LG2’s Post

Last month, I attended a 70th anniversary celebration for Sports Illustrated, attended by over 180 attendees including many who traveled to New York City. The experience felt like a high school reunion and there were so many hugs, laughs, smiles and tears. Having read an article about the changing landscape in Chicago Sports TV, I pondered, will I be attending a similar event in the not to distant future for NBC Sports Chicago after its 20 years of broadcasting Chicago Sports. Despite the challenges in the Regional Sports Network business, it appears my former RSN will likely go the way of its predecessor, Fox Sports Net Chicago and cease operations given the value of network to distributors without live sports means a drastic reduction in affiliate fees, alongside a significant decrease in advertising. From a business perspective, I'd love to learn how this new network was able to keep the Chicago Blackhawks who likely had options to join the Chicago Cubs on Marquee Sports Network. With a few exceptions, the most successful RSNs have spring summer + fall/winter programming of the four major pro sports (e.g. YES Network has Brooklyn Nets in addition to New York Yankees, compared to MSG Networks has New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils). And what carriage deal can this network expect from Comcast, the managing partner of NBC Sports Chicago, and number one distributor in the region? #sportsbiz #chicagosports #bulls #blackhawks, #cubs, #whitesox #OTT #sportstv

Today, our Rick Wolf is excitingly announcing his retirement after more than three decades of leadership roles within the sports betting and fantasy sports industry. 🗣 “I have been living and breathing fantasy sports and sports betting for my entire career. It is my life’s work and I will always be a part of this industry." - Rick Wolf Read more about Rick's career and what he plans to do next below: #sportsbiz #sportsbetting #fantasysports

📢 In the ever-evolving world of sports, licensing agreements offer lucrative opportunities, especially in emerging sports. Here’s why: 📈 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: Emerging sports like flag football and pickleball are gaining popularity, opening new markets for licensees. 👨👩👧👦 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬: Sports that appeal to broader age groups and demographics, such as pickleball’s popularity among seniors and youth, provide vast licensing opportunities. ✨ 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: ✔️ Licensing agreements allow sports organizations to expand brand presence and generate revenue without ongoing promotional expenses. ✔️ Licensees benefit from established fan bases and brand recognition, resulting in a sustainable revenue stream through product sales. 🙌 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬: ✔️ Flag Football: The NFL’s promotion of flag football, including its inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, is expanding its market and licensing opportunities. ✔️ Pickleball: With a 223% growth rate over three years and new broadcast contracts with ESPN, pickleball presents significant licensing potential. LicenSee by FADEL offers streamlined royalty processing, full visibility into contract obligations, and optimized licensing operations to maximize revenue potential. Leverage these opportunities and navigate the dynamic sports licensing landscape effectively with LicenSee. Exciting times ahead for those ready to innovate and lead! Click here for more: https://bit.ly/3XK8boz #FADL #LicenSee #Licensees #RoyaltyProcessing

🏒[Sports Biz News]🇺🇸 Florida Panthers Sign Multi-Year Broadcast Deal with Scripps Sports👏  The Florida Panthers have announced a multi-year broadcast deal with Scripps Sports,   allowing South Florida residents to watch games for free. This agreement includes   preseason, regular season, and first-round playoff games on cable, satellite, and   over-the-air TV. A new direct-to-consumer digital platform will enhance fan engagement.   From a sports marketing perspective, this partnership is a strategic move to boost   brand value and fanbase growth.  The free broadcast of games will significantly increase the team's visibility in the local   market, creating new opportunities for fan interaction and sponsorships. By leveraging   Scripps Sports' extensive network, the Panthers can reach a broader audience,   strengthening their community ties and expanding their market presence. This approach   not only benefits the fans but also provides valuable exposure for the team's sponsors,   leading to a potential increase in sponsorship revenue.  As the Panthers continue to build on their recent successes, this deal positions them   to further capitalize on their growing popularity and solidify their status as a premier   NHL franchise.  #glocalsportsnews #sportsmarketing #sportsnews #sportsbusiness #marketing #branding #pr #brandingstrategy #marketingstrategy #prstrategy #businessstrategy #advertising #floridapanthers #nhl #hockey #southflorida #freetv #digitalplatform

“Best of Taylor Swift at Super Bowl 58” is one of the most watched Super Bowl videos on the National Football League (NFL) YouTube page…and yes, of course I watched it. Her highlight reel, boasting 1.3M views on the NFL YouTube page, outshines even the most anticipated moments like the final play, last drive, and trophy presentation. It's a vivid illustration of the undeniable synergy between sports and pop culture, showcasing how leveraging icons like Taylor Swift can attract new audiences to the sports realm. As athletes increasingly focus on building their personal brands beyond their athletic achievements, collaborations with megastars like Swift are becoming the norm, ushering in a new era of fan engagement and brand recognition. Regardless of what unfolds with Travis and Taylor, one thing's for sure: the trend of celebrities intersecting with athletes is only going to gain momentum in the coming years.  #taylorswift #sports #sportstech #fanengagement

The Varsity * Comcast-Diamond Sports deadline is less than two weeks away--a negotiation that may determine the future of the regional sports network business. In this issue, I spell out exactly what's at stake for both sides for this high-stakes negotiation. * The entire sports business is paying attention to that Comcast-Diamond Sports negotiation. To wit: take a look at Chicago, where Jerry Reinsdorf is considering taking his Bulls and White Sox local rights to the digital sports network Stadium as negotiations with NBC Sports Chicago have been put on hold. * Golf executives are coming up with lots of reasons why Masters viewership dropped by 20 percent this year. It's not all because Scottie Scheffler has a boring personality. (No drama and perfect weather also play a part.) * From pantsgate to Olympic uniforms to the Caitlin Clark jersey fiasco, Nike has had a lot of bad press recently. It's no wonder that Nike's CEO was forced to publicly address an "innovation slowdown" on CNBC. * The NFL will have another package of rights to sell later this year, as ESPN's deal to carry the NFL Draft ends in 2025. Odds are that ESPN will renew it; but expect other media companies to at least kick the tires on the package. Plus, ESPN executives are looking outside the company as it looks to replace Norby Williamson--a huge strategy shift for a company that historically has promoted from within. https://lnkd.in/eXybxiVe

In March, Iowa witnessed a significant uptick in sports betting, with a 17.1% increase to $272.4 million. This surge, largely influenced by Caitlin Clark's performances leading the Hawkeyes to the NCAA women’s title game, marked a nearly $40 million increase from previous figures. It's clear that events like these have a profound impact on betting trends, offering insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics. With the highest-rated telecast on record for the tournament, the event attracted a substantial 155% increase in handle compared to the previous year's title game, according to FanDuel. Check the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eyX4UiWH #Iowa #Gambling #SportsBetting #CaitlinClark #IowaHawkeyes

The Dallas Cowboys are juicing up their Instagram Stories for Smoothie King when the team heads to road games. Players, with smoothies in hand, cheers with the admin before as they get off the team plane in the opponent’s road city. What could feel heavy-handed had it lived in-feed, is a fit for Instagram Stories. The content quickly highlights the product, shows player affinity for it, and positions Smoothie King smoothies as an option to fuel your life. There’s even a Cowboys Smoothie offered locally. As part of this partnership, Smoothie King worked with the Cowboys’ on-staff nutritionists to develop a limited-time, custom-blended smoothie "that helps maximize performance for Cowboys fans and Smoothie King guests to enjoy". The travel content serves is a great product-focused complement to the digital partnership at large. Smoothie King also has a Superlatives series that runs in-feed with the Cowboys. #sportsbusiness #sportsmarketing #sponsorship

For sports venue designers and operators, lots to learn from here. As Bret McCormick describes, the team at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse deftly centered much of their $362 million rejuvenation project on blurring the boundary between the venue and neighborhood. The National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Christopher Russo indicates that such “indoor-outdoor fluidity” is an emerging trend in NBA arenas; I hope and expect to see more of it across other sports venue types. While not without operational challenges, it activates spaces outside of event times, generates additional revenue for the venue stakeholders by extending fans’ time at the venue before and after events, and creates utility for neighborhoods that helps otherwise conspicuous venues connect with their surrounding districts. #arenas #stadiums #sportsfacilities National Hockey League (NHL) Major League Baseball (MLB)

Here at Crown® we recently perused the list of sponsors for Major League Baseball (because that is what you do if you are sports nuts and intellectual property geeks immersed in sponsorship and endorsement deals). Of course, there are the usual sponsors – Anheuser-Busch® (beer, hard seltzer), Gatorade® (sports drinks), and Nike® (shoes, apparel). But a new sponsor really caught our attention – BlueForge Alliance™, in the category of submarine manufacturing. Really?! We have to assume that the marketers at Blue Forge determined that a disproportionate number of submarine lovers are also baseball fans, and vice versa. Like BlueForge Alliance™, are you thinking about teaming up with an athlete, team, or league to market your goods or services? If so, we can help. In the meantime, if you need a submarine…….. https://buff.ly/4cRhveL #MLB #Baseball #Sponsorships #Endorsements #Brands #Branding #Advisingcreativity #Crownllp #Fans #Submarines