Events
Features
Pandemic pushes sport to double down on data-driven business
SportBusiness speaks with Asia-Pacific industry insiders about the increased urgency of sport adopting data-driven business practices in the Covid and post-Covid worlds. Tom King reports.
Euroleague strives to regain momentum after losing a season to Covid
Barring another Covid-related disaster, EuroLeague's overall revenue will bounce back to about €70m in 2020-21.
Venue rivalry emerges as New York looks beyond Covid-19
Bradley Rial takes a look towards the future of event hosting in New York, one of the hardest-hit areas in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ISL still targeting profitability within three years despite Covid ‘disaster’
The International Swimming League is still targeting profitability “within three or four years” despite being heavily impacted by the pandemic, its managing director and head of commercial operations, Hubert Montcoudiol, tells SportBusiness.
Broadcast deals help NFL maintain UK presence despite London games cancellation
Despite the cancellation of the NFL International Series this year, the league has managed to boost its presence in the UK with the renewal of its deals with Sky Sports and the BBC and new partnerships with Channel 5 and MTV. Adam Nelson speaks to NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood.
Round-Up: Shanghai and Delhi runs go ahead, Indian kabaddi and badminton leagues postponed, and more
Around 9,000 runners took part in the Shanghai International Marathon on Sunday - RTHK
Delayed Olympics ‘to cost $1.9bn more’
The Tokyo Games organising committee believes the postponement of the Olympics and Paralympics will push up costs by around ¥200bn ($1.9bn/€1.6bn), according to Japanese news reports.
French Golf Federation marketing director Prévost joins Courchevel-Méribel 2023
The organising committee for the 2023 Courchevel-Méribel World Alpine Skiing Championships has appointed Céline Prévost as marketing and commercial director.
UIPM submits proposals for more broadcast-friendly Paris 2024 formats
Global modern pentathlon federation, UIPM, has submitted proposals to introduce new more broadcast-friendly formats for the Paris 2024 summer Olympics
Japanese industry cautiously optimistic about rescheduled Tokyo Olympics
Against a background of renewed optimism that the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics will go ahead, Asian sports industry experts share their hopes that the event can bring a new maturity to the Japanese sports sector. Kevin McCullagh and Tom King report.
Montagliani: Gold Cup revamp to create excitement, unpredictability and a commercial lift
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani tells SportBusiness about the strategy behind the changes on and off the field for the region's flagship international competition, the Gold Cup.
Alexis Schäfer | Delivering societal change through sport
Alexis Schäfer, commercial, partnerships & broadcasting director at the International Paralympic Committee, says that as brands look to build cause-led marketing programmes, the narrative behind Paralympic sports and athletes coupled with the enthusiastic and creative support of broadcast partners has proved a compelling combination
Top Rank Boxing keeping focus and flexibility to ensure Wilder-Fury III is staged in front of fans
US boxing promoter is looking to put on third part of showpiece trilogy in front of a live audience in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. But it is not an easy process, as company president Todd DuBoef tells Bob Williams.
Basketball Champions League CEO Comninos looks to Athens finale to continue momentum
Basketball Champions League CEO Patrick Comninos describes how the fledgling basketball competition has tried to maintain momentum during a troubled year and its plans to resume this year's season with a Final-Eight competition in Athens. Kevin Roberts reports.
“Funding events privately is part of our DNA” | Miami’s sports hosting strategy
Miami is focusing on sporting events that will generate a positive economic impact and reflect the city’s diverse heritage as it bids to recover from the devastating impact of Covid-19. Bradley Rial reports.
US Open revenues and TV ratings suffer sharp drop but USTA still savors successful grand slam
USTA chief executive Michael Dowse tells SportBusiness how, despite facing multiple unprecedented issues and sharp ratings declines, the organization was able to bring back elite tennis and make a small profit with the US Open. Bob Williams reports
IOC’s Carroll focused on ‘flame-to-flame’ Olympic engagement
Kevin Roberts speaks to Christopher Carroll, the IOC's director of digital engagement and marketing, about how the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has challenged the IOC to raise its games and accelerate its digital engagement and marketing programme.
Kevin McCullagh | Could IPL 2020 be one of the great Covid comebacks?
Kevin McCullagh takes a look at the world’s biggest annual cricket competition, the Indian Premier League, ahead of its move this year to the United Arab Emirates
Frank Leenders | Fiba tie-up with TCL is ‘more than just another deal’
Frank Leenders, director general of Fiba Media and Marketing Services, is optimistic about the future of basketball, in spite of the 'invisible enemy' of Covid-19. He speaks to Kevin McCullagh about this and the other challenges the federation has faced in 2020, such as losing much-loved ambassadors of the sport Kobe Bryant, David Stern and Borislav Stankovic.
“London is critically important to us” | Jon Dutton, Rugby League World Cup 2021
Rugby League World Cup 2021 chief executive officer Jon Dutton details how the Rugby League World cup are looking to transcend the traditional audience of rugby league when the tournament is held in England…
Murray: PFL to monetise OTT app through advertising, microtransactions and prop bets
SportBusiness speaks to Professional Fighters League chief executive and board member Peter Murray about what attracted investors to the promotion while outlining its media, sponsorship and hosting strategy.
Rugby League World Cup looks to expand game beyond its traditional heartlands
With the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) just over a year away, the team behind the event are working to achieve central objectives of transcending the traditional audience for the sport. Matthew Williams talks to RLWC2021 chief executive Jon Dutton about how he plans to make the most of the opportunity.
Montréal seeks sector convergence as part of events offering
Montréal is determined to avoid the financial mistakes of the past as it builds on its reputation as Canada’s busiest sporting city, with an eye on converging the worlds of sport, arts and entertainment. Bradley Rial reports.
Pro boxing can learn lessons from Tyson and Triller’s opportunism
The slow-moving, divided nature of top-level professional boxing has left the sport’s highest echelons more vulnerable to the Covid-19 shutdown. Tyson vs. Jones Jr. proves that a little flexibility can go a long way. Callum McCarthy reports.
How can the sports business in Asia respond to a de-globalised world?
How will global sports industries adapt to the likely prospect of a more inward looking world? And can cancelled events easily win back the hearts of fans in Asia? SportBusiness asks three experts on the region for their thoughts.
Terrence Burns | When a game is more than a game
Terence Burns remembers how a game of table tennis thawed relations between the US and China and shows how the Olympic Games can provide an antidote to an increasingly polarized world.
Pro Football Hall of Fame looks to overcome $5m hit with “Super Bowl-like” event in 2021
Pro Football Hall of Fame president David Baker tells SportBusiness how the iconic facility in Canton, Ohio, is looking to overcome calling off Hall of Fame Game and postponing its centennial enshrinement ceremony this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Adelaide adopts holistic approach to maximise sporting opportunities
South Australia’s major city has gone to considerable efforts to boost the impact of sporting events that grab the imagination. Bradley Rial investigates.