Fans of the San Francisco 49ers will see a roughly 25% uptick in branded content across the team’s social channels over the course of the NFL season this year. That’s because of the coronavirus pandemic, of course, as the team is transitioning advertising from brand partners that’s typically appeared in Read more…
The XFL won’t play in 2021, the league announced Thursday, and is targeting a return in the spring of 2022. Co-owner Dwayne Johnson tweeted the news Thursday morning, and the league followed with an official announcement. Johnson, longtime business partner Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners completed their purchase of Read more…
Right about now, more than 150 of the world’s most elite cyclists are charging up Col de la Hourcère in the French Pyrenees. Over a 3-week period from August 29th to September 20, these aerobic beasts will traverse some 2,165 miles up and over 8 mountain passes. They’ll spend more Read more…
When you can’t do what you should be doing, what do you do? That’s the question Rochester Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason is asking as Frontier Field sits empty. “It’s really difficult,” Mason says. “What I would do for a 35-degree game right now with 500 people in the Read more…
While a few live sporting contests have resumed, for the most part, we are relying on old footage to scratch our sports itch. As we have noted, with no games, numerous teams, organizations and figures have done their part to keep fans enthused about their respective athletic endeavors in other Read more…
With no minor league baseball games to be played, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are getting creative and diving into the hospitality business. The team, the Class AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins that plays in the Southern League, listed Blue Wahoos Stadium on Airbnb, starting at $1,500 a night (plus Read more…
Major League Baseball has seen this play before: A global calamity spreads fear and panic. Equity values plummet. The future gets scary. And prices for the most valuable teams in the league hold their lead. Click here to read the story at forbes.com. Questions for class discussion: What is revenue? Why is Read more…
The XFL suspended operations Friday morning and laid off nearly all of its staff, multiple sources told ESPN. While a handful of executives remain employed, the league currently has no plans to return in 2021. The league canceled its season last month after five games as part of a nationwide Read more…
The signs said this was WrestleMania. The pay-per-view order ($34.99) said this was WrestleMania. Rob Gronkowski, serving as host, declared that it was WrestleMania. So did Stephanie McMahon, who noted pre-fight the company was there to offer a “distraction” to the country. Click here to read the story at sports.yahoo.com. Discussion Questions: Read more…
The postponement of the Summer Olympics, coupled with the suspension of play across the NBA and NHL, have disappointed fans all over the world. For brands, however, the impact of COVID-19 may require coming up with a new playbook if they want to continue marketing to sports. For some, that Read more…