The Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards

Sports Business

50 Most Influential People in Sports Business

“Media moves as well as labor harmony (or the lack thereof) shake up our annual list of the executives who set the agenda for North American sports.”

With Jose Reyes on Miami Marlins, Queens Economy Could Take Hit

“Come April, Jose Reyes will probably be the first home batter at the new Miami Marlins ballpark, ushering in a promising age for an up-and-coming team. But what of the team and borough he leaves behind?”

Sports Networking

Three Ways to Dominate Your Market Without Spending a Fortune

“It is important for business owners to find something that makes them stand out in their market — to differentiate themselves from their competition. And that is where personal branding comes into play. Personal branding is a proven method by which business owners can separate themselves from the rest of their market. A strong personal brand positions the business owner as an expert in his or her field — allowing him to attract more business without slashing prices.”

49ers Host Women in Sports Forum (VIDEO)

“The 49ers organization hosted a Women in Sports Forum to encourage the growth of women in sports-related careers.”

Sports Marketing

Under Armour Fashioning Sports Marketing Battle to Continue Assault on Nike, Adidas

“In the world of collegiate and professional sports, it’s usually difficult to take a 15-year-old very seriously. But athletic performance apparel and footwear company Under Armour, founded in 1996, has played the game tough in going up against the likes of Nike and Adidas.”

Red Sox Gear Up Marketing Pitch for Fenway’s 100th Anniversary

“Red Sox fans devastated by the September disaster might go so far as to make a New Year’s resolution to never give another nickel of their hard-earned money to that team — but they’ll have a hard time keeping that promise. In 2012, the bunting will adorn Fenway Park not just for Opening Day, but for the ballpark’s 100th anniversary, and diehard fans will find themselves tempted with hundreds of ways to spend cash on centennial souvenirs.”

Sports Sponsorship

Sponsorship to Take Over As Biggest Sports Industry Segment by 2014

“A new report examining the global sports market over the five years to 2015 predicts that sponsorship will show a compound annual growth rate of 5.3 percent between 2011 and 2015, in spite of the difficult prevailing economic circumstances.”

Mercury Insurance Shares Secrets of Sports Sponsorship Success

“Tonight you can see the Los Angeles Kings aim to repeat their Saturday victory over the Minnesota Wild when the team faces the arch rival Anaheim Ducks at STAPLES Center.  For an encore, you can see the Kings compete against the Ducks in Anaheim tomorrow night.  While you are there, you can also see how successful sports sponsorships work and find ways to benefit your own business.”

Sports Ticket Sales

Buy Madison Square Garden Shares and Own 4 Sports Teams

“It’s a sale like this past week’s ownership stake in the Green Bay Packers that reminds me of how unique an investment in Madison Square Garden (MSG) is. The company is publicly traded and, unlike the Green Bay Packers shares, rises and falls with the success of the teams it owns and how much money it earns in a year. It is the dream of any sports fan to own a professional sports team. While almost all sports fans never make it to the front office or full ownership stake, they have the option to participate in owning shares of publicly traded Madison Square Garden.”

NBA Reaching Out to Fans with Special Ticket Offers

“The Philadelphia 76ers reduced ticket fees by as much as 61%. For 13 home games in January, mezzanine tickets are $17.76 or less, with no online fees if bought through the team’s website. Before the lockout, the 76ers reduced ticket prices on nearly 9,000 seats. The club plans to send its season-ticket booklets within two weeks.”

Sports Social Media

Watch That Tweet! NCAA Colleges Wrestle with Social Media Recruiting Rules

“If a college sports fan makes a plea for a player via Facebook or Twitter, does that constitute a violation of N.C.A.A. rules? That’s one of the questions at the heart of an academic paper by Victor Broccoli, a 2010 graduate of Tulane University Law School and lawyer in Rutherfordton, N.C. In a paper titled “Policing the Digital Wild West: N.C.A.A. Recruiting Regulations in the Age of Facebook and Twitter,” Broccoli argues that the N.C.A.A. faces difficulties when it comes to recruiting regulations and social networking.”

NFL Stars: The Secrets to Their Facebook Success

“You won’t see Jeff Weiner prowling NFL sidelines while barking orders into a headset, and he’s never won a Super Bowl or coach of the year award. But Weiner, 28, does play a crucial coaching role for NFL players by helping them leverage social media to market themselves and connect with fans. His clients are known for engaging especially well with supporters, and stars like James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers rank among the most popular NFL players on Facebook.”

Sports Media

Networks Jostle for Tebow Sweepstakes

“The network lobbied hard behind the scenes to keep next Sunday’s Broncos- Patriots clash as a late game in its Sunday doubleheader after NBC made a strong pitch to broadcast the contest as part of its Sunday night ‘flex’ schedule. This upcoming CBS broadcast, with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, will be seen by 70 percent of the country.”

Dodgers Can Sell Media Rights to Help Exit Bankruptcy

“A bankruptcy judge says he will approve a process for the Los Angeles Dodgers to sell media rights for future games as part of the team’s plan to exit bankruptcy. The plan calls for the Dodgers to receive initial bids by January 13 and complete the sale by April 30.”

Death of the Sports Interview

A bonus link for our loyal followers! This article has been getting a lot of publicity this week and for good reason – It is a must read for anyone in or interested in the sports media field.

Sports Technology

Investors Pump $1.75 million Into Bypass Lane’s Mobile “Beer-Me” Application

“The Austin-based company announced today that it has raised $1.75 million in new venture capital with funds earmarked primarily for building a sales organization. Investors include former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs, Wasserman Media Group chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman and business managers for bicyclist Lance Armstrong. The nine-person company selected the investors on the basis of their connections to the sporting world, and expects to be able to draw upon their expertise to better penetrate the live sporting market.”

Stereobank Seeks 3D Sports Footage

“Having recently passed a 1000+ clip milestone, Co-Founder of S3D stock footage company Stereobank Benjamin Carlu, tells 3D Focus the company would welcome more S3D sports footage from contributors with the London Olympics 2012 fast approaching.”

Sports Jobs

Seeking Edge, MLB Clubs Invest in Front Office Talent

“The likely upcoming nine-figure contracts for free agent first basemen Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder still drive wins and losses, fan interest and TV ratings. But don’t overlook the increasing value of facts, figures and other data — and the people who interpret them.”

MBA Program in Sports Mangement – What You Need to Know

“Sports management is a lucrative career option that has not experienced any slowdown even during the recent economic crunch. This can be one of the best fields for those interested in business and sports. Equipped with an MBA in Sports Management you will open up innumerable career options in sports related fields…What You Need To Know Before Enrolling into An MBA In Sports Management Program”

Sports Events

NFL Teams with Disney for Super Bowl XLVI

“The league’s working with Walt Disney Co.’s Disney Institute on a “Fans First” initiative to train the 20,000 executives and employees who’ll work Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012 in Indianapolis, says Frank Supovitz, senior vice president of events.”

Big East Expansion: The NCAA Needs to Examine the State of Conferences

“The expansion is going to create a conference that spans coast to coast, something that basically defeats the purpose of a conference anyway.”

Is there anything we missed this week in the world of sports business? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and please feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

About Lewis Howes

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Congrats to the real winners of Super Bowl XLIV: CBS. This year’s Super Bowl was reportedly the most-watched TV event ever. CBS estimates that the game was watched by 106.5 million viewers, which is 600,000 more than watched the previous record-holder, the “M*A*S*H” series finale in 1983. I’m not surprised. While the Colts and Saints are two relatively small market teams, both are very likable from a football fan’s point of view. Further, most would agree that the Colts and Saints were really the best two teams in the league. The Colts started 14-0 and the Saints 13-0. Ultimately, both teams finished 14-3, and both teams earned the number one seeds in their divisions.

The Play on the Field

I thought the game was a pretty fun one to watch. The Colts bolted out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, and I thought it was over, even with a powerful Saints offense. Then, Pierre Garçon dropped a perfect pass on a crossing route which would have been good enough for a first down, but instead ended the drive. The momentum shifted from the Colts’ side to the Saints’ side, and Peyton & Co. never regained it. The Saints’ defense really impressed me. They played hard, they tackled very well, and Tracy Porter guessed right, picking off Peyton Manning (My jaw dropped when that happened. What a mistake!) for the fatal pick six. In my opinion, the Colts didn’t lose that game, the Saints went out and won it. Sean Payton’s gutsy call to go for an onside kick completely shocked the Colts and when the Saints recovered the ball, you could tell the Colts were rattled. In the first half, the Saints went for a fourth and goal on the two, and while they didn’t convert, they sent the message that they knew they had to play big or go home losers. I feel bad for Peyton. The Colts had a fantastic season, but they came up a little short. Congrats to Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and the rest of the Saints’ team. Well done.

The Storylines

Peyton vs Brees This was the biggest story leading up to the Bowl. Arguably the two best quarterbacks in football, going head to head, in the biggest game of the year. Brees played a great game, tying a Super Bowl record with 32 completions. Peyton played well, but ultimately made the biggest mistake of his career in what I thought was going to be the game-tying drive. In the end, I would say that it wasn’t as high-flying an affair as it could have been, but the two quarterbacks lived up to the hype.

The Drought Could the Saints finally win a Super Bowl? Could they do it for the city of New Orleans, a city that just a few years ago suffered through a devastating hurricane? Obviously, the Saints pulled it out and won the game. As for how it will affect or change New Orleans, we’ll see about that.

Dwight Freeney’s Bum Ankle Towards the end of the AFC Championship game against the Jets, Colts’ defensive end Dwight Freeney stepped on Mark Sanchez’s foot, injuring his ankle. For much of the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, everyone wondered whether the all-pro would be able to play in one of the biggest games of his career (he already played in and won one Super Bowl). In the end, Freeney toughed it out and played a solid game, including one amazing sack of Drew Brees to stop a nice Saints’ drive.

Last but not Least, The Commercials

I usually really enjoy to the Super Bowl commercials, but I thought the commercials this year were a pretty big failure overall. While I’m certainly biased as a person in the tech/web industry, I think the most memorable was the Google commercial. It was simple yet powerful. It was the first time that Google has advertised in the Super Bowl, which made the appearance extra surprising, I think. We all know and use Google, but a Super Bowl commercial was unexpected.

The LBJ & Dwight Howard McDonald’s commercial as well as the Doritos Samurai commercial, and the Doritos “Don’t touch my mama” commercial were some of my other favorites. A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the creativity of the Doritos Super Bowl campaign. I think the fans came through and voted for some great commercials. There were a couple of other memorable commercials, but other than that, I wasn’t terribly impressed.

What did you think? Did the game live up to the hype? How about the commercials?

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About Sam Taggart

Sam is a Creative Strategist for VaynerMedia, a social media agency based in New York City. Sam previously worked as an Account Executive for the New York Jets as well as the New Jersey Nets and spent time working with former NBA player Jalen Rose as well as NFL safety Kerry Rhodes. He now focuses on creative strategy across VaynerMedia's portfolio. You can follow Sam at http://twitter.com/gosam & visit VaynerMedia at http://www.vaynermedia.com.

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EA Teams Up With Doritos For Bowl Promo

By Aaron Baar

• Super Bowl Sunday means two things for most Americans: Snacks and Football. EA Sports is hoping to capitalize on the conversation by partnering with Doritos to give fans the chance to choose the cover athlete for the upcoming version of its popular gaming franchise, “Madden NFL 11.”
• “To associate our brand with Doritos is an honor, and it’s a great opportunity to talk about our brand on the product,” Chris Erb, senior director of marketing partnerships for EA Sports, tells Marketing Daily. “They’re going to sell a lot of chips, and we’re going to be a part of that. The timing is perfect.”

(www.mediapost.com)

Study: Spending on Email, Social And Search Rising

By David Goetzl

• Email service provider ExactTarget released a study this week showing marketers plan to boost spending in email, social media and other non-traditional outreach channels this year. Advisory firm Econsultancy conducted the research along with the Indianapolis-based ESP.
• The study of 1,000-plus marketers shows 54% of marketers said they will boost budgets for email marketing, and about 66% in social media (even though about 80% of those acknowledged the difficulty in tracking ROI in the medium).
• Delving deeper in social media, the research showed the medium is the “fastest growing digital marketing channel.” That includes venues from Facebook pages to blogs.

(www.mediapost.com)

CBS Reaches Goal: Super Bowl Ads Sold

By Wayne Friedman

• With a week to go before the big game, CBS has sold out its entire commercial inventory in the Super Bowl.
• Advertisers paid around $2.5 million to $2.8 million per commercial for one of its sixty 30-second in-game spots. According to media-buying executives, that seems to be about the same pricing average as what NBC pulled in a year ago.
• Last year, TNS Media Intelligence says NBC took home $213 million from overall game and pre-game advertising activities.

(www.mediapost.com)

Energy firm buys naming rights to Philly MLS venue

By Terry Lefton and Tripp Mickle

• Energy company PPL Corp. is finalizing a 10-year, $20 million naming-rights deal with MLS expansion team Philadelphia Union, some five months before the first match at what will be PPL Park, a new $120 million soccer stadium just outside of Philadelphia in Chester, Pa.

(www.sportsbusinessjournal.com)

Snow Patrol: Winter X Games Draws Record Crowd Of 84,100 Fans

• Winter X Games 14, which concluded yesterday in Aspen, drew approximately 84,100 people for the four-day event, “easily topping the previous Aspen record” of 76,150 set in ‘07.

(www.sportsbusinessdaily.com)

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About Ben Sturner

Ben Sturner is the Founder and CEO of Leverage Agency, one of the most respected, innovative, resourceful and ambitious sports and entertainment branding sponsorship agencies on Madison Avenue. Sturner has taken his multi-million dollar business from a small start-up in his New York City apartment to a premiere agency that has secured deals for clients including: Jimmy Kimmel Live, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, KFC, Gillette, Progressive Insurance, Southwest Airlines, Reebok, Comcast, Anheuser Busch, Fremantle Media, Mark Burnett Productions and NBC’s Prime Time Celebrity Apprentice, Reveille, Radical Media, as well as other top-tier brands. Ben has been named NYC Entrepreneur of the month in TrueNYC.com and has been interviewed and featured on ESPN, NBC, CNBC, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL as an expert in sports and entertainment sponsorship.

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