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The Top News In #SportsBiz – 7.29.13 – 8.5.13

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Social Media In Sports

JP Arencibia is done with Social Media

jp-arencibia.1_FRT04Social media can be a great place for fans to interact with their favorite sports stars and vice versa.  On the other hand, it can prove to be too much for some.  Everyone has seen stars come and go on Twitter and fans can be enough to force both issues.

J.P. Arencibia – catcher for the Blue Jays – recently decided to close his account.  Besides his final three-tweet goodbye in which he thanked supporters, prayed for haters, and stated he gave up too much of himself, he had few words for the media:  “I’m done with it”.

It’s understandable to quite something that can be so negative at times.  With nearly 145,000 followers, Arencibia was bound to hear it from from fans as his batting average slumped to .219.  As a farewell, the Jays’ catcher was receiving tweets exclaiming:

“If jp arencibia had twiter I’d tell him I jus hucked his jersey off the condo balcony #shegawn”

It’s no wonder fellow catcher Josh Thole urged Arencibia to quit just as he had a couple years prior.

“It was just constant negativity,” Thole exclaimed. “As a team we weren’t playing well. Personally, I wasn’t playing well. So it was becoming a grind. Every time you opened your phone up, you had all these Twitter notifications, and it was, ‘You stink,’ ‘You suck,’ ‘You should jump off the bridge.’ I don’t need that.”

Social media, at times, can prove to be more than just a pie in the face for athletes.  Read more here.

Photo credit – sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Sports Technology

49ers’ new stadium Technology is quite advanced

Levi's Stadium will be full of the latest technologyIn an effort to fight against the increasing technology of the home, the 49ers are employing new technology of their own into Lev’s Stadium.

With the new Levi’s Stadium set to open before the 2014 season, fans will be delighted to know they won’t need to miss out on the action when they travel to the bathroom.  With the stadium’s WiFi system, you will be able to stream NFL Redzone and catch replays of all the action from the camera angle of your choice.  This will help aid in the all-important trip to the bathroom and not missing a second of the action.

Another useful feature the stadium will promote is the use of an app that allows fans to locate the stand with the shortest beer line.  Everyone hates lines, but they are inevitable at a live sporting event.  This app is sure to please beer drinkers.  The only question is wether or not the app will actually save you time if the shortest beer line is on the opposite side of the stadium.

The 49ers hope to battle at-home technology with their new in-house stadium technology.  With WiFi speeds reportedly running extremely fast, San Francisco seems to be on the right track.  Read more here.

Photo credit – timesofisrael.com

Sports Sponsorship

Wells Fargo agrees to Sponsor MLS

Wells Fargo agrees to sponsor MLSMajor League Soccer (MLS) and its commercial branch, Soccer United Marketing, have agreed to a sponsor deal with US financial services firm Wells Fargo.

This new deal makes Wells Fargo the exlcusive commercial lending partner of MLS and includes plans to place a second team in New York, owned by the Yankee’s Major League Baseball team.

In return, Wells Fargo will receive field level signage, advertising exposure via TV and online outlets, as well as right to use MLS intellectual property.  Jamie Moldafsky – Wells Fargo chief marketing officer – is excited about the new partnership.

“With our coast-to-coast presence, the time is right for Wells Fargo to invest in a national sports marketing sponsorship that allows us a unique and ownable platform for engaging new and existing customers, increasing our overall brand consideration and continuing to support community initiatives in the markets where we have customers and team members.  Soccer is a growing sport in the US, with a dedicated and passionate fan base, and Wells Fargo is proud to join fans across the country in our support of MLS and the sport of soccer.”

Read more here and find out more about the second New York MLS team here.

Photo credit – sports-logos-screensavers.com

Sports Business

NASCAR finds a new Business partner in NBC

NBC-NASCARTNT recently made claim that NASCAR was in its lowest rated season with the broadcasters in 29 years, which ultimately left NASCAR searching for a new business partner.  With ESPN neglecting to bid for coverage, NBC seemed to be a great fit for the sport.

In a deal that is worth $4.4 billion for NASCAR over a 10 year span, NBC Sports Group has acquired the rights to air the second half of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.  The deal was sweetened for NBC when considering the deal also comes with the rights to air NASCAR practice and qualifying sessions, the K&N Series, Whelen Modified Tour, Toyota (Mexico) Series, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and season-ending banquets.

With this new deal inked, NBC hopes to grow its affiliate fee from 33 cents per subscriber per month.  NBC’s sports chairman Mark Lazarus is optimistic:

“We think this is a major feather in our cap for our total business.  The importance to distributors and affiliates is a very strong business factor for us. … NASCAR is a major passion point for fans, and we’re there to serve all markets. I had to sell the value of NASCAR to my bosses. The NASCAR footprint made the sale easy. NASCAR’s audience is truly all over the country.”

The addition of Sprint Cup races seems to give NBC an even stronger Sunday lineup, with NASCAR leading into Sunday Night Football.  The overall value increase seems to leave NASCAR in a good place, as the deal represents a 54 percent increase over the amount ESPN and Turner currently pay for the same races.

You can read more here.

Photo credit – iracing.com

Sports Media

Anthem Media Group looks to boost fantasy sports television launch

Anthem Media Group acquires SportsGrid and RotoExpertAnthem Media Group’s Fantasy Sports Television Network recently acquired RotoExperts and SportsGrid to place the company as a leader in fantasy sports.

RotoExperts.com is one of fantasy sports leading providers of fantasy content, with over 30 programming hours a week on the Serius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio.  SportsGrid, on the other hand, is the ultimate destination for the media-savvy sports fan who wants to stay entertained, and is one of the top mainstream sports websites in the US.

While both acquisitions add something a little different to Anthem Media Group, they will both help to build a fantasy sports media empire.  SportsGrid, on its own, will add some promising commentators for the TV programming side of things.  At the same time, RotoExperts will add to the web side of the media content.  VP of Programming of Anthem and the FNTSY Sports Network, Chad Midgley explained:

“We intend to continue working with all components of the industry, including other websites, talent on both sides of the border, and the providers of the statistics and data feeds that support the industry”.

About Anthem Media Group Inc.

Anthem Media Group Inc. is a media company operating niche television channels on linear, digital and mobile platforms globally. It is the owner of Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channeland is a significant investor in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S., and FNTSY Sports Network, a TV channel to be launched this Fall targeting the burgeoning fantasy sports industry.

For more information, click here.

Photo credit – sportsgrid.com

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