easy task in this market: http://su.pr/2PbTrP
RT @darrenrovell1 - Should the Heat have fired its season ticket staff? http://su.pr/2OuwPR
RT @TheBigLead - If Tiger has such a great history of post-British Open success, what if he fails this wknd? http://su.pr/A4QLmF
RT @WSJSports - Daily Fix: News Corp. Won’t Be Bidding on Texas Rangers http://su.pr/2gNGhg
RT @SBJSBD - Today’s Rangers auction pits Cuban/Crane group against Greenberg/Ryan. http://su.pr/2lfvj8
RT @SBJSBD - Andrew Varga, CMO of Papa John’s, joins list of speakers at this year’s Sports Marketing Symposium…http://su.pr/2WgeFg
Fans paying the big bucks to try to catch A-Rods HR milestone - $1.2 mil more than usual prices spent in past 12 games - http://su.pr/2dTccZ
TV Network coming for the Big East? Collegiate sports television may be changing completely with conference networks - http://su.pr/1UMXmD
Amway Center and Mercedes Benz Club the latest entry in upscale and large luxury clubs with membership offerings: http://su.pr/3fvJnJ
Matt Leinart signs new deal with Reebok and hopes to respark his career with new starting position - http://su.pr/9a15KX
Rangers auction goes to Greenberg and Ryan. But did they pay too much for the struggling franchise? - http://su.pr/16VISr
RT @js_bizofsports - Brewers announce expanded partnership with PNC Bank. Bank gets naming rights to club level. http://su.pr/2pD9uN
Smaller market teams struggling with fan support…Milwaukee Brewers attendance down 9.2% from last year - http://su.pr/1X53Ij
RT @darrenrovell1 - Report: Leagues (NBA, NFL) have high Twitter following, but low influence http://su.pr/7BSLih
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - NBA player agents are gaining power. http://su.pr/2ZxlbG
Stumbling sports stars and the effect it has on their sponsorships - http://su.pr/1DhNFL
Greenberg and Ryan await only approval from MLB for ownership of Rangers to become complete. Approval expected in the next week - http://su.
Greenberg and Ryan await approval from MLB for ownership of Rangers to become complete. Approval expected within week - http://su.pr/5j5cBX
GM intends to ramp up ad and sponsorship spending including The Super Bowl. Will they be more responsible this time? http://su.pr/1ORtRr
Great article on the NFL’s upcoming CBA talks and what needs to happen going forward - http://su.pr/2X9987
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 8/2/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Ticketmaster Chief Wants More Transparency
Anyone who has ever shopped online has experienced the hassles of extra payments and little nagging fees that accompany what you wish to buy. These online service fees regularly catch the ire of the consumer in the ticketing industry, with Ticketmaster the common “enemy” of the public. According to an article written by Thomas Van Riper in Forbes SportsMoney, Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard is trying to change all that. His goal is to eliminate all of the little added charges that is affecting the sports ticketing market. Hubbard argues that ticket sales are dropping as people are hesitant to spend extra money for things as trivial as printing tickets out at home. By telling the customer what they are paying for up front, there is a better chance they will not feel cheated when they reach the final steps of the purchasing process.
In the modern ticket market, transparency is the name of the game. Individual buyers are more intelligent. Corporate buyers are more intelligent. Its time for the ticket industry to wise up and bundle up all these costs before it loses more valued customers. New technology and data mining have helped to make ticketing a more exact science, and fans are not going to fall for the tricks of service fees any longer. In this new era of transparency people are looking for efficiency and the best way to utilize their assets. Spotlight Ticket Management provides this transparency in the ticket management sector, allowing company’s to make sure that they are using their ticket assets in the most cost-effective manner by issuing reports on ROI, allocation, inventory and usage. Ticketmaster, along with major teams and leagues, are also heeding the call to more transparency and the far more sensitive consumer.
Ticket Management Applications - Avoiding Conflict of Interests
Market transparency is something Spotlight Ticket Management has been advocating for a long time. Lack of transparency and conflicts of interest are important issues discussed every day in the news as part of the review of the global financial meltdown and pending financial reform. These issues specific to the live event ticket industry have been highlighted by CNBC’s Darren Rovell in a great article, and live interview. The article describes how Razorgator lost an estimated $3.5 million speculating on World Cup tickets. This bad gamble has resulted in Razorgator laying off at least a quarter of their staff and changing their business model.
It is Spotlight’s policy to aggregate all ticket options for corporate clients and ensure everyone’s goals are aligned when companies need to buy or sell tickets. A hot button issue in the financial industry has been how to avoid conflicts of interest when a bank owns a significant interest in a company and then helps their clients buy or sell shares of the same company. This is similar to how Goldman Sachs recently met trouble when they sold securities to investors without disclosing another, more important client, created these securities to bet against them. The SEC has dealt with Goldman and the SEC patrols banks by requiring them to “wall off” departments who take positions in companies and departments advising clients on what to buy or sell. The issue in the ticket industry and ticket management applications is there is no one like the SEC to ensure companies are protected.
Spotlight’s focus is the corporate client and Spotlight helps companies better manage everything to do with tickets and events and treat them as the corporate assets they are. Spotlight provides access to all major ticket markets and ticket sources and owns no tickets similar to the StubHub and eBay marketplaces or Orbitz and Kayak in the travel industry. An as objective third party and expert in the ticket industry Spotlight clients are assured their goals are aligned with Spotlight.
The question companies need to ask themselves when looking to work with a ticket management company is whose best interests are at heart. When a company owns millions in World Cup tickets and you need to buy or sell tickets, transaction crucial to your event budget, can you trust the options presented to you by someone with a significant stake one way or another? You can trust Spotlight Ticket Management to centralize and automate everything to do with tickets & events as we have only one goal – improving your bottom line.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SBJSBD - Deal will put Texas Longhorns’ brand on electricity, natural gas. More schools likely to follow. http://su.pr/25qmTV
Ticket market forced to evolve by more informed consumer. Ticketmaster to build in fees - http://su.pr/1YwUgL
RT @darrenrovell1 - Dez Bryant & Under Armour Part Ways http://su.pr/1i8CFO
RT @SBJSBD - Fans say they’re more avid after connecting with NFL, MLB through social media sites, survey says. http://su.pr/2EVpPB
RT @ProFootballTalk - Jaguars will play in Everbank Stadium http://su.pr/2FH4XZ #NFL
RT @darrenrovell1 - Ticketing site Razorgator loses $3.5M on World Cup, fires 1/4 of staff, changes business model http://su.pr/2b9Z1W
RT @darrenrovell1 - BREAKING ENDORSEMENT NEWS: Tim Tebow has been signed as the new face of Jockey underwear…http://su.pr/1IqaQI
RT @SBJSBD - USOC CMO Lisa Baird on BMW’s sponsorship deal: “We want market leaders.” http://su.pr/2p3OWP
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Pac-10 Conference To Rename Itself Pac-12 http://su.pr/1dpDQQ
RT @darrenrovell1 - Prokhorov: Nets Will Be Worth $1 Billion by 2015 http://su.pr/31ocTR
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - German Engineering To Bolster U.S. Olympians http://su.pr/1boERk
Great look at how the Celtics leverage Social Media - http://su.pr/ARZKdn - what are other teams doing?
Forbes sports business asking questions about EverBank’s Jaguars sponsorship: http://su.pr/7VS3h7
RT@SBJSBD “Terrific run in Vancouver” as USOC sponsor leads P&G to become IOC’s 11th TOP Partner. http://su.pr/1yr4NN
RT@ darrenrovell1 IMG’s new acquisition of college marketing rights is good for the college business http://su.pr/AT9ncq
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Brett Yormark discusses the Barclays Center’s sponsorship strategies. http://su.pr/6igG55
RT @darrenrovell1 Blackhawks win Stanley Cup & still can’t break a profit http://su.pr/2Y5ffh (via @benklayman)
RT @SBJSBD - Fox Sports working to bid on Rangers, source tells Fort Worth Star-Telegram. http://su.pr/6VGUn3
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 7/26/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Banking on a New Era of Sponsorship
Politics and Economics have enormous impacts on the sporting world, be it related to deals, sponsorships, or contracts. According to an article written in Sports Money Blog by Lee Igel, due to the recent economic climate and the proposed financial reforms, the future looks like it will be filled with big bank and financial services sponsorships. Many teams in the past have chosen big names in the banking sector for naming rights to stadiums, such as Bank of America Stadium, Bank Atlantic Center and Wachovia Center. Look to see more of such lucrative naming deals in the future as financial services will likely have the quickest return to the sports sponsorship market.
Banks count on sports advertising heavily as it helps them with the appear financially healthy. In the past, tax payers helped to pay for some of these sponsorships as the government looked to aid financial institutions in a difficult time. Public response to actions in the current climate may be a little different, however. There will likely be outrage at the prospect of increased costs for the everyday customer to help keep banks that are overextending their own costs afloat. The public will, and should, demand transparency and there is no exception in sports ticketing. Tracking and monitoring costs as well as searching for a higher ROI are becoming increasingly sought after assets in a time where money may be short.
The current political landscape calls for increased transparency while the White House pushes for more regulation. The question is, will these financial institutions follow the lead of their responsible peers to implement Spotlight Ticket Management’s ROI reporting and other crucial forms of sponsorship tracking. The days of “it works because we think it does” are long over….and that’s to everyone’s benefit.
Survey Finds Strasburg as MLB’s Most Marketable Under 25
Stephen Strasburg has only been a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for seven weeks, and yet his popularity has already exceeded that of any player under the age of 25. According to a survey held by The Daily and reported in an article by the Sports Business Journal, 50 of the top sports business executives voted Strasburg as baseball’s most marketable player under the age of 25. Strasburg also received enough votes to put him in the 4th spot overall for the entire MLB, putting him behind only Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Joe Mauer. Other young guns on the list include Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria and Atlanta Brave Jason Heyward.
One marketable star can help turn around the face of a franchise. In the case of the Nationals, who have been one of the worst team in the league in both wins and attendance for the last couple of years, Strasburg has created such a buzz that fans flock to see games that he starts in. Not only has he garnered attention in his own town, but Strasburg has also expanded his appeal to the rest of the nation, as he has sold out road games in low attendance stadiums. Many ticket managers and corporate ticket owners do not understand the appeal that big-time stars have, as tickets to a home game against the Nationals in a game that Strasburg starts are worth more than the average game. Allocating these tickets effectively is important for corporations involved with employee incentives or client entertainment. It is also imperative that teams recognize this marketing boost and utilize it effectively. Take note, next time the Nationals come to town your tickets could be a tremendous business asset when used effectively.
Qcue Attracts Key Teammates in Dynamic Pricing for Sports
Ticketing technology continues to evolve as new software built by Qcue will help MLB teams adjust prices for tickets within minutes based on consumer demand. In an article written by Lori Hawkins of statesman.com, Qcue’s latest partnership with Tickets.com and Major League Baseball will make adjusting ticket prices as easy as clicking a button. This avenue of “dynamic pricing” allows teams that Qcue has partnered with to sell tickets at a more efficient price, essentially maximizing revenue from ticket sales and could be a game changer as it can make changes in real time.
Ticketing has changed tremendously over the years, moving from static priced paper tickets, to etickets, to mobile phone tickets, to dynamic pricing. As fans continue to crave a faster and more efficient way to use tickets to sporting events and other entertainment events, technology will continue to grow with that demand. What cannot be lost in this spin is that teams have the benefit of lower up front costs and efficiencies allowing them to make more money. A software used for dynamic pricing is just one of the ways that ticketing corporations are expediting and economizing the way tickets are sold. Dynamic pricing models are available within Spotlight Ticket Management as well where a number of corporations look to sell unused tickets through the only third party objective provider on the market.
The market for tickets continues to grow more efficient and dynamic pricing continues to solidify itself as a major piece of that growth.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SBJSBD - CSL Marketing Group, IMG-Legends in hunt to sell Rose Bowl suites, club seats. http://su.pr/1gWYNC
RT @SBJSBD-Action sports, fertile ground for branded content as companies seek to build reltnships with young consumers http://su.pr/2Fz7Re
RT @SportsMoneyBlog-Banking On A New Era Of Sponsorhsip: There is a better than good chance that the financial reform - http://su.pr/31vwLl
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - NBA Clubs Spending Despite Losses http://su.pr/3h3caM
RT @SBJSBD - IOC, Dow Chemical Formally Announce 10-Year TOP Partnership. http://su.pr/1vc2RJ
RT @SBJSBD - USA Swimming Signs Three-Year Deal With Marriott. http://su.pr/62MkIz
RT @SBJSBD - 10 sports leaders to talk about teams and leagues using social media. Here’s the conversation: http://su.pr/1xF17h
A rising trend for banking sponsorships and naming rights? Financial services may be the next big corporate sponsors - http://su.pr/2JvhDg
RT @SportsMoneyBlog-Would Selling Los Angeles Dodgers Be In Baseball’s “Best Interests?”: The Dodgers brand could be… http://su.pr/2ki49T
NHL disallows circumventing salary cap - RT @SportsMoneyBlog-NHL Rejects Kovalchuk’s 17-Year Contract http://su.pr/1kbWT0
Marketing the cornerstone of sports performance empire - RT@darrenrovell1 - Under Armour piece on Nightline tonight http://su.pr/2rJfsG
Endorsements and sponsorships are clearly a huge part of athletes income - http://su.pr/43YiPM
RT @SBJSBD - L.A.-based media not sorry to see Mike Garrett out at USC. http://su.pr/1Ux7Zw
RT @darrenrovell1 - SpongeTech, which owes millions of $ to teams, has become cautionary sponsorship tale http://su.pr/2Javgt
RT @SportsMoneyBlog The SportsMoney 50-50 ranks the world’s most valuable teams and athletes. http://su.pr/16Lu8c
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The world’s most valuable teams and athletes http://su.pr/AWxPrr
RT @darrenrovell1 - Transcript of NFL’s Jeff Pash talking about labor and NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement - http://su.pr/2myDOZ
RT @SBJSBD - EA Sports Signs Deal To Be EPL’s Sports Technology Partner. http://su.pr/2PjJR6
RT @SBJSBD- Greenberg and Ryan’s loan deal to buy the Texas Rangers hinges on a lease for the land around the stadium. http://su.pr/2VrLln
RT @SI_JonHeyman - MLB’s HGH testing for minors is obvious precursor to try to get same done in MLB. Will be topic for CBA. - http://su.pr/1
RT @SpearsNBAYahoo - Y! Sports: USA Hoops candidate Stephen Curry sees brighter day with his Warriors. http://su.pr/2imGF3
RT @NFLprguy - Washington Post on fans’ insatiable appetite for football driving magazine biz. http://su.pr/2F65qj
How do top 25 most marketable atheletes affect your company ticket decision making? http://su.pr/4UIeFb Do the best tix get the best use?
Dynamic pricing scores a big win in partnering with MLB and Tickets.com. Technology in tickets continues to evolve: http://su.pr/4cdTcB
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Ticketmaster Chief Wants More Transparency http://su.pr/8iMMmH
RT @SBJSBD - IOC still deciding whether to hire media adviser for sale of U.S. media rights to 2014, ‘16 Games. http://su.pr/18qzJH
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 7/19/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Player “Collusion” & Corporate Sales: Teams Brace when Stars Waver
Much has been said about Lebron James’ decision to leave Cleveland and join up with USA teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as a member of the Miami Heat. James as been called “selfish,” “narcissistic” and even “cowardly” for his choice. In reality, many players have abandoned their first home to join a more talented team with a better chance of winning a championship. But this time, it was different. James, Wade and Bosh colluded and decided to come together as three superstars to form a daunting alliance. The question is, will collusion become the way of the future and contribute to a less competitive league?
According to an article written by Evan Weiner in the New Jersey News Room, Chris Paul was recently seen at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding in New York, and allegedly said that he was entertaining thoughts of forming his own “Big 3″ in NYC with Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. As a basketball player, that may be his best option in two years. But until then, Paul and Carmelo are backbones of their respective franchises. To collude and plan ahead for such an event is devastating to the team and the fans that have so loyally followed the Hornets and Nuggets. Has LeBron set a precedent for collusion for future partnerships? If so, fan bases that purchase all of the tickets, season tickets, and luxury boxes may be less inclined to be enthusiastic about a team with a future that includes their franchise star leaving. This is a management nightmare as corporate sponsors and potential advertisers may be pushed away from a team that is set to lose its superstar. If the NBA isn’t careful, it could end up with a few large-market superteams and a lot of smaller market teams destined for poverty and failure. Selling seats and advertising is what keeps these teams afloat, and if collusion continues, many of the NBA’s boats may be on their way to sinking.
Knicks Sell out Season Tickets
Despite the fact that LeBron James did not decide to take his talents to Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are doing just fine with ticket sales. According to an articleby sports business writer Darren Rovell, the Knicks have started a waitlist for its season tickets, which are already sold out for the entire year. This is the first time that the franchise has done so since the 2001-2002 seasons. While much of this may be attributed to the recent signing of star A’mare Stoudemire, one can’t help but wonder if all of the buzz about LeBron James also helped sell all of these tickets. The Knicks are looking to make just their second postseason in the last decade.
The Knicks are not the only ones who have benefited from all of the free agency movement. The Nets, Bulls and Heat have all outsold their numbers from the past five years thanks to new stars coming in or even the speculation of such. In the NBA today, stars sell tickets. Simply put, people will pay money to come watch the best players, even if they do not necessarily play on the best teams. Luxury suites, season ticket, and even individual ticket markets are bolstered by the addition and movement of the league’s elite. With many recovering corporations looking to get back into sports for incentive packages or client entertainment, there is a need for efficient management of these tickets. As a valuable asset, firms should look to the Spotlight Ticket Management Solution for efficiency and tracking their returns on investment.
Booming Corporate Sports Sector Welcomes New Warriors Owners
After a lengthy ownership change, the Golden State Warriors welcome new owners for the 2010-2011 NBA season. According to an articlewritten by Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle, the deal was sealed yesterday when venture capitalist Joe Lacob and Mandalay Entertainment chairman Peter Guber bought the franchise for $450 million. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison was also interested in buying the franchise, but the team was ultimately sold over to Lacob and Guber. The deal marked the largest franchise sale in league history.
A change in ownership in San Francisco may be the turning point for a struggling franchise both at the box office and with corporate involvement. The Warriors have only made the playoffs once, becoming the only 8 seed to beat a number 1 seed in NBA playoff history in 2007. But regardless of the teams struggles on the court, it remains one of the most strongly supported franchises in the league with a boisterous fan base. If this new ownership can put together a competitive team, the Bay Area will be swarming with fanatic fans, looking to jump on the opportunity to see the hottest team in town play. The booming business sector in San Francisco and the surrounding area, along with the number of successful corporations (25 of which are in the Fortune 500) indicate that there is enormous potential for lucrative sponsorships and partnerships for the Warriors. Corporate luxury suite sales may spike in the coming years allowing the Warriors to implement a ticket management solution and drive partnerships for years to come.
Lacob has been a huge Warriors fan for years, and if he builds a competitive team, the Bay Area fans and the successful companies will reward him with a sold out house and a number of big corporate sponsorships.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Home Run Derby Saves All Star Break http://su.pr/27LGjI
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - New Bids For Texas Rangers Would Top $600 Million http://su.pr/2baIBW
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Steinbrenner Got A 33900% Cumulative Return On His Yankee Investment http://su.pr/6WFjit
RT @SBJSBD - Home Run Derby marks ESPN’s first full 3D telecast. http://su.pr/2Ivvbh
How player “collusion” affects sports sponsorships and corporate sales. How do fans/customers react when a star wavers: http://su.pr/1ZpJrz
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Assessing MLB’s Most/Least Efficient Teams http://su.pr/1PpPzO
Free agency moves help sell out Knicks season tickets - http://su.pr/2LNmcy
RT @WSJSports - A Step Down for Henry, a Step Up for MLS http://su.pr/4dUyJT
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Golf Needs Tiger And Daly To Shine At British Open: The PGA needs a fight to the finish between… http://su.pr/2wA0A8
RT @darrenrovell1 - BREAKING NEWS: Golden State Warriors bought for $450M by Joe Lacob & Peter Guber http://su.pr/1RJai1
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Will The Yankees Remain A Family Business? http://su.pr/2MaHkS
RT @darrenrovell1 - Since LeBron’s announcement, Vitaminwater is the only company that has put him in an ad http://su.pr/ATDlvg
Razor Gator & TicketOs continue financial woes and puts TicketOS customers at risk. Brokering tickets not good business http://su.pr/5xonJK
Continued struggles in Rangers buyout…RT @SBJSBD-MLB Rangers Lenders Seek To Delay Scheduled Aug. 4 Auction. http://su.pr/2ANqOa
New Warriors owners opportunity to partner with the booming SF corporate sports market on sponsorships and suites: http://su.pr/1qpPze
RT @darrenrovell1 - Tiger’s sponsors need him to win now http://su.pr/77FtGp
RT @ WojYahooNBA - Y! Sports story: From Beijing to South Beach, the courting of LeBron James: http://su.pr/AniH8i
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 7/12/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
What’s in an Arena Name? For the Canucks, Millions of Dollars
The Vancouver Canucks have decided to change the name of their rink from General Motors Place to Rogers Arena, writes Monte Stuart in an NHL Fanhouse article. The change in naming rights reflects the first time in 15 years that the Canucks will not play under the banner of General Motors, who had signed a 20 year deal reportedly worth $20 million dollars. General Motors, part of the struggling automotive market and hurt by the public relations nightmare of bailout, has hit some rough financial times and decided to terminate the end of its contract. This allowed Rogers Communications to sign a 10 year deal that will put their name on the building. GM stated that it still desires to remain a in-arena sponsor.
A number of sports sponsorships have been dropped this year, as corporations struggling to stay afloat financially have found that one of the first things to go is their sports advertising and marketing campaigns. General Motors is one of many companies seeking to cut back in the sports sector. We have already seen companies such as Citi and FedEx drop huge deals with the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl, respectively, for the same reasons. Corporations are looking to maximize their return on investment and have decided that while sports sponsorships provide company or brand visibility, it is also a costly way to advertise. How and with what tools companies used to come to this conclusion remains to be seen.
The Recession’s Lasting Impact on Sports Sponsorships
The recently “completed” economic recession has continued to leave a footprint in the world of Sports Sponsorships and corporate involvement in sports events into 2010. As covered thoroughly in this pieceby Patrick Rishe in Forbes Magazine, several major sports sponsors including Monster.com, Citi, and UBS have dropped out of mega deals within the past three weeks. This may only be the beginning for an industry that has been riddled by inefficiencies and poorly evaluated deals and is in dire need of revolution.
Spotlight has a very unique seat in this theatre as a manager of corporate inventories for over 700 firms and a partner with 38 teams. From this viewpoint, Spotlight can see exactly what business sports tickets and suites are driving without a conflict of interest. Rishe brings to light a number of inefficiencies and flat-out bad business practices in his spot-on analysis of the current sports sponsorship landscape that have been apparent for years.
According to Mr. Rishe, 20 of the top 50 sports sponsors dramatically reduced their sports marketing spending in 2009, with the biggest reductions coming from the Auto Manufacturers Toyota, Chevy, Dodge, American Honda, GM, Nissan, and Cadillac. Not surprisingly, none of these firms used or currently use a sports ticket management software to evaluate the tickets and on-location activation tied to these sporting events. It’s not a stretch to assume that these sorts of inefficiencies aren’t limited solely to the ticket holdings and were more than likely prevalent in the sports sponsorship spending in general - with a few of them using sports marketing firms and middle men. This sort of arrogance in spending is much more rampant than most shareholders would like to know as major firms put little effort behind utilizing their resources, usually pawning them off to a staffer low on the totem pole that has no ability to leverage what is sometimes in the tens of millions of dollars in tickets to drive business.
Mr. Rishe correctly points out that “Part of the problem is the logistical difficulty of actually tracing sponsorship dollars to new sales.” Understandably, the first reaction to reading such a thought would be “didn’t these firms track these things in the first place?” The answer is no. Some still do not. This is the biggest risk for sports media and ticket providers. The Sponsorship head of a major national airline’s thoughts sum up the issue nicely when he considers tickets, of which his firm has about $5 million dollars invested, as “throw-ins that can be tracked on an Excel spreadsheet by interns.” These firms are the most important challenges of the current sports industry as the provider either needs to find a way to help them understand their value and better manage it, or risk seeing these sponsors go the way of Citi, UBS, & Monster.com. Eventually stakeholders in this airline will demand a return on investment and one can be assured that disparate excel spreadsheets kept by college kids will not be evidence enough for intelligent business executives.
Tracking the return on investment for the on-site portion of the sponsorship including tickets, hospitality events, player meet and greets, and suites is not only easy but extremely inexpensive. As Mr. Rishe points out, there are a number of consulting firms and providers focused on providing sponsorship executives with the tools they need to effectively drive business. There are also, however, a number of “sports marketing” firms that are simply middle men to media buys, sponsorships, and on-site events. The industry, through continued evolution, will need to cut out those “sports marketers” that offer little to no value to their customers. Many of these firms are simply interested in billable hours and, on more than one occasion, have actually sabotaged tracking methods to try to paint their suggestions in a better light or to keep additional staff on hand to bill the customer. These negative forces will need to be navigated around to see sports sponsorship flourish once again. More than a handful of these firms have begun to partner with third party objective providers to evaluate their recommendations. As common sense would imply, a firm will always tell you how great a buy you made when they advised the purchase and took a commission in the first place.
Spotlight Ticket Management is a foundation on which corporate responsibility and sports analytics is built. Firms operating Spotlight have been able to act on a buyers market while those that haven’t been responsible have been forced to cut spending. Using sports tickets and suites as a viable business tool shows Influenced Revenue numbers that make Marketing and Sponsorship Executives drool. The numbers show that sports tickets for business use are a terrific product. The question is, can corporate America as a consumer evolve past inefficiencies, egos, and back door deals to take advantage of them.
Why not Winnipeg?
Fourteen years ago professional hockey left Winnipeg as the Jets packed up and left town for Arizona to become the Phoenix Coyotes. According to an articlewritten by David Naylor in Globe Sports, Winnipeg is ready for the team to return. Back then the city simply did not have a venue suitable to support an NHL team. But since the franchise moved away, Mark Chipman brought an AHL team to Winnipeg and erected a 15,000+ person stadium for them to play. As the Phoenix team continues to struggle and turn in small numbers, there is talk of the NHL returning to Winnipeg. The stadium would be the smallest in the NHL, but this may be to their advantage. Studies have shown that residents of Winnipeg have are willing to pay top dollar for entertainment. The limited supply of seating would allow a Winnipeg franchise to charge enough money for tickets to keep the franchise alive something that couldn’t be done 14 years ago.
Another big issue is filling seats and corporate seats. The population of Winnipeg is growing fast enough to support bringing back the NHL team and its booming business sector makes it plausible that corporate sponsorships would be sufficient. Statistics have shown a number of multi-million dollar corporations with over 100 employees that would be perfect to fill luxury suites. It is yet to be seen if Winnipeg can in fact support a professional sports team but its corporate backing and supportive population seem to point to the possibilities for a budding franchise.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SportsMoneyBlog The Recession’s Lasting Impact On Sports Sponsorships: Companies are likely to be slower http://su.pr/2ld6Hl
Coca-Cola signs 5-year deal with Seawhawks, becomes exclusive soft drink vendor at Qwest Field. http://su.pr/2No6h1
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Beyond the ManU Mania: Debt and Wage Growth in English Soccer http://su.pr/2amDuk
RT @SBJSBD - NASCAR Announces Group Licensing Trust For Its Biggest Teams. http://su.pr/2rfzKU
Spotlight Ticket Management’s Links Of The Week: LeBron and Corporate America, Coke back with the Seahawks, & More: http://su.pr/2Tgu1d
Vancouver Canucks change naming right of stadium from GM Place to Rogers Arena, another prof sports sponsorship change - http://su.pr/2Syrkg
Recessions lasting impact on Sports Sponsorships: Evolution needed to remove inefficiences by both providers & buyers: http://su.pr/7JNpV4
RT @SBJSBD - Breeders’ Cup Renews Deal With Grey Goose For Three More Years. http://su.pr/1gvSPB
RT @SBJSBD - Heat sell out season tickets amid rumors that LeBron James will join the team. http://su.pr/2IwZgT
Winnipeg to become an NHL city once again? It finally has the population and corporate growth to support a team…http://su.pr/1Udm9i
Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Links Of The Week: Week Ending 7/6/10
Spotlight’s weekly collection of relevant press, tweets, and blogs shaping the world of corporate ticketing. The evolution of Corporate America’s involvement in sports is leading towards more responsibility and better analytics. Please read on for more information about sports sponsorship, sports business, ticket management, corporate accountability, and The Spotlight Ticket Management Solution.
Bulls sell 1,500 Tickets in 48 Hours
The 2010 free agency frenzy has already started selling tickets and nobody has even signed a contract yet. The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, both suitors for LeBron James and Chris Bosh, have already began to reap the benefits of something that hasn’t even happened yet. According to an article written by CNBC reporter Darren Rovell, the Bulls have already sold approximately 1,500 season tickets for next year, adding to the 1,500 already purchased at the end of last season. The Heat and the Knicks have also seen a substantial increase in ticket sales solely based on the speculation that a big free agent might end up there.
Clearly the star power on the free agency market this summer is generating a buzz around the teams with the best chance of signing these superstars. Tickets being sold based on a projection of where a free agent might land is unprecedented. The quick spreading of information through the internet and online ticketing are the main drivers for this change. If LeBron decides to stay in Cleveland there will be plenty of fans upset that they purchased expensive season tickets. But if they do land the biggest free agent in the history of sports team sales will go through the roof and they will become instant title contenders and the early ticket purchasers will have the inside track and better seats.
James a Wanted Man in Corporate America
Much as been said about the star power in this summer’s free agency market including an increase of season ticket buying based on speculation of what could happen. Perennial all-stars and some of the league’s best players, such as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson are a few of the players that could change a team’s destiny by joining on this season. But none is bigger than LeBron James. It is arguable that there has never been a more coveted free agent in the history of sports. There are many beliefs as to where James may end up, with speculations ranging from returning to Cleveland to leaving to join the Bulls, Nets, Knicks, or even possibly Miami. And while winning championships is obviously James’ ultimate goal there are millions of dollars to be made in marketing.
According to an article written by Digital Sports Media, Chicago might be the right place for him. While his allegiances lie in Akron, Ohio, mega-corporations such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft are all suitors for LeBron’s global appeal. Playing in a big market could help LeBron climb to the top of the sports world and create a brand much like Jordan did with Nike. While LeBron James is primarily a basketball player, he may also have to play businessman as well. His marketing firm, LRMR Marketing, is looking into possibilities that playing in a bigger market will lead to more revenue for James. Clearly, wherever the King goes, he will sell tickets, suites, and corporate sponsorships and bring instant promise and fame to a needy franchise. But the money made possible through marketing may be a huge factor in the decision he makes in the upcoming weeks.
Coke Signs 5-year Deal with Seattle Seahawks
Only one day after dropping Jones Soda as their official soft drink, the Seattle Seahawks signed a 5 year deal with Coca- Cola, making it the official soft drink of Qwest Field. The lucrative partnership makes Coca-Cola the only company that can serve sparkling soft drink products at any Qwest Field event. Coca-Cola plans to exclusively serve its products in its newly developed “Plant-Bottle” which is 100% recyclable and made partly from plant-based materials. The partnership is to become effective immediately.
Coca-Cola was the official partner of Qwest until 2007, when Jones Soda took over. The Seahawks have made a big overhaul in a number of categories outside of its sponsorships. Did Jones Soda do enough in the few years they had the sponsorship? Is this why Coca-Cola jumped back into the fray or did Coca-Cola never want to be left out in the first place and was simply outbid back in 2007? The news isn’t great for the industry as another relatively new player, Jones Soda, leaves in favor of one of the bigger and older sports sponsorship players. New blood will drive sports sponsorship and, unfortunately, there isn’t much of it.
Relevant Sports Business & Sports Ticket Management Tweets Of The Week
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The Economics of Brett Favre: Favre will return to the Vikings this season. http://su.pr/5DkV9b
RT @darrenrovell1 - Politician says the dissolving of the B12, w/Baylor left out, would have cost community 1,600 jobs http://su.pr/1HgxSk
RT @STEIN_LINE_HQ - The Big O — ownership — factors into LeBron’s decision of a lifetime http://su.pr/2VkLBq
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Is a Decision Pre-Ordained in the Texas Rangers Bankruptcy Case? http://su.pr/1otil1
RT @js_bizofsports - Organizers optimistic about ticket sales for PGA Championship at Whistling Straits: http://su.pr/26XsDk
RT @darrenrovell1 - Heat, Bulls selling THOUSANDS of new season tickets on free agent speculation http://su.pr/1IREF1
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The NHL Extended It’s Labor Agreement - Now What? http://su.pr/6XgrEj
Hyundai is the new sponsor for the Sun Bowl - how are they tracking the ROI - http://su.pr/2fVocd
Bulls sell 1500 season tickets on the speculation LeBron and others are coming to town - http://su.pr/59W3dM
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - Documents Lift Veil On Texas Rangers Finances http://su.pr/1ILFPK
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - The Enormous Value Of LeBron James Collectively bargained maximums in the NBA create cost certain http://su.pr/9DDtup
Contributing to the LeBron hype and speculation - http://su.pr/7FsDZL
RT @espn: Doc Rivers says he’s returning to coach Boston Celtics in 2010-11 - http://su.pr/1DYEPM
RT @SBJSBD - Bidding war over the Pac-10’s TV rights is already developing. http://su.pr/1sxwpA
RT @SportsMoneyBlog-NBA Limelight Shines on Bosh and Johnson: Of this years impressive crop of free agents, none have…http://su.pr/1f5xkh
RT @SBJSBD - Panini Signs No. 2 Overall NBA Pick Evan Turner To Endorsement Deal. http://su.pr/27NmK9
RT @SportsMoneyBlog - What The Knicks Just Told LeBron: Come To New York And Make $1 Billion http://su.pr/29tEcW
RT @darrenrovell1 CRAZY NUMBERS: Yankees gross $397M in ticket sales in 2009 http://su.pr/16f1Hi
LeBron James a Wanted Man in Corporate America
Much as been said about the star power in this summer’s free agency market including an increase of season ticket buying based on speculation of what could happen. Perennial all-stars and some of the league’s best players, such as Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson are a few of the players that could change a team’s destiny by joining on this season. But none is bigger than LeBron James. It is arguable that there has never been a more coveted free agent in the history of sports. There are many beliefs as to where James may end up, with speculations ranging from returning to Cleveland to leaving to join the Bulls, Nets, Knicks, or even possibly Miami. And while winning championships is obviously James’ ultimate goal there are millions of dollars to be made in marketing.
According to an article written by Digital Sports Media, Chicago might be the right place for him. While his allegiances lie in Akron, Ohio, mega-corporations such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft are all suitors for LeBron’s global appeal. Playing in a big market could help LeBron climb to the top of the sports world and create a brand much like Jordan did with Nike. While LeBron James is primarily a basketball player, he may also have to play businessman as well. His marketing firm, LRMR Marketing, is looking into possibilities that playing in a bigger market will lead to more revenue for James. Clearly, wherever the King goes, he will sell tickets, suites, and corporate sponsorships and bring instant promise and fame to a needy franchise. But the money made possible through marketing may be a huge factor in the decision he makes in the upcoming weeks.
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