About Thomas van Schaik

Thomas studied Communications in Amsterdam and has been working in international sports for over 15 years. He started his professional career at the Amsterdam Admirals in the NFL Europe and moved to Dutch professional soccer champions PSV Eindhoven in 1997. In 2001 he moved to Southern Germany to join Adidas. He's filled a variety of roles with the sporting goods brand, including 'Head of Global PR'. In 2011 he moved into the role of Global Brand Director.

Author Archive | Thomas van Schaik

The Psychology Of Social Sports Fans: What Makes Them So Crazy?

By on February 15, 2012 in Sports Marketing

From Longyearbyen to Ushuaia the world is filled with fans. They are the lifeblood of professional sports and the only reason why anybody in the industry receives a check. According to a recent A.T. Kearney study today’s global sports industry is worth between €350 billion and €450 billion ($480-$620 billion). In an industry of this size and scope connecting to andRead more →

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Social Media Changes Sports Photography

By on January 2, 2012 in Social Media in Sports

The world is changing rapidly and from now onwards the speed of that change is only going to further increase. We’re daily bombarded with thousands of images. Every photo can be worth a thousand words. But which images are the ones that stick and make a difference? Which (and whose) story is being told (andRead more →

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Movember: Athletes, Moustaches, and a Good Cause

By on October 31, 2011 in Social Media in Sports

Movember  is here! ‘Movember’ (a portmanteau of “moustache” and “November”) is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. It has become a global celebration of furry face furniture all over the world, and helps to raise money and awareness to combat one of the biggest killers of youngRead more →

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Professional Athletes on Social Media: Why Some Get Fans and Others Fines

By on September 19, 2011 in Social Media in Sports

Professional athletes can use social media to connect with fans and share their personal lives in ways they never could before. An athlete used to be a number, position, weight class or title. Now, athletes, about whom fans only knew what they read in the papers, have become so much more accessible. Today even theRead more →

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Social Media Shakes up Key Sports Events in 2011

By on August 8, 2011 in Social Media in Sports

This blog is fully dedicated to covering the shift in consumption of sport (and therefore the way athletes, sports organizations, and sponsors choose to interact with their audiences). Globalization, digitalization, and individualization are changing our lives – and they’re doing it fast! The shift towards global – social – sports consumption is no longer ‘aRead more →

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The Press Conferences we will Never Forget

By on July 11, 2011 in Sports Marketing

Organizing a press conference can be a great idea. It will allow you the opportunity to reach all media outlets at the same time and / or provide a personal perspective on a particular story. A press conference can also build excitement or anticipation about a particular event or idea. It arms you with theRead more →

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Super Bowl vs. UEFA Champions League

By on May 25, 2011 in Sports Marketing

The NFL is doing well. The most recent edition of the Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLV) holds the record for total number of U.S. viewers, attracting an average audience of 111 million viewers, making it the most viewed television broadcast of any kind in U.S. history. However, the growth of its European equivalent, the UEFARead more →

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Will Rose Become the Youngest NBA MVP Ever?

By on May 3, 2011 in Sports Business

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” The announcement of the 2010 – 2011 NBA MVP is eminent. The value of the election isn’t absolutely clear but it’s basically a popularity contest – first only amongst cranky sportswriters, now also (be it marginally) amongstRead more →

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The Biggest Grudge Match in Global Soccer

By on April 13, 2011 in Social Media in Sports

Competition is the very essence of sport. Every match, every team needs someone to beat. It’s just that some opponents you enjoy beating even more than others! This might be because of a long-standing animosity or a specific past insult to revenge. These “grudge matches” are amongst the most anticipated and best viewed games ofRead more →

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The Top 10 Athlete Nicknames

By on April 12, 2011 in Sports Marketing

What’s in a name? Nicknames have been around for thousands of years. Without attempting to make a deeply scientific claim about the psychology of nicknames – I assume the tradition of nicknames has a lot to do with possession and intimacy: ‘to name is to claim’ – which would explain why sports fans often comeRead more →

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What every Sports Marketer MUST know about CRICKET

By on March 14, 2011 in Sports Marketing

What kind of a sports marketer are you? The world’s third largest sporting event is currently being played and you didn’t even know it was on! Reach and Cash Granted, for most of the Sportsnetworker.com readers Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka are not exactly next door. However the ICC Cricket World Cup is televised inRead more →

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Who Are the All Time Basketball All Stars?

By on February 18, 2011 in Uncategorized

The very first NBA All-Star Game ever was staged in 1951. This year the game will be celebrating its diamond anniversary, which is why the uniforms feature an integrated diamond pattern. Sunday’s game will go straight into the rich history of the NBA. As players and fans are making their way to the Staples Center,Read more →

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