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Features
Monkey Knife Fight looks to advance status as industry disruptor
An upstart daily fantasy company with an unusual name and unconventional approach has quickly risen to prominence by challenging established market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel and striking a large series of team sponsorships.
ESPN ready to hit ground running as Bundesliga partnership in US kicks off
ESPN is putting on major marketing effort to promote its new media-rights deal with German top flight league while also focusing on wider long-term content initiatives. Bob Williams reports
Premier League takes pride of place on Peacock as NBCU’s key weapon in streaming wars
NBCUniversal is actively looking to utilize NBC Sports' premium properties to attract subscribers to its new streaming service and help differentiate the platform from its rivals in the crowded and competitive direct-to-consumer marketplace.
Darren Heitner | Who owns a social media account?
Darren Heitner, founder of Florida-based Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., and an active attorney practicing sports law and contract law, explores the ramifications of an ongoing legal case surrounding the ownership of a college baseball team's Twitter account.
MLS expansion to St. Louis pushes city’s USL Championship team to cease operations
Due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the absence of any buyers amid the pending arrival of another pro soccer team to the Midwest US market, executives for the USL's Saint Louis FC decided it did not make any sense for the team to continue beyond this campaign. Bob Williams reports
Athletes Unlimited secures RSN distribution deal, Topps partnership
Women’s sports league developer Athletes Unlimited is expanding its reach and visibility by securing a distribution deal with three regional sports networks for its 2020 softball season.
Major League Rugby Hawaii expansion bid put on hold
Major League Rugby has revealed that talks with an expansion group from Hawaii have been put on hold for now
Chicago Fire agrees multiyear extension with NovaCare Rehabilitation
Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire FC has signed a three-year extension with NovaCare Rehabilitation, which will continue to serve as the official provider of physical therapy and athletic training for …
Florida Governor opposes Buccaneers’ no-fans decision
DeSantis argues wrong message sent in advance of Super Bowl LV
US television viewership data set for historic changes with enhanced out-of-home reporting
After years of industry debate and development, Nielsen this month is beginning widespread measurement of out-of-home television viewership in the US, a move set to create significant changes across the sports industry
Chris Russo | What’s next for sports betting and media deals?
Chris Russo, chief executive of boutique consulting firm CRX Sports & Gaming, looks ahead to deal trends set to emerge in 2020's fourth quarter
#2 – University of Massachussets, Amherst MBA/MS in Sport Management
The Isenberg School of Management's flagship sports programme retains its high standards with a second-placed finish in 2020.
Eric Fisher | The “Babe Ruth of arenas” is doing his bit for spectator sport
SportBusiness' US Editor explores the major industry impact of Oak View Group's Tim Leiweke
Roger Duthie | Sports are ready for post-Covid fan support
Roger Duthie, independent senior advisor at Leverage Marketing Advisors and former head of global sponsorship at Emirates, describes how sponsorship exposure has been strong during sport's return and why it's time for a focus to be placed on the safe return of fans to stadiums
The balancing act | Universities attempt to address sport’s gender gap
Though slow progress continues to be made, the sports industry remains an overwhelmingly male-dominated one. Adam Nelson talks to three academics from schools who are pushing to correct this on the importance of education to gender-parity in the sector.
Alumni profile, Columbia | Felicia Ganthier, director of operations, community relations, WWE
Felicia Ganthier is director of operations at the WWE and a graduate of Columbia's MS Sports Management
NBA draws on Microsoft partnership to reshape virtual fan experience
The NBA has taken fan engagement in the wake of Covid-19 to a new level by allowing at-home viewers to be seen and heard by their favorite players in Orlando. Bob Williams reports
Alumni profile, UMass | Burke Magnus, executive vice-president, programming acquisitions and scheduling, ESPN
Burke Magnus graduated from UMass’s MBA/MS in Sport Management in 1994 and joined ESPN in 2008, taking up his current role in 2015.
#1 – Ohio’s Master of Sports Administration course reclaims top spot
The Master of Sports Administration degree at Ohio University tops our list for the seventh time in nine years.
Jim Kahler, Ohio University | Sports gambling education – the time has come
In July 2020, Jim Kahler stepped down as executive director of the AECOM Center for Sports Administration at Ohio University, after 15 years in the role. Starting in the 2020-21 academic year, Jim will become the school’s first director of sports gambling education, and writes here about the importance of strong education and partnerships as the betting sector continues to open up in the United States.
Nefertiti Walker, UMass | Reculture sport – the shifting culture of sport
Professor Nefertiti A. Walker is Associate Professor in the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Mark H. McCormack School of Sport Management, as well as UMass’ interim vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion and its chief diversity officer.
Partnerships help universities bridge the gap between academia and industry
As the ties between universities and sports organisations grow closer and educational institutes continue to look for new ways to strengthen their connections to industry, SportBusiness takes a look at…
Joe Favorito | The importance of storytelling in sports marketing – and education
Joe Favorito has over 35 years of strategic communications, marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, and teaches a course on these subjects and more at Columbia University. The third edition of his book, Sports Publicity: A Practical Approach, was published earlier this year.
Scott Rosner, Columbia University | Commitment to diversity and inclusion offers path through difficult year
Scott Rosner, academic director and professor of professional practice on the Sport Management programme at Columbia University, discusses how an emphasis on inclusion has helped the school guide its students…
How sport management courses faced the Covid-19 crisis
While the Covid-19 pandemic has inevitably touched almost every aspect of modern life, the two sectors with which this publication is concerned were arguably among the hardest hit
Andy Dolich | Teamwork, leadership, and trust in the New Different
Former NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL senior executive Andy Dolich explores how the current athlete-led protests in the United States for racial justice spotlight the need for collective focus and vision
Islanders’ UBS Arena to reshape NY market, team’s own fortunes
After decades of failed attempts to develop a new arena and becoming one of the National Hockey League's weakest franchises, the resurgent New York Islanders and partner Oak View Group are developing a venue aimed at transforming both the team and live entertainment in the New York area.
Simon Chadwick | Sport feels the strain of East-West political tensions
Simon Chadwick, director of Eurasian Sport at emlyon Business School France/China, outlines the pressures being felt in the sports industry as political tensions ratchet up between China, the West and others.