Dan Harbridge’s Post

Via Alex Wauthy: "The Inaugural Flagship PWHL hockey trading card set is slated to be released this fall, Paul Douglas Zickler, Director of Sports Brands [at The Upper Deck Company], told The Hockey News . An exact date is to be determined... The base set will feature 50 veterans and current players, the most expansive PWHL product thus far. Action shots and other sorts of dynamic imagery will be a product feature... Zicklers says it will include some of Upper Deck's "iconic flagship designs, wink wink." "It's going to be more of our standard designs," Zickler said. "You're going to see some of those iconic designs, you know, from past flagship products. So it will be more like your traditional trading card product." On the card, the product will feature the team names from the inaugural PWHL season, such as PWHL Minnesota, rather than showcasing their new team names... The product packaging will feature a star from the inaugural PWHL season. "I think you can sort of use your intuition there," Zickler said. "But [she] had a great playoff, too." [🧐 Heise?]... Due to a lack of jerseys during the inaugural season and an upcoming transition to team names and official branding, Zickler says jersey and patch cards are a longer-term play. Autograph cards fall in the same category due to the intricacy of building the cards... Upper Deck plans to release the official solicitation of the product in the coming week." 📰 Full story: https://lnkd.in/gzzwGvjM ------ Can't wait!!! Really hoping there'll Young Guns cards as part of this release! 🤞🤞🤞 #hockey #sports #sportsmarketing #sportsbiz #tradingcards #womenshockey #pwhl #hockeycanada #usahockey #upperdeck #nhl #womeninsport #womeninsports

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) just inked a four-year partnership with Nike, and excitement is buzzing on the pitch. So, before we do cartwheels, let's dissect the deal- 1)Nike will kit out officials and umpires, already seen at FIH Hockey Junior World Cups and the first FIH Hockey Pro League mini-tournament of the season. 2)Both FIH and Nike share goals of inspiring play, and hence the partnership aims to develop youth sports and increase physical activity among kids, with a focus on growing women's hockey globally. 3)Nike's marketing muscle, global presence and reputation can amplify hockey's visibility worldwide, potentially opening doors to new markets and fans. Though, I'm curious about the real impact of such collaborations. -Upping the game for officials with Nike gear is cool, but will it make a tangible difference in the sport? -Focus on youth and women's hockey looks great on paper, but will it actually shake things up in terms of #genderequality and Youth sports? Of course these deals promise a lot, but delivering on these promises is what counts. Now, would this collaboration make a real impact or be just another headline is a test of the time. #nike #partnerships #sports

Women's hockey came to play and is here to stay in 2024! 🙌⁣ • For the latest updates on the business side of women's sports, subscribe to our free, 3x-weekly sports biz newsletter: https://lnkd.in/edbYJUQj 💌 •⁣ The U.S. lost to rival Canada in OT in the gold medal match of this year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship last night in Utica, NY. The competition, which began in 1990 and has featured these two nations in the championship 22 out of 23 times, introduced a new element to the ice this year: the PWHL. Here’s how the pro women’s hockey league is impacting the game. 👇⁣ •⁣ 🏟️68K: The number of fans who attended this year’s tournament, up almost 15% YoY with average attendance of 2.3K per game. After the U.S. and Canada welcomed a record crowd of 4K for their preliminary match, their gold medal match sold out.⁣ •⁣ 9️⃣: The number of participating countries (out of 10) that broadcast this year’s tournament, with Japan and China broadcasting it for the first time, and seven countries televising the gold medal game. 👏⁣ •⁣ 2️⃣3️⃣: The number of brand partners the league has teamed up with during its inaugural season, which bumps to 34 when official PWHL suppliers are included. This doesn’t include team sponsorships or group sponsorships like PWHL Canada’s deal with BIC razors, another deal sharpening Canada’s edge in PWHL backing and brand exposure. 💰⁣ •⁣ 0️⃣: The number of times Czechia has hosted an International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship, with the European country slated to host for the first time next year. Hosting an international tournament tends to generate buzz and uplift the sport in the host nation — just ask Australia.⁣ •⁣ 7️⃣: The number of National Hockey League (NHL) venues that will host a PWHL game this season, the latest addition being the 16.5K-seater Prudential Center in New Jersey. Since PWHL New York decided to abandon its 10K-seater home at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, CT, they will now play their remaining home games at two NHL venues, one of which is UBS Arena, home to the New York Islanders.⁣ •⁣ 🤝100,000: The number of women and girls registered to play hockey across the country this year, a record for USA Hockey.

Sports Gambling? Surely that is NOT an owners problem, just kick out players. #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

sure why not #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

Last month, the best players in the world gathered to celebrate hockey at the NHL All-Star Weekend — and that included women, too. The league showcased players from the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), who showed off why they deserve the spotlight, too. The PHWL is the fastest-growing women’s ice hockey league in North America, and with good reason. It’s attracting top talent and giving some of the best women hockey players in the world a much-needed platform. At Upper Deck, we’re a big believer in women’s sports. We want to champion these world-class athletes at every opportunity, and the PHWL is no exception. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that we will be the exclusive licensed producer of physical and digital trading cards for the PHWL. To celebrate the license and International Women’s Day, we released a fully accessible, free digital trading card set for fans to kick-start their collection, on e-Pack®. This league is just getting started, and we believe it’s going to take hold as more and more people realize just how much talent there is in women’s hockey. If you don’t know names like Savannah Harmon, Kendall Coyne Schofield, or Marie-Philip Poulin yet, then get ready. They’re going to blow you away, and we’re excited to highlight their capabilities in our collectibles. #hockey #pwhl #sportsbusiness #iwd2024

Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS) will absorb the six-team National Indoor Soccer League (NISL), effective immediately. The MLIS had 12 teams last year, but six teams defected to the Premier Arena Soccer League in the offseason. The NISL was founded in January 2021 and includes the Aces (Albany, New York), Central Florida Crusaders (Orlando), Fury (Fayetteville, North Carolina), Magic City SC (Pelham, Alabama), Strikers (Tampa, Florida) and Foundry FC (Columbus, Georgia). Each team competes in both men’s and women’s divisions. Earlier this month, the MLIS announced plans for a women’s league that will debut in 2024-25, with Zoo City FC of Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving as its inaugural team. The MLIS-NISL merger “represents a strategic alignment of shared values and visions, as both leagues are committed to advancing the growth and development of indoor soccer across the nation,” the MLIS said in announcing the news on Friday, March 29. “This marks a pivotal moment for the MLIS,” MLIS commissioner Dominic Tourcette said. “We are enthusiastic about our expansion plans, which include a southern division and a dedicated women’s league, aimed at fostering soccer growth across various states.” ------- Looks like ⚽ in the U.S. is growing at every level and this is great news for all parties involved! I'm excited to see what real estate related opportunities will spur from the growth of soccer across the U.S. Kansas City Current has done a phenomenal job at designing and building their new stadium at the pro level. The trickle down effect to stadium builds, fan and customer engagement, and experience should ripple from the pro's down to the youth leagues. How is your business or organization preparing for ⚽ 's growth across the U.S.? #sportsbiz #soccer #indoorsoccer #sports #clevelandsports

Ever wonder how we pull off Hockey House and other large scale activations? Well here’s some tips and tricks on how we make it all work.

The latest of the series.Sports Betting - Inside the Numbers is out! Totals is the topic. The post includes National Football League (NFL),WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association),Caitlin Clark and more! Also mention of the Summer Olympics is included and the next topic in the series! #Sportbetting #Totals #WNBA #NFL #AllStarGame #Olympics #sportsbettting

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 Baseball: Originating in the #US, baseball is a bat-and–ball game It is rather popular in the #Caribbean, #NorthAmerica, #Japan, and #SouthKorea. Two teams of nine players alternately bat and field in the game according to structure and major leagues. While the World Series is the annual championship for the sport, Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States is the top professional league. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eDcfsDeR