Okay, okay.  I admit it.  I am an absolute sucker for statistics and numbers.  But, as they say in American business, knowledge is power…and power is money.  If those worn out cliches are tried AND true, the NCAA is likely rolling in the dough right about now. 

I have spent the last two weeks or so absorbing every possible commentary relating to the business of March Madness.  There have been numerous reports estimating the number of viewers watching the tourney, the cost to American businesses and economic impact in various markets.  I’ve seen numbers identifying the amount of time consumers devote to…

I’ve noticed a disconcerting trend lately as I scan sports and entertainment business related news. As many of you know, particularly our members, I spend a lot of time each week dissecting the various news stories in search of articles to share that relate to our curriculum. Unfortunately, the stories that have dominated recent headlines seem more apt to support discussions about ethics and the impact of publicity on sports and entertainment organizations than other fundamental business and marketing practices. Two nationally syndicated sports radio programs even commented that breaches in ethical conduct within the industry are threatening the very…

As the holiday season revs up, so does the sports marketing machine.  Of course, there is no better time to entice consumers to tap into holiday budgets and buy tickets and team gear as the perfect holiday gift.  Many promotions range from simple “holiday” ticket packages to combination gift packages that feature tickets, concessions AND merchandise.

This week’s post features a sampling of what types of promotions are being offered in the sports business world in an effort to generate revenue during the heaviest period of consumer spending in the calendar year.

RAYS HOLIDAY PACK

The Tampa Devil Rays (Major League Baseball) package…

If you are looking for a way to help illustrate the point in your sports and entertainment business or marketing class that the industry has evolved into a major revenue generating machine, look no further than interviews with athletes, coaches and management.

Consider the following excerpts from recent interviews:

Thursday, October 11th

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss recently made comments in the news that he would be willing to listen to trade offers for Kobe Bryant.  When Kobe’s former teammate Shaquille O’Neal (now with the Miami Heat) heard the news, he told reporters in Miami ”I guess it’s business before loyalty. But, wow. He said that?”

…

I know we typically feature predominately sports business and marketing related stories on our blog, but at the request of many teachers, we will try to integrate more entertainment business and marketing news into our posts.  Here is one such example…

Starbucks announced last week that they partnered with Apple in a joint promotional effort.  Starbucks purchased 50 million downloads from the iTunes store and will be giving away free song downloads every day through early November.  The downloads will be available on a first come, first served basis in stores throughout the country (click here to view the complete…

As is usually the case, there were plenty of wild and whacky promotions featured throughout the summer at minor league baseball stadiums around the nation.  There’s no doubt the promotions have been helpful in driving attendance to ballparks as minor league baseball announced that the 2007 season marked the fourth year in a row that a new attendance record was established.

According to the release, in 2004, the 106-year-old industry broke a record that had stood since 1949 by drawing 39,887,755 fans. The following season, the number jumped nearly 1.5 million to 41,333,219, an increase of nearly four percent.  Last season, 41,710,357…

Forbes magazine released their annual rankings of the most valuable NFL franchises last week.  For the first time in nearly a decade, the Washington Redskins no longer hold the distinction as the most valuable NFL franchise (nor the most valuable franchise in American sports).  This year the Dallas Cowboys grabbed the top spot, valued at $1.5 billion, thanks in large part to a new $1 billion stadium set to open in 2009. Overall, the Cowboys’ value increased by 28 percent over last year. 

I was in Albuquerque last month and read an interesting article in the Albuquerque Journal.  The headline read ‘Lobos Head to Bahamas Minus J.R.’, a reference to new University of New Mexico men’s basketball head coach Steve Alford’s decision to travel without one of their top players because he is behind in his school work.  I had forgotten that UNM had recently tabbed Alford as coach, news that made waves in the world of collegiate men’s basketball.  After reading the article, I took a moment to analyze the situation and realized that UNM and Alford were charting the perfect course for establishing the…

By now, most of our members are either working through the unit on careers in sports and entertainment or have already completed it.  (Some of you are lucky enough to be enjoying your summer already!)  With that in mind, an article in this week’s Charlotte Business Journal caught my attention.

Here’s the intro:

“The voice of the Charlotte Bobcats won’t be returning, one of at least six staffers dismissed this week as the team continues to shuffle employees under the new management team brought in last year.

Matt Devlin, the Bobcats’ play-by-play announcer since the team’s inception, was told this week the team wanted…

An interesting (and slightly comedic) story in the news last week was printed on Britain’s The Observer Review Website (The Guardian) regarding a certain director and a certain American airport.

Certain phrases seem like they would be common sense to avoid in an airport, especially in today’s age of intense security.  For example, I would imagine walking into an airport and saying “I’m here to shoot a pilot” might get one in a little trouble.  Hollywood director Mike Figgis unfortunately had to learn that lesson the hard way. 

According to The Guardian, Figgis, (director of the Nicolas Cage hit, “Leaving Las Vegas”) was reportedly…