SCC Blog

2009 Sports Business Journal Reader Survey

The 5th annual Sports Business Journal reader survey was published in a recent issue of the publication.  The results were recorded from a pool over over 2,300 participants (comprised primarily of sports business executives).  As always, the study was intriguing and produced some interesting results, ultimately providing some great potential for sparking a lively classroom discussion.  Today’s post will feature a brief recap of some of the results, along with some ideas for introducing some of the material in class.

A SAMPLING OF SURVEY RESULTS

* 37% of readers felt the economy’s impact on corporate spending on sports was the biggest sports story of the year (growth of social media was the second most popular response at 13%)

* The survey suggests that Major League Soccer has the most growth potential among sports properties/leagues, gaining nearly 19% of the vote (X Games was last with only 6.5% of the vote)

* 33% of readers believe the NHL is a stronger property today than it was five years ago

* Nearly 30% of readers consider the Super Bowl to be the “best sports event”, beating out the NCAA Final Four, FIFA World Cup, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals

* According to readers, the most marketable MLB player is Derek Jeter, in the NFL it is Peyton Manning, in the NBA it is LeBron James and in the NHL it is Sidney Crosby while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is NASCAR’s most marketable driver

* Nike was the corporate sponsor most readers suggested they would want aligned with their property (23%) with Coca-Cola ranking second capturing 13.5% of the vote

*  55% of readers think there is still room for growth in action sports

* Over 35% of respondents consider ESPN to be the most powerful sports brand, beating out Nike, the New York Yankees, Manchester United and the Dallas Cowboys

* 46% of readers don’t think the NBA will ever expand outside of the United States

*** Questions for Classroom Discussion ***

1) ESPN was named the most powerful sports brand by SBJ readers.  Do you agree?  What other sports brands would you consider to be dominant?  Discuss as a class.

2) The Super Bowl was identified as the top sports event by survey respondents.  Do you agree?  Where would the X Games rank?  What other events might give the Super Bowl a run for their money?

3) Nike was the corporate sponsor most readers suggested they would want aligned with their property (23%) with Coca-Cola ranking second capturing 13.5% of the vote.  What does that mean?  Why is that good news for Nike?

4) What is market research?  Would the statistics published in this issue of Sports Business Journal be considered market research?  Why or why not?

5) Who do you think would use this information?  Why is it valuable?  Discuss as a class.

*** Teacher’s Note ***

Consider implementing a similar survey in class and comparing the results to those published in the Sports Business Journal.  If you would like to participate in a broader study with your students, please email me at chris@sportscareerconsulting.com and I will send you a link to an online survey that you can pass along to your students.  The results of our own version of this study will published in a future blog post.

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