North America
Features
‘Brown as a bear’: Shock, awe and despair as prized autographs ruined by defective baseballs
Browning has marred thousands of once-valuable autographed baseballs, with the precise cause of the damage still unknown. Dennis Tuttle examines the impact on the baseball collectibles market
Mickey Mantle: In death, still king of the collectors’ world
Dead since 1995, the revered Hall of Famer still commands a lofty position among baseball memorabilia collectors
Washington Wizards seek to break the industry mould, find wins with new leadership structure
Struggling NBA team looks well outside basketball for new ideas and approaches in its senior leadership
Major League Rugby takes slow and steady approach in attempt to crack US market
Bob Williams looks at the development of Major League Rugby in the US, and how the league is looking to avoid the mistakes made by previous organisations' attempts to successfully break the sport in the US market.
PGA Tour Superstore revolutionizes sports retail sector as Home Depot of golf
Following the decline of a number of US sporting goods chains, Bob Williams talks to Dick Sullivan, president and chief executive of the PGA Tour Superstore, which has expanded from 10 stores in 2010 to 41 locations in 16 states, about what is behind the success of the chain.
Milwaukee Bucks get aggressive to avoid second-year letdown at Fiserv Forum
The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to host a range of events in the coming year, including multiple concerts and the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Eric Fisher talks to the Bucks president Peter Feigin about how the NBA team plans to leverage the Fiserv Forum as a venue for more than just basketball.
MLB aims to ‘democratize’ esports with inclusive push around Home Run Derby VR game
Major League Baseball's developing esports strategy, much more inclusive and based on a game title much simpler to play, veers heavily from other major US sports properties
Falcons and Rays go cashless to take fan experience ‘to an even higher level’
Cashless deployments in Atlanta, Tampa point the way toward likely broader adoption across the sport industry.
Minor League Baseball seeks to move national sales to “biggest levels in the market”
After more than three years of steady growth building a national sales operation, the affiliated minor leagues of baseball has growing ambitions
Liverpool goes it alone | Why an ‘independent’ US tour offered the club more than the ICC
Liverpool FC decided to arrange its own tour of the United States this summer, rather than compete in the pre-season International Champions Cup, because the club preferred to be "independent" and have more freedom to arrange opponents, dates and venues.
Ligue 1 stages US games to attract new investors and bridge gap to Serie A and the Bundesliga
As France's Ligue 1 is staging a four-team tournament in Washington DC this week, Bob Williams looks at how it aims to expand its reach into the US and improve overseas media-rights income.
In era of racing sponsor retreats, Chevrolet doubles down on activation
The North American auto industry’s increasing gravitation toward crossover sport utility vehicles, trucks, and electric vehicles has lessened the natural link between the “stock car” element of auto racing, making the sport now a more fertile sponsorship area for brands in other product sectors.
NBA uses Summer League to retain year-round relevance and extend its global footprint
Kim Bohuny, NBA senior vice-president of international basketball operations, spoke to Bob Williams about the Summer League's growing popularity and its increased role in the league's international expansion.
Two-site ballpark plan gives Oakland A’s new hope in long-running facility search
The MLB club's bold plan to solve its nearly generation-long search for a new facility not only has unusual architectural choices, but also involves redeveloping two separate parcels. Barry M. Bloom reports.
College sports carve out a commercial niche on OTT platforms
The Colonial Athletic Conference’s $4.5m streaming deal with FloSports is helping the conference to build audiences and close the gap on the Power 5. Eric Fisher reports.
Athletes to benefit as International Swimming League threatens Fina’s hold over sport
A Ukranian billionaire is funding the latest effort to turn swimming into a regular competitive professional sport and not just one of the most popular events at the Summer Olympics.
Philadelphia Phillies see large bump in business fortunes with Harper signing
Fan excitement over the acquisition of the star free agent has fueled the MLB club to what is by far the league's largest per-game attendance increase. But Paul Hagen examines how the organization is already thinking long-term and looking to sustain fan engagement over Harper's entire 13-year deal.
New York Yankees celebrate a decade of community impact with influential HOPE Week
MLB club's annual initiative forges a new model for community outreach within the sports industry. Eric Fisher examines the impact both in and out of the organization.
San Francisco Giants pursue aggressive real estate play at Mission Rock
Three-times World Series winners the San Francisco Giants are turning property developers with the Mission Rock mixed-use development across the way from their Oracle Park home. Barry M. Bloom examines a project 15 years in the making.