North America
Features
Premier Lacrosse League aims for mainstream audience with touring model
Paul Rabil, who, with his brother Mike, started up the Premier Lacrosse League in the US, talks to Bob Williams about how they plan to make a success of the new league and about the challenges of setting up a new sports league from scratch.
After teething troubles, Big3 basketball league begins to find its feet
After suffering early growing pains, the Big3 basketball league appears to have found its feet ahead of its third season this summer. Bob WIlliams reports.
‘Ambitious’ $2.5bn LA 2028 forecast is in fact deeply conservative
Ex-Synergy CEO Tim Crow argues that LA 2028's $2.5bn sponsorship revenue forecast - hailed as ambitious in the press - is in fact deeply conservative, and predicts that the final tally will break $4bn.
PGA Championship revels in new relevance and commercial uplift following move to May
Bob Williams examines the commercial success that has been gained from moving the PGA Championship from August to May.
A top-of-the-league career pathway
Greg Sullivan, director of Ohio University’s Professional Master of Sports Administration, believes courses need to be flexible, timely and adapt to the busy lives of their students if they are to flourish in a competitive space.
US boxing deals promised a revolution, but it’s business-as-usual for the sweet science
Last year, broadcasters and promoters announced a series of big-money deals that promised much and have so far delivered very little. Callum McCarthy examines why boxing’s stakeholders aren’t yet on the same page.
Nashville looking to utilise NFL Draft to become 2026 World Cup host venue
Music at heart of experience as tourism chiefs try to set stage for bigger events
Tennessee capital one of 17 US cities vying to make final cut for Fifa showpiece
Washington Capitals’ inaugural Stanley Cup triumph leads to commercial uplift ‘across board’
NHL team broke e-commerce and in-venue merchandise records after first title in franchise history
TV ratings and digital streaming minutes on NBC Sports Washington up significantly year-on-year
“We are not interested in the discussion of integrity fees” | Keith Wachtel, NHL
The National Hockey League has been swift to capitalise on the repeal of PASPA and the subsequent legalisation of gambling in some US states. Starting next season, the organisation will introduce puck and player tracking to create more in-play betting markets around its content. SportBusiness speaks to the league’s chief revenue officer and executive vice-president, global partnerships, Keith Wachtel.
Marketing lessons from Augusta
The US Masters has become the go-to case study in marketing excellence. Richard Gillis provides an alternative list of pointers from the golf event.
Roma and the Bundesliga bring the banter to win fans and engage people on social media
As clubs and rights-holders from across football continue to adopt more human and humorous voices on social media, representatives from AS Roma and the Bundesliga explain the commercial benefits that underpin the strategy.
UMBC looks to ensure its March Madness Cinderella story has lasting impact
Bob Williams investigates how the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is working to ensure its first-in-history victory over top seed Virginia in last year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament is more than an ephemeral high.
US Bank Stadium to make a loss hosting Final Four, but publicity will help secure more events
Hosting March Madness finale will cost MSFA nearly 12 times the amount to stage 2018’s Super Bowl LII
Two large events at US Bank Stadium secured on back of $5.2
Nascar searching for new ways to return to relevance after decade of decline
Organisers admit they 'lost their way' by alienating core fanbase
TV ratings and attendances down significantly, while many sponsors have left
Pittsburgh Steelers steal a march on rivals in international social media battle
The Pittsburgh Steelers have long maintained a sizeable global following. Ryan Huzjak, their vice-president of sales and marketing, tells SportBusiness how they are now using social media to engage with, grow, and monetise that audience.
Comeback or a temporary correction? NFL domestic TV audiences recover in 2018-19
After consecutive years of falling television ratings, NFL domestic television audiences increased by five per cent in the recently concluded 2018-19 season.
LeBron goes west, NBA domestic TV audiences go south in 2018-19
Despite appearing to be at an-all time high in terms of general popularity, NBA domestic television audience ratings for the first half of the 2018-19 season are down across the board compared to the first half of the 2017-18 season.
ESPN’s X Games using licensee model in second push at global growth
As ESPN’s X Games prepares for a series of international editions, Dominic Bliss looks into what the event learned after its previous global push and subsequent retrenchment.
Philadelphia Flyers ride the coattails of social media sensation Gritty – and promise he’ll never sell out
Mascot is most-followed on Twitter of all US major professional sports and collegiate teams
Companies looking to partner with Flyers directly because they want association with Gritty
Atlanta United use fans as ambassadors to enter global elite for attendance
MLS team averaged over 53,000 fans per game last year in just the club's second season
Gate revenue on a par with teams in world's top-five leagues, says club president Eales