"NHL lockout: On eve of non-season, disagreements continue"

From Sporting News

Review Erika Grimm in SRM 334 Interviews, press conferences, YouTube videos, and sports talk radio all have been deliberately used by both parties in the current NHL Lockout. Daly himself, the NHL Deputy Commissioner, said that he would use every place he could that had a microphone to sway the media and fans. The players made a YouTube video that was directed just towards the fans that pleaded their case. Both sides are using different sources of media to persuade interested fans that they are doing everything they can to have a peaceful outcome and this lockout is the opposing parties fault. 

From the side of the owners, they simply want more money. They believe the players receive too much and want to cut the revenue split closer to 50-50. During one of the sports talk radio sessions Bill Daly partook in, he claimed that he knows the NHLPA has been thinking of numbers; why don’t they just make an offer already. With this statement and others from the owners’ point of view, they put all the blame on the NHLPA. They are using their sources of media to gain the trust of the fans.

The players on the other hand, used a more direct form of communication to build a relationship with the media and fans. They made a YouTube video literally titled, A message from Players to Fans about the NHL Lockout. In this video, the players speak directly into a camera portraying a personal, intimate message stating they just want to play and the agreement they and the owners are working on will eventually work out for both parties. This video is the NHLPA’s way of persuading fans that the lockout is not their fault, and rather the owners’. They simply went about passing the buck with a heartfelt video instead of literally stating it on air.

Both parties are using different sources of media to build and sustain a good relationship with the fans. Regardless of the reason, the lockout is ultimately no good for the NHL program as a whole. In order to keep their frustrated fans dedicated customers, media must now be used by both parties. As a fan myself, I just hope to see the season start sooner rather than later regardless of the owners and players disputes.

---Review by James Daniel in SRM 334
The NHL Lockout started officially on September 15. Leading up to the lockout, coverage in terms of neutral sports networks was constant. What I mean by that is that of course NHL.com or NHL Network is going to cover the lockout constantly due to the face it really has nothing else to talk about. However since the league announced that it would cancel the first two weeks of the season totaling 82 games, there really has not been much coverage of the lockout from stations such as ESPN, ESPN 2 or the NBC Sports Network. With the NFL season already underway & the MLB postseason in full gear, it has been a topic of little coverage. That fact in my eyes makes the lockout more prone to drag out. With the NFL lockout, watching ESPN every day I saw coverage of it for hours. Likewise with the NBA lockout, who missed 16 games per team just a year ago. This was due in large part to the fact nothing else was on other than regular season baseball games & WNBA games. Being in the spotlight constantly by major network stations coverage puts more pressure on both sides to strike a deal. I saw a statistic that NHL attendance grew a small amount from the last lockout till now. Wondering why, it is simple now. No one is watching too many NHL games at this times of year anyhow. The first big game fans pay attention to other than Sidney Crosby playing Alex Ovechkin is the Winter Classic. That is why the urgency is not to miss that game, because the money the league receives from it is substantial. Looking at two years ago, it was the most watched event on NBC that year (the Superbowl was broadcasted on FOX in the 2010-2011 season). Even hockey great Wayne Gretzky hoped & was optimistic a deal could be done before the Winter Classic. That is the pressure, because if there are no games played through January 2, (The Winter Classic is schedule to be played on New Year’s Day) I think it is safe to say that there would be zero hockey played this year. So the key to ending this lockout may be more coverage.

"BeRecruited links to USA Today brand, others"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Sean Cunningham in SRM 334

The article that we decided to do for our presentation was an article in the Sports Business Journal that talked about the recruiting company berecruited. Its recent business deals have made it one of the top recruiting companies in the U.S. This company uses their website to connect non-elite high school athletes with collegiate athletic programs. Currently there are 1.5 million student athletes registered. Berecruited enlarged and enhanced their company by recently agreeing to distribution and marketing deals with USA Today High School Sports, Kaplan Test Prep and the National Collegiate Scouting Association. Also they acquired fanvibe 14 months ago, which is a social sports streaming website. What berecruited wants to accomplish with these deals are benefits that will help their athletes gain recognition in the ultra competitive and crazy recruiting world. Some of the benefits include offering prospecting athletes free recruiting analysis from a NCSA scout, discounts on Kaplan test preparation products, as well as personalized highlight films. The article states that you can become a premium member for only $299. These types of sites along with the over the top media coverage have made recruiting so competitive that coaches and schools have resulted to breaking NCAA rules to land recruits. The media coverage now on college football recruiting has allowed fans to follow their team’s recruiting year round which puts enormous amounts of pressure on coaches to land big time recruits. These big-named recruits get celebrity like media coverage during the entire recruiting process up until National Signing Day. In conclusion, this article shows how much recruiting has changed in college athletics, especially in football to where it has now become a cut-throat business. 

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Review by Connor Butler in SRM 334

Recently, I read an article entitled: BeRecruited Links to USA Today Brand, Others. The article was about a website entitled BeRecruited, a social media website high school athletes use to promote themselves to college programs.

In class, social media has been a talking point many times. This article is representative of the role social media has begun to play in sports. The website allows high school athletes to create a profile or connect to the website through facebook, and use that profile to make connections with 25,000 coaches in 31 different sports. The website, through social media, provides more opportunities to players that may not be heavily recruited coming out of high school to receive some form of recruitment.

Recently, BeRecruited signed distribution and marketing deals with USA Today High School Sports, Kaplan Test Prep, and the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA), in attempts to reach out to more athletes and boost memberships. Specifically, premium members will receive free Kaplan Test Prep products, as well as free personalized highlight films, and every new member receives a free recruiting analysis by a NCSA scout. BeRecruited currently has 1.5 million users, and expects that number to grow with the new deals that have been agreed on.

My partner and I in addition to the article, decided to look deeper into recruiting and the media other than what is mentioned in the article. While websites like BeRecruited provide opportunities to lower level high school athletes, some athletes do not need the help. Today, media coverage of high school recruiting is through the roof. Media outlets such as ESPN, USA Today, and local television networks have regular coverage of the top ranked athletes and the schools they are choosing from throughout the season. Recently, there was a media frenzy over Jadaveon Clowney, and his indecision on where he wanted to play. Also, on signing day, camera crews are sent to the high schools of the top recruits in the nation, just for them to reveal where they are going to be playing. Do high school players need that much attention?

The article, as well as our extra research, shed a lot of light on the role of the media in recruiting today. Whether it is a social media outlet providing opportunities to lesser known athletes or the media putting players on a pedestal, there is a prominent, and growing, media presence in high school recruiting.

"NFL goes pink with A Crucial Catch"

From NFL.com and a NFL press release

Review by Amber Bolen in KIN 332 (section 1)
The NFL teamed up with the American Cancer Society four years ago to create “The Crucial Catch Campaign.” From then on, it has done nothing but expand to other brands and not only the NFL but colleges as well. This campaign shows that it is perfectly acceptable for men to wear pink to support a great cause. 

During the month of October, we see athletes wearing pink to accentuate their normal game-day attire. Personally, I thought they just wore the pink for the cause and support. I did not know that it was an actual campaign that raised a lot of money. The following brands assist in taking Breast Cancer Awareness month and the Crucial Catch Campaign to a whole other level. Barclays has an NFL Extra Point credit card and during the month of October, depending on how much people use their Extra Point card, they will donate up to $100,000. Ticket Master is donating ten cents on every game ticket sold in the month of October including printing pink tickets of these games to raise awareness. Gatorade is sponsoring the pink sideline towels at every “A Crucial Catch” game as well as created “A Crucial Catch” G Series special edition bottles sold at Kroger throughout October 12th. The following brands are the brands that are sponsoring the athletic pink apparel for the athletes: New Era (Breast Cancer Awareness hats), Under Armour (gloves), Nike (cleats and gloves), Riddell (pink helmet chin cups), Wilson (Breast Cancer Awareness footballs and quarterback towels), and Pro Specialties Group (pink shoelaces and Breast Cancer Awareness pins.)

I think the idea of many different brands to partner up and make the month of October something special for not only people that are battling this horrific disease but for families who have lost someone or have someone fighting breast cancer is such an amazing idea. My grandmother is a survivor of breast cancer and to see how many people can come together to find a cause truly warms my heart. I could only imagine how people that have lost someone and read this article felt. As a James Madison University student, I saw it carry over into a football game of our own. October 6th James Madison athletes dressed out wearing certain assets pink instead of the normal purple and gold. And the fans decked out in JMU apparel that was pink that also sponsored Breast Cancer Awareness. The NFL is a huge corporation and it shows how one small idea of creating a campaign to raise money for a cause can become a world-wide program.

Overall, the article touched me in ways I never thought a simple article could. It showed that even though these brands bring in millions of money, they are more than willing to reach out a helping hand. Not only did it show what brands helped in making Breast Cancer Awareness month more known, it showed that wearing pink was not just a show. It was a campaign that not only raised awareness but raised money to help find a cure for a deadly, world-wide issue.

"Cam Newton tackles fashion"

From the Charlotte Business Journal

Review by Jordan Grudko in KIN 332 (section 1)

I’m not the type of person to buy clothing or anything else really based on whose clothes line it is or who advertises the product, however I still think it is smart for athletes to do this. Not only does it provide another source of income for them, but it expands an athlete’s fan base allowing them to become more popular. This growth in popularity also will lead to more opportunities for income because popularity directly relates to the endorsement deals an athlete or person can receive. Cam Newton is an athlete continually growing in popularity, in a sport with continually growing popularity, so why not put out a clothing line that can only enhance his fame. He isn’t the first athlete to begin a clothing line, but few go beyond designing shoes and apparel like Cam Newton has. I especially think it’s smart to get involved in children’s clothing because kids look at athletes as if they are superheroes, and I think his clothing line MADE will be a huge hit with the kids. I think this is even more true in today’s day and age where looks and being cool is becoming more and more important to younger kids. I believe if an athlete or person of prominence has a passion for fashion, then they should pursue something along the lines of their own clothes line like Cam Newton has. He was very involved in the design of his line and with the help of Belk’s Inc., MADE by Cam Newton will be being worn by a lot of people in the coming years.

"TBS' MLB Overnight Playoff Average Remains Up 4%; MLB Net Sees Record Audience"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Beau Banglesdorf in KIN 332 (section 2)
TBS is averaging four percent higher overnight Nielsen ratings through its first eight playoff games compared to last year and has seen an increase in 25-54 year old male viewers by fifteen percent. Certain games are even obtaining higher ratings than usual even though NFL games are on television at the same time. Through the first three days, TBS is averaging a 2.3 US rating and 3.6 million viewers which are up fifteen percent and fourteen percent respectively. In terms of viewers and US rating from last year on the third day of playoff coverage, both are up eleven percent. D.C. has had its best rating since the Nationals came to town in 2005 and the Orioles have had their highest rating since the were last in the playoffs in 1997. The Major League Baseball Network (MLBN) averaged 1.3 million viewers for the Athletics vs. Tigers game, which was the networks highest ever. Some fans and writers feeling like the MLBN’s handling of its coverage is greedy however. The MLBN is not allowing local markets to air the games it airs. 

I believe baseball is doing a great job making a comeback and becoming relevant to television ratings and audiences once again. Football and basketball had taken over for a while and I feel like it is nice to see baseball making marketing changes to bring audiences back in. The MLB has seen how effective the NFL and NBA have been with commercials geared towards their fans and now the MLB is airing similar commercials and the effectiveness of such commercials is being seen with the increased ratings. It does not hurt however, that some new teams have made the playoffs and it is not just the same teams this year that it usually is.

"Female Olympians count their post-Games winnings"

From UPI.com

Review by Ali Noel in KIN 332 (section 2)

The article “Female Olympians Count their Post-Games Winnings” dealt with issues between male and female endorsed athletes and how the gender gap is gradually becoming thinner. As the Olympic games came to their end, there has been a developing interest in certain female athletes and with that comes the possibility for lucrative sponsorship opportunities. In the past, male athletes have earned, on average, twice the amount that female athletes get paid in sponsorships. Although top male athletes will always attract the most attention, thus leading to higher paychecks, female athletes have certainly become more marketable and involved in high-paying endorsement deals in the recent times. Social networking sites are partly accountable for this increase in salary and endorsement deals for female athletes. These athletes have immense followings on social media sites which means they are able to influence and relate to fans and consumers. This article used Olympic gold medalist, Gabby Douglas, as a prime example. She has nearly 750,000 followers on Twitter, which means the products she endorses are being seen through her promotional tweets regarding that company’s product. For example, on October 8, 2012 she tweeted, “Best cereal in the WORLD!! Thanks Kellogg’s!” This tweet had a picture of Kellogg’s new cereal “Krave” and many people retweeted and favored this specific tweet. People are becoming aware of products through these athletes and it is increasing the company’s profits in the long run. Her expected earnings through this deal with Kellogg’s will bring Gabby almost $3 million. The article also discussed how high school Olympian swimmer Missy Franklin has given up some profitable offers ($2 million in endorsements to be exact) in order to remain eligible to play college sports. Some companies, including Pantene, have used multiple female athletes to mass-market their products. This is beneficial because Pantene’s mission is to raise awareness for the relationship between sports and health. Although some of these female athletes are earning millions in endorsement deals, they still have a long way to go before catching up to the leading men in the industry. Last year’s Sports Illustrated magazine reported 50 of the highest earning athletes, and not a single woman made the cut. This is partly due to the fact that outside of the Olympics, female athletes are not recognized nearly as much as males. Another reason is that females are usually portrayed strategically by sexualizing them and the target market (other females) do not respond favorably to this. These female athletes are far behind their male counterparts earnings-wise, but hopefully that will be changing in the near future. 

"WKU Athletic Department Says Beer is a 'Positive' at Football Games"

From WBKO.com

Review by Derek Orndorff in KIN 332 (section 1)

It seems as if Western Kentucky University has successfully found a new way to generate money and happiness at their home football games. Beer. At the start of the current football season, WKU switched up their scheme. By allowing alcohol sales at football games, the fans are showing up in larger numbers. Could it be that beer is what caused the spike in attendance, or is it all because the team is playing solid?

The 3-1 Hilltoppers claim that the idea stemmed from the athletic department and gradually grew stronger as others endorsed it. The fans seem to love the new option of buying five-dollar beers, but then again who wouldn’t? Western Kentucky is trying to regulate the sale of it by only allowing a person to purchase two beers at a time and they must be wearing a non-removable I.D. bracelet. In addition, beer sales end at the conclusion of the third quarter.

Now, with fans drinking heavily before the game and during the game, WKU must pay closer attention to fans and be ready to spring into action whenever conflict occurs. A drunken conflict is a worse conflict than just a simple sober confrontation. Security will continue to be increased with the increases in attendance and Western Kentucky will have to complete a much more extensive clean-up process with the new beers sales. However, Western Kentucky is among several other universities who have adopted alcohol sales at sporting events; Louisville, Louisiana-Lafayette, and South Alabama all sell alcohol.

I believe that Western Kentucky has made the correct decision in selling alcohol and I think there will continue to be positive effects on the football games. In the spring, I expect a rise in attendance at baseball games too, due to the sales that will be allowed there.

"X Games expands globally"

From ESPN.com

Review by Brandon Jones in KIN 332 (section 2)

The X Games have decided to expand to an international market in the upcoming 2013 through 2015 Summer and Winter games by adding destinations in Barcelona, Spain; Munich, Germany; and Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. ESPN and the X-Games wanted to stimulate their target youth market in these culture hotbeds in order to mainstream action sports across the globe. X Game leaders want to infuse a lifestyle with their brand in order to make their fans feel like a community. The style of sports in these action games also goes against traditional sport boundaries because these athletes are usually competing against the environment, obstacles, and challenges. This change in the “norm” of sports gives action sports an image of rebellion against societal norms.

Action Sports are becoming more marketable with the constant inventions of new thrilling activities. These activities usually push the boundaries of safety and sanity, and can result in the death of the athletes and others. However, this risk has just increased the fan-base of highly skilled athletes like Travis Pastrana, Shaun White, and Tony Hawk. This article discusses the importance of infusing these action sports within the cultures of other countries around the world.

I believe that the X-Games has a distinct advantage over traditional sports because they are limitless in creativity, which means it can evolve with the ever-changing youth of the next generation. If ESPN continues to push these sports into countries these action activities may become the new era of mainstream sports.

"How are Harry Potter’s talking newspaper, Eagles tickets alike?"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Emily Goodin in KIN 332 (section 1)

Tim McDermott, chief marketing officers of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles made the decision in late July that for 2012 football season the Eagles would be using the world’s first visual browser mobile app known as Aurasma to incentivize season ticket holders.

Seeing that the age of the Smart Phone has caught up to speed and is commonly found in the pocket of the average everyday American, the Eagles has chosen the “quasi Harry Potter-ish” talking newspapers Smartphone app known as Aurasma to relay addition information including a combination of highlights, previews, messages from players and analysis to season ticket holders. The Aurasma app has a very simple concept that brings simple print material to life by providing a video image to the consumer.

Once season ticket holders has downloaded the Aurasma app and Eagles Official Smartphone App all they have to do is merely point their phones at the season ticket and with a snap of their phones a detailed video will be displayed on their iPhone or Android. The mobile application has brought static images to life just like the enchanted newspapers found in the Daily Prophet found in the world of Harry Potter.

The technology Aurasma was created by Cambridge based software campus Autonomy in late 2010. It wasn't until May 5, 2011, the application Aurasma Lite was launch and was originally designed for the iPhone 3GS phone; a month later a version for the Android was released on June 10, 2011. Aurasma is the worlds first visual browser, and allows Smartphone picture to recognize images and objects. These images and objects may be taken from any angle, and will be recognized as “trigger images” and will be identified by the Aurasma app. The app will then relay a brief video providing the season ticket holder with additional information about the upcoming game. This year there will be 10 games played at Lincoln Field, and this gives the Eagles 10 more opportunities to provide their fans with details of upcoming events, special promotions, opinions or interviews from team players, or update fans with new statics and highlights as the season moves on.

A mass email will be sent out to Philadelphia Eagle ticket holders explaining to fans that each season ticket issue, total of 10 tickets, holds the key to addition information about each game day event. Hopefully for the Eagles it will create an incentive for season ticket holders.

"Mark Wahlberg enters supplements market"

From ESPN.com

Review by Kevin Bradshaw in KIN 332 (section 1)

GNC has come out with a new line of nutritional that was created in part with movie star Mark Wahlberg. This is not a traditional endorsement where a company looks for a new face for itself. Mark Wahlberg started a foundation to improve quality of life for inner city youth. He has been looking for ways to improve peoples’ lives for years. He stated that, "Endorsing products is not what I do, building great products is what I want to do." This is exactly what he has done. Wahlberg has not only teamed up with GNC supplement specialists but some of the best scientists in the field to make sure that what he is selling is the best. 

This is a unique approach. Usually athletes or celebrities do not put that much time, effort, and money into their product they are endorsing. This is the first I have heard wear a celebrity is not putting his face or body with the product he is endorsing; this shows that not everyone is in it for the money. I think that this will be a more effective marketing approach because not only will it attract people that like Mark Wahlberg or “Marky Mark”, it will also attract the people that like to support a good cause and those who by products for its quality. More companies should use this approach when marketing their products; it gives a better reputation for both the company and the athlete or celebrity. I wonder how many athletes truly endorse their product and how many just collect the paycheck and take a few pictures with a soda bottle in their hand. It is always good to see athletes and celebrities who have everything they need give back and want to help others who are not as fortunate. I believe Mark Wahlberg truly wants to better the lives of anyone he can reach, whether it is someone trying to get in shape or an inner city youth child struggling in school. I might have to go to GNC and spend twice the money to help support Mark Wahlberg so he does not have to go “door to door” selling protein shakes to make his product a success.

"Tim Tebow: Media Must Put an End to Infatuation with Jets Backup QB"

From Bleacher Report

Review by Dean Marlowe in SRM 334

The NFL is a great sport to watch with family and friends every week, but when the media is involved way too much it tends to almost become a reality show. Tim Tebow is one of the few NFL players that the media is constantly in his face. Whether it be something good or bad that Tebow has done, the media will cover the most unnecessary information about himself as a person. As a Denver Bronco, Tim Tebow had become the starter towards the end of the season due to the starting quarterback’s inconsistent play. Tim Tebow led Denver to win their last four/five games in the 2011 season. Denver also made it to the playoffs but ended losing in the wildcard. The media then began discussing Tim Tebow’s love for Christ and how it may be a distraction to his game. The media could have been able to write a book on his day-by-day life activities. Therefore, the next NFL offseason, Tim Tebow was announced that he was being traded to the New York Jets. After that transaction, the media began to talk about the competition that Mark Sanchez (the Jets starting quarterback) and Tim Tebow were going to face. Sports writers all over the world were debating if Tebow was a good enough quarterback to be a starter for an NFL team. Clearly the media has an infatuation with Tim Tebow and at some point in time it’s going to have to come to an end. It is not right that Tim Tebow cannot enjoy his personal life while the media wanting to know insignificant information.

This topic is extremely relevant to this course for numerous reasons. When the media is writing about a certain topic or individual there has to be a subject matter and a purpose. Most people from the media will ask questions that do not pertain to the subject that’s significant. In addition, people from the media should know the environment and audience that’s around them. Asking questions that may offend an athlete or organization can lead to future problems.

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Review by Corey Davis in SRM 334

We decided to do our presentation on Tim Tebow and the pressure the media puts on him. Tebow is the second string quarterback for the New York Jets but you would never be able to tell just looking at the media. They often give him more coverage then the starting quarterback, Mark Sanchez. “Tebowmania,” started when Tim Tebow first got drafted to the Broncos and he has not been able to escape it since. As a player I’m sure Tebow would just like to focus on actually playing the game and finding his place in the league but the media makes that impossible for him. It is almost unfair to keep a player in the spotlight all the time and interfere in his life constantly. He now has the whole world following him so they see when he does well, and they also see when he makes mistakes. Tebow is known as developmental player, which means he will get better and excel as time goes on. With that said all of this media coverage at such an early part of his career cannot be good for his development.

So far we have discussed the media a lot in class and I now have a better understanding of their purpose and motives. They have the power and potential to make or break an athlete and they often use this power to their advantage. Journalists, bloggers, and newspapers are always looking for the next juicy story for their own sake. The media can often times be “cold hearted,” meaning they don’t really have sympathy for the person or people they are writing about. They have to realize that these are human beings with real lives. Tim Tebow is a very modest, kind-hearted, humble man, and I’m sure he doesn't enjoy being in the lime light 24-7.

Subway rewards fans of several NFL teams

From Redskins.com and from BuffaloBills.com

Review by Ali Noel in KIN 332 (section 2)

The article(s) I selected to do for my first article review dealt with Subway Restaurants partnering with two NFL teams; the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. As I was working the other night (at Subway on Port Republic), multiple people brought in coupons regarding the promotion. The deal is “When the Redskins score 20 or more points at any home game, fans can go to the Redskins website and print out a coupon good for a FREE regular 6” sub with purchase of 30-ounce drink and chips on the day after that home game.” This is a really good promotional tool for both Subway and the Redskins. In order to print the coupon, users must first visit the Skins team’s web page. By visiting the Redskins site, this creates the potential for fans to come back and view the website for information regarding the team. The only stipulation to this deal is that you must print off the coupon and bring it to a local Subway restaurant in the greater DC Virginia area the day after the game. This article also mentioned Robert Griffin III’s (Redskins starting quarterback) relationship and sponsorship deal with Subway Restaurants since he is a major marketing tool. RG3 is the most marketable player in the National Football League. He is constantly in the public eye because of his marketability and endorsement deals with multiple companies. Therefore, it was a good idea, from a marketer’s standpoint, to mention Griffin in this article.

The Bills article was very similar to the Redskins and Subway partnership deal article. This article did mention how Subway will benefit from this deal by getting airtime on the Bills All-Access Television show, preseason television ads, print collateral and Bills website advertising. The deal was similar to that of the Redskins, although if the Bills do not score 20 points, Subway Restaurants in the New York area will be giving away one free cookie to fans that bring in the coupons. Bruce Popko, Buffalo Bills senior vice president of business development says that the partnership is beneficial to both Subway and the Bills because fans get a valuable way to engage with Subway Restaurants.

As you can see from both of these articles, the target market for both teams is to contact fans so they can earn the promotional deal with Subway Restaurants. This promotion essentially is everything that sports marketing wishes to achieve. By activating this partnership, both Subway and the two NFL teams are attracting a broader spectrum and group of fans and promoting their product to fans in order to achieve marketing objectives. Subway most likely did extensive market research to find that many football viewers enjoy Subway food and see the commercials that are running during the games. Therefore, they have incentive to print off the coupon, purchase a drink and chips in order to get a free sub. Subway is a great sponsor for any sports team based on the fact they produce healthy meals for athletes and people who live an active lifestyle.

"Is Dynamic Ticket Pricing Hurting MLB Attendance?"

From Forbes.com

Review by Courtney Hamner in KIN 501

The article “Is Dynamic Ticket Pricing Hurting MLB Attendance?” starts out by discussing the Yankee’s decrease in attendance. Their attendance is down 3.5 percent year-over-year. The Yankee’s are traditionally a standard bearer for sports franchises. This leads other MLB team managers to worry if the same is going to happen to them. The article discusses the possible reasons behind the decreased attendance of the economy, and bad on-field performance. The writer points out that these are just convenient excuses. 

One of the main reasons the article points out is the use of Stub Hub. This is a secondary market for ticket sales. Stub Hub is dramatically undercutting the face value of tickets available on the official Yankee website or physical box office. According to Dead Spin, the more expensive the face value, the more likely it is going to be sold under face value. This causes the Yankees to underestimate the market. Another reason could be that the Yankee’s don’t use dynamic ticket sales. But as the article goes on it discusses how all MLB teams are struggling with attendance.

The writer says a number of things can be causing decreased ticket sales. But if we try and say the Yankees ticket sales and attendance numbers are caused by misreading the market or not using dynamic ticket sales, than what explains the other team’s decreases? The main focus is based around ticket sales being too confusing.

Dynamic ticket sales are full of flaws. The first flaw is that it offers too many choices. Yes, human beings love to have many options but when given too many options we are faced with not being able to make a choice. This leaves us feeling dissatisfied. Dynamic ticket pricing often includes a daily (sometimes hourly) fluctuation in price. The second flaw is pricing schemes often shift the burden of pricing decision and activity from the franchise to the fan. Fans are tasked with trying to determine what the right price for a ticket is. The last flaw the article discusses is that dynamic ticket pricing may tax franchise personnel more than establishing ticket prices in the off-season and sticking with them for the 162-game slate.

I feel that these factors can be attributed to decreased attendance. I think that dynamic ticket sales can change the pricing of tickets so much that fans wonder if they really are getting a good deal. But at the same time I think that dynamic ticket sales have a lot of positive attributes as well. Dynamic ticket sales help in a bad economy by offering prices that fans can afford. Yes, ticket prices may change frequently, but they change within the level of demand, type of customer, and weather. Therefore, the customer is being put first. Although ticket sales are getting very confusing, I think that it is not the main culprit for decreased attendance. I think that the economy and a bad on-field performance are convenient but very true excuses for poor attendance. Not just one factor can be given for the decreased attendance this year.

"Allen’s new Eagle Stadium plans to go beyond local high school football games"

From DallasNews.com

Review by Anne Whitmore in KIN 501

In the article “Allen’s new Eagle Stadium plans go beyond local high school football games” written by Jeff Mosier (2012), the author explains how the school district is trying to find ways to attract funding to help pay for spending $60 million dollars on a high school football stadium. The stadium has 18,000 seats and has the potential to attract 100,000 nonresidents each year to the town. The ticket revenue from events and games is expected to cover operating costs plus have money left over to put back into the general budget fund. With only four guaranteed home football games the district is looking for other avenues to fill the stands, keep concessions busy, and help other local businesses prosper (Mosier, 2012).

Advertised as a regional attraction the school district hired PPI marketing to help bring in more events (Mosier, 2012). Mosier (2012) writes that the Allen stadium has already been successful in attracting games to its new stadium held perviously at other high schools and professional stadiums. Other events that PPI is trying to attract to the stadium is the Lone Star Football Festival usually held at Cowboys Stadium. The NCAA Division II football championship and the Texas vs. the National all-star football game which is televised and attracts scouts from across the US and Canada. PPI is also looking to attract concerts and marching band competitions to this new space. Part of their marketing plan for these events is to either offer a cheaper venue for the event. Or in some cases they are able to offer more seats and a new clean environment compared to older venues (Mosier, 2012).

Along with attracting events to offset the cost of the stadium PPI has also helped Allen gain lucrative sponsorships. The stadium will have 10 founding sponsors who will pay $35,000 dollars annually for three years (Mosier, 2012). At the time of this article they had six founding sponsors signed up. Part of PPI’s marketing plan is to offer these sponsors a “clean look” (Mosier, 2012). Meaning that the district is limiting the signage around the stadium and the number of sponsors. According to Mossier (2012) each of the founding sponsors will receive ads in game programs; signs in the home and visitors concourse; sideline signs, static signs and two 30-second commercials on the video board; mention by the public address announcer; and signs in the baseball-softball complex and gymnasium. The stadium also has four “community” sponsors that pay $15,000 per year and receive a smaller amount of signage. Three of these vendors have vending contracts with the stadium or school district (Mosier, 2012).

Critique 

Like it said in the article I also believe that Allen is doing a good job of taking advantage of what the new football stadium has to offer by aggressively pursuing events and sponsorship options (Mosier, 2012). This stadium has received coverage nationwide and is earning mentions form The New York Times and national TV networks. It has the hype of being new and the “Aw” factor going for it until the next new thing comes around (Mosier, 2012). The stadium and the marketing behind it is setting a new standard for high schools across the nation. It is also setting a new standard for what businesses can look at for sponsorships. I have no doubts that more and more local public entities will try to follow suite. Leading to towns without professional teams having more opportunities for this type of investment.

I believe it is smart for a business to invest in a local project. It gets their name out to the community and beyond in a positive fashion especially in Texas where football is king. In Allen they are providing a distinct and an innovative way to offer a sponsor a deal that they will not see anywhere else. I believe that is the main reason the district has been successful with this project.

Allen’s stadium took a lot of money to build and right now seems to be on its way to supporting it self and the town. I would love to see a follow up article after three years to see if the school district is able to retain sponsorships and uphold this new standard for high school football stadiums and marketing. I would also like to see an article about what rules and regulations that are in place to help control public entities trying to gain sponsorships for their districts. I know that there are some already in place but what new regulations will come about because of the potential growth factor for sponsorships at the high school level.

"ESPN agrees to pay $80 million a year to broadcast Rose Bowl"

From the Los Angeles Times

Review by Jordan Stanton in KIN 332 (section 1)

The BCS bowl game; the Rose Bowl is one of the oldest bowls in NCAA college football at 94 years old. Broadcast programs that show this game on New years day during the afternoon every year is paid 30 million a year. Starting in 2015 ESPN will be paying broadcasters 80 million per year. The Rose Bowl being nicknamed the “Granddaddy of them all” really wants to make a statement and gain all the attention they can get. There was no word on why they are getting all this money and how they are going to increase the viewing for the Rose Bowl game. Ad and commercials when the time comes will probably be out more than any other BCS bowl such as the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl. Yes, there are many bowls but those are the top ones that are out their besides the National Championship game. In Pasadena, California where the Rose Bowl stadium is located, they are going to do almost a 200 million dollar project on renovating the whole entire stadium. I don’t know if this contract had to do anything with this, but a stadium that is 90 years old and bring many viewers and people together deserve a new look. With the new look and the new contract for broadcasting, many good things will be in the Rose Bowl’s favor in the near future. Marketing wise, ESPN took a big hit with choosing the Rose Bowl over all the other bowls because it is the oldest bowl and the most respected bowl. Also being in California helps out the situation too because it is a beautiful location and is a high populated state. Ads and Broadcasting this bowl shouldn't be a very hard task at all and they have the best date to have the game played on, New Years day.

"Scandal at Penn State Poses Tough Choices for N.C.A.A."

From the New York Times

Review by Kirby Burkholder in SRM 334
The death penalty is a term that no college or university ever wants to hear associated with their name. Unfortunately for Penn State University, they are finding out what this term means. The death penalty is when the NCAA imposes penalties resulting in, at the most, a ban on the upcoming seasons. For Penn State, after the big scandal of Coach Sandusky being charged with sexual abuse on children, they were charged with many penalties as well. Penn State was fined 60 million dollars, a 4 year post-season ban was placed on the team, scholarships were reduced significantly from 25 to 15 for incomers, former players could transfer without NCAA transfer regulations, and all of Penn States’ wins from 1998-2011 were stripped. In the article we read, it argues whether or not these punishments are fair or not coming from the NCAA, and if the NCAA should be dealing with the penalties period since the scandal was a criminal scandal from Sandusky’s standpoint, not the actual team. 

From an outsider standpoint, you definitely feel for the Penn State community and all the players. It is hard to agree with stripping the teams’ wins from all those years for the players sake because they didn’t do anything to deserve not to have the wins counted. Actions by the NCAA did need to happen though. It was too big of a scandal, especially with other school officials being involved and staying quiet. The article makes a good point in that the NCAA can’t make the penalties too weak and then seem like the situation was handled lightly, but to what extent is enough for this type of situation? The penalties may always be arguable, but punishment definitely needed to happen because of the scandal and in order to set the example for other schools that things won’t just slide by.

This easily relates to our sport media class by the fact that this was huge in the public eye for months and months. When this scandal broke, it was all over the news, ESPN, papers, twitter, etc; all day and every day for a long time. It was the hottest topic in the US and talked about everywhere, sports fan or not. The media was eating this up and all media outlets were trying to be the first to break new information or add to the story. Still to this day it is talked about and the story is still breaking. This will go down as one of the biggest sports scandals of all times.

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Review by Kyle Linn in SRM 334

The Death Penalty, in sports is one of the most devastating things that can happen to a universities sport program. Being banned from sport for a year is the harshest punishment the NCAA can hand out and has done this five times prior. It is the ultimate way to slowly kill a program because of implications that the NCAA can impose on that school. This is what Penn State had been facing when this article was written. The NCAA was in debate over whether they should still force strict punishment on the accused school if the person in question wasn't harming the players or the actual “team.” Yes, what Sandusky has done is absolutely one of the grossest things I have ever heard of, but it is right to punish the whole football team, especially the players who had nothing to do with it?

At the time of this article, the NCAA had not struck Penn State with all of the violations they have received to date. I think that what the NCAA has done is kind of harsh, but in another way they are sending a message to the rest of the universities out there. The NCAA has been under ridicule because of all the negative press, especially college football that has been receiving quite a bit of “off-the-field” problems with players and coaches. They are sending a message out warning everyone else to pretty much keep their noses clean because the integrity of the game is suffering.

The media breaking this story has done it in a number of forms from Twitter to Facebook. The emergence of social media and news feeds has made this story covered from head to toe literally since it broke the public. Sara Ganim was the first to break this story after she was receiving tips and information. She spent much time in the field and would send back video and news through social outlets back to the office for others below her to follow up on. Investigating the story and not giving up eventually led to her uncovering the story and breaking it to the public. Sara’s reporting and investigating shows how reporters receive information and relay it back to their office as fast as possible. I had no clue how fast media can honestly spread until I read this article. In short, Penn State has a long road to recovery to bring their football program back from the depths of where it is now. The NCAA has imposed what I think are very strict and stern penalties and are showing the rest of the schools that they are in-charge and they will continue to hunt for violations among universities throughout the country.

"The Business of Fantasy Football"

From FoxBusiness

Review by Jason Gannon in KIN 332 (section 2)
The Fantasy Football industry has become a highly successful industry generating over $1 billion in profits a year. Fantasy football initially started in 1962 and has been growing ever since. The widespread use of the Internet has really made the industry take off. 

I’m personally avid fantasy sports player and especially fantasy football. I’m a culprit of checking my phone or computer periodically throughout the week searching for any potential way I can improve my roster or chances of winning. I believe the fantasy sports industry and more specifically fantasy football will only continue to grow. In a recent article from Fantasy Sports Trade Association estimated 75% of the 34 million participants in fantasy sports will be playing fantasy football. This stat shows that fantasy football is the most popular and participated fantasy-sport. Fantasy football isn’t limited to mid aged males who watch sports center everyday; there is a wide array of participants. Both males and females play, and there is essentially no age limit. President of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Paul Charchian said, “A lot of fantasy football’s growth is coming from the younger generation,” said Charchian. “Parents are playing with their kids. The growth is happening organically. We’re not targeting a specific demographic; rather it’s what families want to happen in their living rooms on Sundays.” As more generations grow up playing fantasy football, the industry growth will continue. As access to the internet and technology continue to improve growth of fantasy football will too.

If fantasy football is free to play on sites like ESPN and Yahoo, then how are they making $1 billion a year? Sources of profit come from cable deals, advertisements, draft guides, buy-in fees and other forms of endorsements. Last month Cablevision agreed to a deal with the NFL network to carry their channel. It is said that NFL network charges 81 cents per subscriber, per month, making it the fourth most expensive cable channel to carry. Along with cable companies, other small businesses are finding ways to profit off the industry too. Fantasy Sports Insurance (FSI) offers fantasy football owners a disability coverage, which will financially protect you if one of your players were to suffer a “season changing” injury. FSI will reimburse members any money they spent on the league and calculate its costs at a 10% rate of the insured value plus fees. Another small business cashing in on fantasy football is FantasyDispute.com. This website will resolve fantasy sports disagreements for $14.95. This website pledges to “Keep the integrity of each fantasy league at the highest degree.” Another business that could arguably be benefiting the most from fantasy football is NFL RedZone. This channel only shows plays from live games where offensive teams are inside the opponent’s 20 yard line (the red zone). This channel shows you every scoring play live. Paul Charchian chairman of Fantasy Sports Trade said “[NFL RedZone] is crack for fantasy players,” said Charchian. “The NFL RedZone channel is specifically targeting us, the fantasy crowd. It’s a huge program.” All of these business and channels I just mentioned don’t just compliment fantasy football, but they spur its growth.

I think the fantasy football industry is an emerging market. The industry doesn't have a dominant firm or any standards on technology, all of which make it an attractive industry for businesses. The fantasy football industry is still evolving and realizing its potential. The marketing efforts behind fantasy football will be significantly more important in the future as competition grows. I believe we will see more efforts by hosting sites like ESPN and Yahoo to marketing their websites’ league. The importance of television networks offering channels like NFL RedZone or Sunday NFL Ticket will have to become standard in their package offerings. We may also see more fantasy football specific shows on television. The technology and apps that support fantasy owners will continue to improve as well. The fantasy sports industry and especially fantasy football are an attractive industry for business’ to compete in.

"The Social Side of Sponsorship Sports marketers take aim at activating fan engagement"

From Adweek

Review by Jenny Hansberry in KIN 332 (section 2)

Stuart Feil does an outstanding job of proving that social media is a vital way for sports teams to build a better organization amongst players, employers, and fans. Today’s marketers want to take greater advantage of the powerful emotional attachments leagues, teams and athletes have with the fans that follow them. The responses from fans on social media, whether it’s for a specific player or entire team, have showed their loyalty and in return, organizations have been able to make a better understanding of their followers.

Social media is constantly enhancing and the need to consistently be adapting is essential. A perfect example of how a sports team utilized social media to connect with its fan was the New England Patriots decision to host a virtual tailgate. Not only did this allow fans to interact with thousands of others with the same loyalty to the Patriots, but it allowed them to ask questions and speak to the coaches and staff. The most avid fans loved this engagement with the coaches and felt a sense of participation in prepping the NFL superstars for the game. Pat Coyle, the president of Coyle Media, stated that “fans want three things: camaraderie, recognition and access. Camaraderie comes from interacting with other fans. They want recognition from the team for their passion and loyalty. And access means they want to feel close to the team or the athlete. Social relates to all of that”. Fans want to feel as though they are a valued part of a team, and in today’s society that feeling is not hard to come by.

Beyond just the fans having the ability to be more involved, the business side of social media gives insight to fans demographics and psychographics. It’s crucial for an organization to know its fans and be able to deliver what they need in order to make money. Whether a company uses an athlete known across the world to push a product, like McDonald’s did with Dara Torres for the 2012 Olympics, or simply giving a large opportunity to engage with your favorite sports team, everybody wins. Fans feel more passionate about staying a loyal fan and the organizations are striving off of the extra support from its fans.

After Feil explains all the benefits of the social aspect of sports, it is difficult to people that anyone would shy away from it. The results clearly show one thing: everyone wins.

"NFL ties road races to start of season"

From SportsBusiness Journal

 Review by Nathan Eldridge in KIN 332 (section 1)

The National Football League has created a joint venture with Competitor Group to implement a road racing series in hopefully every hometown that houses a NFL team. The goal of this joint venture is to promote health and wellness while also promoting the NFL’s back to football marketing plan right now. The races started with a soft opening with only 4 out of 32 teams this preseason; the teams that were included were the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and the St. Louis Rams. Competitor Group is the only racing entity in the world that can manage this multi-race platform because they already have 83 races every year throughout the world, while 75 of those 83 races are help the in United States and most are held in a city housing an NFL team already. They hope to have all 32 teams agree to hold a race in the next few years coming up.

The marketing potential for the NFL to promote the health and wellness kick that they have been trying so hard to promote over the last few years with the rule changes and stuff to protect players and to combat obesity, is great for them. The issue that I see is that there were no real promotions anywhere on the web or in the different multimedia avenues giving information about the NFL Run Series. I understand that there probably were some marketing ventures in the cities that were housing the events, but with the current increase in the popularity of marathons in the last few years I would have thought that they would have tried to spread the word better than they did. Marathon runners that I know travel to different states and cities regularly to participate in events and with having fans of the teams that held the races this year, I am sure that there are some fans that live outside of those areas would love to attend the events if there was a better promotional plan that could have gone more national, which I also believe would have helped spark the interest from other teams to join.

"Patriots latest to install Wi-Fi in stadium"

From ESPN.com

Video from NFL.com of Roger Goodell discussing Wi-Fi in stadiums

Review by Mike Freas in KIN 332 (section 1)

The article I chose was an article recently written on ESPN.com under their Sports Business section. The article talks about how the New England Patriots have decided to install Wi-Fi in their stadium so all of their fans could access it for free. This has been a common theme in the NFL and the Patriots join the likes of the Jets, Giants, Panthers, Buccaneers, Saints and Colts to do so.

The NFL has seen a reduction in ticket sales over the past few years but nothing to drastic. The shocking statistic is the ESPN Poll that showed fans no longer prefer the in game experience over watching it at home. In 1998, over 54 % said they would rather watch the game at the stadium in contrast to at home. ESPN’s most recent study conducted last year revealed that only 29% of people would rather watch the game at the stadium instead of at home. This is the biggest drop in any professional sport.

The reasons for this drop is in large part due to being out of the loop while at an NFL Game. You no longer have access to other score or highlights. Fantasy football has also played a huge role as fans no longer have access to all of their fantasy players stats. The NFL in their meetings in May began to brainstorm to try to make the in game experience better for all fans. Their main focus has been the addition of Wi-Fi. Although not all stadiums have installed it due to its high prices (upward to 6 million), more have begun too. The NFL will also be researching the Wi-Fi statistics and usage from these stadiums to share it with the league as a whole to find the best strategies and solutions. The NFL’s goals within the next 5-10 years will be not only to challenge the at home experience but surpass it.

I believe this article relates to marketing in numerous ways. The NFL I feel has been proactive in their approach to fix a minor problem before it escalates. As any good marketer should do. They spent this past May brainstorming ideas and solutions to help enhance the in game experience. They have already began advertisements and marketing campaigns to help entice fans to attend the game with the new addition of Wi-Fi. They believe this will entice fans to return to games who were originally deterred by being out of the loop. The defined a problem, came up with solutions and implemented them. They used a marketing strategy to implement this campaign.

"Policing the social media craze"

From ESPN.com

Review by Jennifer Luck in SRM 334

140 characters. That is the amount of characters the 140 million Twitter users have to
express themselves. College athletes have joined the social media craze. For most,
they’re casual outlets that rarely cause problems. But when the outlets become online
soap boxes for emotional young adults, issues can arise.

In recent years, college coaches and athletic directors have dealt with a variety of
social media challenges. At the Catholic University of America the whole lacrosse
team was suspended because of hazing photographs of new athletes posted on their
“personal” Facebook accounts. Kansas basketball coach Bill Self had to break up a
Twitter fight between former player Tyshawn Taylor and critical fans.

Firms such as Varsity Monitor, UDiligence, and CentrixSocial have capitalized on
the growth of social media and try to help schools control negative Internet behavior.
These firms offer schools a computer application that allows them to filter and identity
problematic social media behavior. Universities are reaching out to these firms
because they want to protect their brands and players.

However, there are times where athletes possess the technology to instantly broadcast
messages and photos before any type of authority can intercept them. For example,
the University of North Carolina. The NCAA cited North Carolina for failing to
monitor their players tweets which led to an investigation and violations. Because of
one tweet posted by former football player Marvin Austin, fifteen scholarships were
revoked and a one year bowl ban was placed.

In the past, student athletes were prepped for only interviews. Now, they must be
reminded that social media is an open forum. Young men and women may think
because they have specific “privacy” settings it won’t reach a media outlet, but most
of the time it does. Student athletes and social media have become big issues on
college campuses over the last few years, but universities are taking steps to prevent
negative images of their programs from being posted and tweeted. Education towards
athletes on what to say on social networking sites has become the leading way to
keep a positive face. How universities face the social media era and their athletes will
be left up to their own discretion until the NCAA develops restrictions.

Social media is here to stay and as future employees in the sports industry we must
learn to embrace it for the way it can connect a fan base and promote a team or player
rather than shun it because of its potential embarrassing and distracting tendencies. If
we do, we will have a leg up in the arms race of college athletics.

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Review by Caroline Snedegar in SRM 334

In the article, “Policing the Social Media Craze” it talks about the recent impact the social media has had on the world of sports, specifically concerning college athletes, coaches, and athletic directors and how they deal with the challenges that the social media brings. With the constant use of social media people now can access it basically 24/7, which means athletes and coaches have to monitor what they say even more closely since the media and audiences have access to this information the second it is published online. Where some coaches see the benefits and actually promote the use of social media like twitter; it can also hurt a program if certain players aren’t careful about what they put out on the web. While most programs rely “on individual teams to inspect social media accounts (Medcalf, 2012),” however, with the immense amount of athletes there is no possible way that everything that gets put out on a social media source can be fully monitored. The majority of athletes have “instruments that allow them to broadcast messages and photos to people around the world before any authority can intercept them (Medcalf, 2012),” which has caused either citations with the NCAA or backlash from the media and fans in general.

This article exemplifies the constant evolution of the Sport’s Media Industry, with the rapid growth of social media it has impacted how people in this field have to deal and adjust by adding another media outlet for delivering information. Guest Speaker for our class, Niki DeSantis, Assistant Commissioner for Creative Services for the CAA, even thought that the increase use of the social media and online media sources has definitely increased her work load and adds another element that has to be constantly updated for the public and is on constant display.

"Cavs rethink scorer’s table with ads in mind"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Jordan Grudko in KIN 332 (section 1)

This article is about NBA team the Cleveland Cavaliers and their idea to make the scorer’s table, where the announcers, statisticians, and scoreboard operator sit, into three separate sections in order to maximize ad time on TV. The design is still pending league approval, but it will eliminate the 40 foot table they had last season and replace it with a 24 foot table in the middle of the court while there will be two eight foot tables near each team beach. The point of this is to allow more TV time to advertisements, and raise the prices for these advertisers to try and maximize profits.

In my opinion, this is a good idea from the Cavalier’s marketing department. It’s an easy and efficient way to get as much money as possible. Especially since the design will allow them to not only add more courtside seats, but also move them closer therefore charging more for those tickets as well. They can really raise prices a lot because basketball is played in a half-court set meaning the ads will be in view throughout a very large portion of the game. The Cavaliers are not the first team in the NBA to utilize this type of space, teams like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks have done similar things to maximize advertizing opportunities. Last season, The cavaliers averaged about 4,300 seconds a game of TV exposure for courtside sponsors, this season they are expecting to average around 5,000 seconds of TV exposure. This is important because it really means that courtside sponsorships, not courtside seats, are the biggest moneymakers in the NBA. Therefore, the Cavaliers decision is one that should make them plenty of extra money this season than in seasons past.

"Sponsors extend support to Paralympics"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Ryan Dixon in SRM 334

The Paralympic Games have no been very popular since it first started in 1960. Not many people have known about it. To tell the truth, before having another SRM class this semester I did not even know what the Paralympic Games were. As I learned about it more I became interested in how it first began and what it is like today. With the article I chose it talks mostly about the sponsorship aspect of the organization. Over the past years there has not been much support to the games causing there to not have much money to host events. With the 2012 London Paralympics starting, this year they managed to get more support from many new sponsors. Some include Visa, Coca-Cola, and Samsung. With these sponsors they were able to advertise more and spread the word around about the Paralympics. Communication plays a big deal in this topic because not many people know about the Paralympics and with the sponsors that support the game also comes with advertising. With advertising there comes more recognition of the Paralympic Games. As people watch television there will be Coke commercials or Visa commercials that will say they support the games and then fans will be more informed about the games. Also with the Paralympics not being very popular over the past years they have only been able to air the videos on the Internet. There isn’t much coverage on television and with the games going on around the same time as college football and NFL starting to air on TV most TV stations wont want to cover it because not many people watch it and it will take away from viewers that they get daily. Overall I think the Paralympic games will become bigger over the years and people will be more interested in their stories and they diversity the athletes overcome while training for 4 years.

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Review by Dejor Simmons in SRM 334

Sales have increased in sponsorships for the London Paralympics. Many different sponsors have contributed like Visa, Samsung, McDonalds, Kodak, and Coke and totaled up to twenty-four. These sponsors may be the reason why a record number of two point five million tickets been sold. The enhanced coverage from commercials, print media, and the internet helped allow more viewers to watch Paralympics. Paralympics tickets sold out for most events in London weeks after the Olympics. Coming into the Paralympics, organizers’ goal was to sell more than 2.7 million tickets which would bring them close to 45 million pounds. That’s a big change since tickets in past years were given away if seats weren't filled but most tickets this year sold were 10 pounds or less.

The athletes themselves are also seeing an increase in revenue. Oscar Pistorius can expect 2 million dollars a year in endorsements like Nike and BT. That’s a lot less than Usain Bolt’s twenty million but its more than many able-bodied athletes will get. Businesses sponsoring both Olympics and Paralympics receive more than just logos on running tracks and swimming pools. Paralympics brings emotional connection even more than the connection that Olympics deliver. Mike Sharrock stated, “It’s not about selling more fuel. It’s a deeper, more values-based partnership.” Most demands came from companies trying to associate themselves with Paralympics after the success of the London Olympics. For the first time the Paralympics have a major sponsor in Sainsbury which paid 20 million pounds which did not sponsor the Olympics. IPC’s Greg Hartung said, “The appeal of the Games has grown alongside the public appeal and acceptance of Paralympic sport as a high performance sport.” First time broadcasting rights for Paralympics were sold to countries like Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, and Pakistan.

This relates to this course because Paralympics is a sport that really doesn’t get a lot of publicity or media coverage in the United States. With the enhancement of technology and sport communication there’s no reason why Paralympics shouldn’t be publicized more than what it is and maybe the new sponsors will help enhance it.

JMU Student Opportunity: Lacrosse Manager

The James Madison University Lacrosse team is looking to hire a team manager.  This would be a paid internship.  Freshman and sophomore level students are preferred.  Click here for more details.  

If interested in applying, please contact Samantha Eustace, Assistant Lacrosse Coach, at (540) 568-6326 or eustacsj@jmu.edu. 

"Firm extends corporate perks to schools’ fans"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Derek Orndorff in KIN 332 (section 1)

A little over a year ago, two former Zappos employees decided to break away and start their own business, Fandeavor. Fandeavor is a new idea that gives fans the chance to become a VIP, but without the high costs. The experiences, in which Fandeavor is selling, are not just your everyday sports ticket. Yes, tickets are included in the packages, but so are field passes, tunnel passes, meet and greet passes, party tent passes, and so much more. I think this business is a great idea. The colleges and organizations are going to benefit from the extra attention, as well as the sales that Fandeavor creates. University and college experiences were the first stepping-stones for Fandeavor. By forming a stronger base through NCAA exposure, Fandeavor believed that they could generate more publicity and business faster than other organizations. The marketing team at Fandeavor has partnered with the Universities and Colleges in which Fandeavor promotes, to generate more interest in the business. Social media and carefully placed ads are another marketing tool that Fandeavor uses. However, to get to the next step, I believe that Fandeavor needs to increase their marketing campaigns. I think they need television exposure, instead of only using the Internet and word of mouth. Overall, these experiences seem to be just what people want. After reading several reviews about customer experiences, it is clear that these fans are more than pleased with what they purchased. Many of the packages are priced at a low cost, but the NFL packages offer more of a VIP experience and are higher priced. No matter what the cost is, Fandeavor customers seem to be enjoying the new business and continue to give great reviews.

"If your Doritos Super Bowl ad wins, you get a movie job"

From USA Today

Review by Pat Amerena in KIN 332 (section 2)

Doritos and Frito-Lay are well known for their “Crash the Super Bowl” ads and now they are trying to sweeten the deal even more. For this year’s contest there will be the usual chance at a cash prize but there will also be a new prize involved. For this year, the winner will win the chance to work with Hollywood director Michael Bay, who is most widely known for his Transformers movies. So in this year’s contest not only does the winner have a chance at anywhere from $400,000 to a $1 million but they now have a chance to make it big in Hollywood. Doritos chose Michael Bay for a number of reasons including because he is the director of the fifth highest grossing film of all time, he is number two on Forbes’ highest-paid celebrities list and he has earned $5.4 billion in box office sales. In addition to all this he has also filmed Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Bad Boys and The Rock. However, to earn both the money and a chance to work with Michael Bay there is a catch. Working with Michael Bay is guaranteed but just as in years past the money is not nearly as guaranteed like one may think it is. In order to guarantee a money prize the finalists for the contest must have their commercial ranked in the top three of the “USA Today Ad Meter.” If the finalists are able to garner third place they earn $400,000, second place $600,000 and first place will earn them $1 million. Also, starting this year Doritos is trying to find a way to get those not interested in film involved in the contest. Individuals are allowed to go to Doritos Facebook page and offer the use of their homes, their pets or even themselves for other individual’s commercials. Doritos goal this year appears to be trying to appeal to all audiences who might be interested in being a part of a commercial one way or another.

In my opinion, there come both good and bad things from this new offer that Doritos is putting together. For starters, there is the good part. People are absolutely going to be more inclined to make a commercial now that there is the chance to meet and work with Michael Bay on the set of the newest Transformers movie. Many people looking for a break in Hollywood, who feel they have the talent and ability, will now submit their commercials. With more people entering higher quality commercials this is a win for both Doritos and for the viewers. Doritos wants to air the best commercial they can find and with a higher prize they will find those commercial. For the viewer they are looking to enjoy the best commercials the Super Bowl has to offer and with better prizes in this contest they too will enjoy higher quality commercials. However, there are some red flags and negative aspects raised by this contest. Just how worth it is this contest to Doritos? I understand they wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t turn a profit from it and find it valuable. But just looking at the numbers it seems to be difficult to understand. A 30 second commercial in the Super Bowl cost around $3.5 million, if three finalist place in the top three of the “USA Today Ad Meter” that costs Doritos $2 million and then there is whatever compensation that Michael Bay is receiving to do this project. This means that Doritos is spending around $7 million to air two ads in the Super Bowl plus all of the prize and compensation money which adds up to be an awful lot of money. For me, that just seems to be too much to offer when they could just simply use their own marketing team to make quality commercials. Overall though I feel that the contest is going to be a great success this year, even more so than past years, and Doritos is going to like what they find in this year’s commercials.

"NFL Not Firing Replacement Ref Pulled From Game; Will Not Give Him Saints Assignments"

From SportsBusiness Journal

Review by Beau Banglesdorf in KIN 332 (section 2)

Brian Stropolo was pulled from this past Sunday’s Saints vs. Panthers game after pictures were found on his Facebook page of him wearing Saints clothes and being a Saints Fan. Brian Stropolo was not fired and the NFL said he would continue to work games starting week three of the current season (the next week). This incident triggered a lot of media buzz. Sport writers were coming out and saying things like the NFL should be embarrassed, Brian Stropolo should not be allowed to work for the NFL anymore, the integrity of the game of football is slipping, and that the NFL is not doing its job when it comes to screening officials before hiring them. Due to the replacement officials struggles on the field, players are starting to voice their disappointment with the officials and analysts are agreeing with the players and are saying that the replacement officials are negatively impacting the NFL. Players are getting away with more things on the field and games are taking longer to be played out due to the officials’ lack of understanding and implementing of the rules.

I believe the replacement officials are seriously hurting the NFL brand right now. Fans are complaining on how long the games are taking. If games continue to last this long, fans are going to start to become unwilling to devote four hours to watch a football game instead of the three hours they have become accustomed to. Also, with players and analysts coming out and criticizing the officials and down playing their knowledge of the game and ability to keep a game under control, NFL fans are going to start believing that and stop caring as much about the outcomes to games because they do not know if the better team really won. This will result in lost fans, lower revenues, and lower TV ratings. I could see other leagues such as college football or the UFL (United Football League) taking advantage of the current situation the NFL has with their officials and making gains in fans and TV ratings which would result in higher revenue and more brand recognition.

"The Extra Point" with Khalil Garriott from the NFL Players Association

"Pros and Cons: Corporate Ads on NBA Jerseys May Debut in 2013"

From Forbes

Review by Zack Krukowski

The NBA has announced that, beginning in the 2013 season, the league will sell a two inch by two inch patch on the shoulder of jerseys to corporate sponsors. This is a marketing approach that has seen much success in other sports such as NASCAR and the English Premier League, and the NBA decided they couldn’t miss out on the potential additional revenue any longer. Advertising on EPL uniforms brought in $178 in revenue in 2010, and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver has estimated it could lead to $100 million in added revenue for the NBA. This is the equivalent of $677.50 per square inch of advertising, per game.

The reaction from fans has been mostly negative since the changes were announced. Many fans think that ads on jerseys are tacky and distasteful, and that they take away from the tradition of the game. People also rightfully believe that putting ads on jerseys is a slippery slope. Many don’t necessarily mind a two by two patch, but fear it will lead to a jersey full of ads, like in the Premier League. Fans also see this as a greedy move for a league that already brings in enormous profit. With this move its clear the NBA is jeopardizing its relationship with its fans, and in turn is risking a decrease in ticket and merchandise sales.

This article relates to our class because of the amount of negative media backlash this story received. The announcement to add advertisements to jerseys was front-page news when it was made, and many media outlets had only bad things to say about the change. When fans go onto a site like ESPN.com and read articles where sportswriters slam the league and call the decision greedy, their loyalty to the NBA is only hurt. This will lead that fan to be less likely to spend money on tickets and merchandise. This story is a great example of a situation where media coverage is bad for a sports league.

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Review by Tyler Green

Advertisements and sponsorships have always played a large role in the sports we know and love today whether they’re seen throughout the stadium or shown during the commercial break, but when does one draw the line for too many ads? A recent topic of discussion in sports media has been the coverage of corporate advertisement becoming more prominent in the NBA by displaying them from the jerseys of every player. The move would ultimately bring in a lot of revenue for the sport, but those who value the tradition of the league see it as more of a negative change. The ad would not exactly be an eye sore, but the 2x2 square plot jersey space it certainly is producing a lot of mixed opinions amongst the league and fan base.

With advertisements being seen all over NASCAR vehicles/uniforms, UFC shorts, or on English Premier soccer jerseys, just to name a few, we know this isn’t the first time the addition of ads have been focused towards the athletes. But many NBA fans can’t come to terms with being the first of the major American sports to give in to selling out their traditional jerseys. What’s to stop the other sports from following suit or adding so many ads that it becomes a much larger distraction than anyone intended? It only seems to be creating concern for the issue going from bad to worse and fans can’t seem to find the good in it. The biggest benefit seen by the NBA would be the $100 million in additional revenue, but many would question how necessary making that extra profit really is.

Overall the media has been projecting the decision as a negative one leaving the league to look like money grubbing gluttons. It is said to only get worse with the size and quantity of these ads to the point where you’re only recognizing a player by their sponsor. This truly hurts the image of the NBA and the fans loyal to the sport simply will not want to contribute to a league they feel has turned their back on the game. In a world where media plays a powerful part in getting the final say and influencing the people, this is an example where the media has impacted the sport world negatively.

"American Express shows savvy at Open"

From ESPN.COM

Review by Kevin Bradshaw in KIN 332 (section 1)

After this year’s U.S. Open, American Express has been recognized as one of the best sports marketing plans in the business. They don’t just associate themselves with the event, but the extend their name while making sure as fans they have the best experience possible. First, American express gave out headphones that streamed live podcasts to all fans that were carrying an American Express card at the Open. They also had stands that matched your personal preferences with players and matches to make sure you enjoyed you match and experience to the fullest. American Express went above and beyond with their marketing plan, the didn’t just give away items or put their name on merchandise, they succeeded fans expectations and kept them entertained the entire time. They even gave other fans that could attend the matches a chance to watch. The set up screens that streamed live matches in parks around New York City. American Express had options for almost every type of person. The fan, the fair-weather fan, the lazy sport enthusiast, children, etc. The attracted people who liked to shop and get away from tennis, by supplying a $50 gift card to anyone who spent $150 dollars at the Ralph Lauren store. They also gave parents a break from their fidgeting children by having open tennis courts and Nintendo Wii for the kids to play. The USTA took this opportunity to help spread the love of tennis to children. They gave out free lessons with professional tennis players to any child that wanted them. American Express went above and beyond for their company, the athletes, and their fans. They put a lot of risk on the line, but came up on top. Businesses should use American Express’s marketing ploys as guidelines to their advantage in the future; they are obviously doing the right things since they are one of the most successful sports marketers in the business.