Attendance in all Sports is Down

Let’s hope the worst is over. Many sports leagues are experiencing slides at the box office. It may not be relevant if you look at the stats but many teams are suffering. Paid tickets have dropped across the board in all leagues including the NFL. The NFL teams are now selling group tickets where for years you couldn't buy a season ticket at many NFL stadiums. Good news is now families and younger adults who didn't have the means to pay for a high price ticket now can get a deal at every major sports venue. That's good news for leagues and teams because they will develop the next generation of fans now.
It may be a silver lining but top team executives need to now start working and be creative to get people to watch the games live.

NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE CHANGES

The NLL is gearing up for another year and there are some changes coming this year. San Jose moves to Everett Washington, my prediction is they double the attendance they had in San Jose. New York moves to Orlando, my prediction Orlando with Steve Donner, former owner of many minor league teams, running the show he takes that franchise to new heights. I think they go from last in attendance in NY to fourth in attendance. Orlando fans will love this sport. The National Lacrosse League has survived where other niche leagues have failed, i.e. AFL, MISL, etc. The NLL is going strong in its’ 24th year. Look for more Canadians team coming on board in the next few years.

Kelly Out at NHLPA

This was the best kept secret in hockey and just leaked out a few days before Kelly was let go by the NHL players association. It seemed Kelly never understood his role as head boss of the NHLPA. He always was in the paper and in the media giving his opinions on what cities the NHL should go to and what networks they should be on. He sounded more like a Commissioner then a Union boss. Gary Bettman is going to move teams and do television deals in spite of what the union head says so I never understood the point of Kelly always trying to one up Bettman. The NHLPA Union head needs to protect the players from unjust management decisions both on the team level and the league level. Many times the league will soften a penalty or dismiss it when the union gets involved that’s his job. Also he or she needs to keep the NHL players making money in these tough economic times not only through the negotiations of the CBA but also in marketing players to corporate sponsors, licensees and television people. The next Union head should be a marketing person that can make money in between the CBA years. There are plenty of lawyers around to make sure the NHL is in compliance with the current CBA.

Collective Bargaining Agreements Coming up for NFL, NBA and MLS

Commissioners of these leagues couldn’t have timed these talks any better. Union officials from these three leagues are going to have a hard time arguing the economic struggles that all sports are having right now. Ticket revenue is down, corporate sponsors are harder and harder to come by and television deals will be declining in revenue in the near future. Players from these leagues have had it pretty good for a while and now it’s time for them to suffer a bit. I think these agreements coming up will see either the status quo or rollbacks. Players, Union officials and League management understand the task ahead of them. I believe if each side gives a little; the negotiations should come out ok. Unfortunately when guys get in the room sometimes it’s not that easy.

Canadians set to Close and Glendale Keeps Playing Hockey

It’s been a crazy summer for hockey fans and the drama created out in Glendale, Arizona just tops it off. I see the team staying in Arizona and owned by the White Sox owners, the Reisendorf family. The team may not end up in Glendale for years to come only time will tell but it will surely be there for the next year or so. The Molson family needs to close soon and they will on the Montreal Canadians. Two great owners are coming into the NHL.

What’s up with Beckham?

David Beckham is a great player but he is no Pele. Pele started the soccer craze in the late 70’s in the United States and Canada and I believe he ended it when he retired from playing. One of the popularities of the Cosmos was its’ owner Warner Communications. They used their assets to promote Pele and the game. When Warner decided to get out of the soccer business and Pele retired the NASL, demise was not far behind. The MLS is the 5th major sport in the United States it has already claimed that footing. It just needs to be patient and convince more players like Beckham to come play here and the sport will thrive. MLS needs to jazz it up a bit just like Steve Ross did when Warner Communications ran the Cosmos. Bring back the dancers, bugs bunny, concerts and the celebrity sightings at games. David Beckham’s drama is good for the game. It’s getting the sport off of the sport pages and into the mainstream media. It’s all about television and internet now, the day of the newspaper sports section is over. The public relations gurus at the MLS offices in New York City are in no hurry for the Beckham drama to be over.

LPGA HEADED for a BIG CHANGE

When the economy changed last September all companies needed to change their focus and strategy. The LPGA needs to do the same. This economy crunch has hit everyone one way or another and it’s about to hit the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour. They need to lower their purse which means less money for the golfers. They need to lower their sponsorship packages so it’s more affordable for mid size companies. They also need to get more creative with sponsors. The LPGA golfers are very friendly, approachable and are some of the most respected and professional of all of the major sports athletes. They need to exploit those characteristics now more than ever and sponsors will flock to them if it’s priced right. The new LPGA commissioner needs to be a marketing person and a deal maker and the LPGA will be just fine.

NLL Commish Right Man for the Job

George Daniel was named Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League today and is the right man to lead the league in the future. George was the Deputy Commissioner and was instrumental in building the league to where it is today. He was the architect of many of the strides the league made over the last ten years and the league will continue to grow under his leadership. He is and was the brains behind the league’s television and labor deals the league has made over the years. With George at the helm, the NLL continues to be a great value for it’s’ team owners and future owners. Lacrosse is growing by leaps and bounds and will continue many years to come.

Canadians Sold to the Right Owners

Nice to see the Molson family getting back into hockey by buying the Montreal Canadians. I have spent a lot of time in Canada and hockey and Molson are synonymous together. You will see thousands of Canadians watching hockey games in bars in the winter and many of them are drinking a Molson product. Kudos to the NHL considering all of the labor problems they have experienced. Bettman has the league going in the right direction if the Canadians can command a half billion dollars. Let’s hope for fans of hockey that the Coyotes situation gets resolved sooner than later. I don’t see them leaving Arizona at least for next year.

UFL is Taking Off

Looks like there will definitely be another football league. The UFL will be kicking off this fall and with Frank Vuono, COO of the league along with Michael Hughue, Commissioner. It looks like a winner. The UFL is setting itself up to be a minor league to the NFL which would be the smarter play than to go head to head with the league. The UFL has a national television deal with Versus (the NHL television network in the United States). Sponsors are signing on and billionaire owners are buying teams, it looks like a recipe for success. The goal with the UFL is to get the last cuts on the NFL rosters. Many of these players could get picked up by the NFL as the season goes on which is a similar arrangement the NBA has with the D League. Hockey is king in Canada and football is king in the United States. Stay tuned, should be a good ride for the UFL.

New York Giants Season Tickets Available

For the first time in 2 decades you can now buy a season ticket to the NFL New York Giants. For years there was a waiting list and many lawsuits were filed with individuals claiming their rightful ownership to season tickets that were passed down from generation to generation. Many season tickets were left in wills. It’s a sign of the times for professional sports and with seat licenses so expensive for the new Giants stadium. I think we finally hit a brick wall in the ticketing business. The economy definitely plays a factor because season tickets are the first to go when cutting expenses. Just a few weeks ago, 13,000 people were attending a Lacrosse game in Calgary. With the average ticket prices at $25.00, I think you will see minor leagues and niche sports leagues thriving.

NHL Decision on Coyotes is Owner’s Decision

Gary Bettman is a very strong commissioner and the owners in the league usually follow his advice. Bill Daly is equally strong and he has a ton of respect from the owners. If Hamilton is going to get a team it is ultimately the owners of other NHL teams who will make the decision. But, make no mistake about it, you have to get through Bettman and Daly first. Owners tend to vote on what the commissioner recommends and in this scenario going into the Maple Leafs and Sabres territory there are plenty of reasons not to allow it. My bet is Hamilton gets a team but it is an expansion team and the price is $300 million.

Anheuser-Busch Heavyweight Joins Leverage Agency

Tony Ponturo has bought into Ben Sturner’s Leverage sports marketing firm. Budweiser is the king of beers and Tony who just retired from Anheuser-Busch headed up their powerful sports marketing department for years. Leverage Agency is a 5 year old sports marketing company that represents KFC, AVP Volleyball, Jimmy Kimmel Live among others. Ben Sturner already has made a name for himself as someone who can get into any meeting and can sell top sponsorships across the board. Everyone in the sports marketing business knows Tony Ponturo and very soon you will see this small firm grow into one of the big sports marketing firms in the country and everyone will soon know Leverage Agency.

Bad Economy Liquor Ads Get Reprieve

Looks like the Major Leagues are looking at lifting the prohibition on liquor ads for teams and for league sponsors. It’s funny how a soft sponsorship market changes people’s minds. I sell sponsorships for a living so it’s good news for me and my clients but I wonder if they would do it if the market was not so soft now. Most of the people that attend Major League sporting events are adults (people over 18). Even now you would think that a lot of kids attend these events. The only kids that are there are those accompanied by their parents. I don’t think there is any harm on having ads in arenas for liquor. Television is another issue because I think a lot of kids watch the games.

Reggie Jackson Best Player, Best Person

I am headed to New York City today to attend the Joe DiMaggio’s award dinner where Reggie Jackson is receiving the award. The first time a Yankee has received this prestigious award. Coincidently, I just completed a marketing deal with Reggie to have famous artist, Ruben Ramonda, paint his three home runs from the 1977 World Series. Reggie Jackson is a nice guy. He gives so much of his money to “Reggie’s Kids” an organization that helps kids go to college amongst other things. He has helped countless kids to have opportunities they might never have had. Reggie is a pleasure to deal with and generally is a nice guy. He shuns from publicity most of the time but behind the scenes he is a hero for a lot of kids. We all know his accomplishments on the field but for many years he has done much more great work off the field.

Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs will Save Horse Racing

It’s no secret that horse racing has taken a hit over the past few years. It was the dominant sport for decades along with baseball and boxing. The younger generation has not connected with the sport over the last 15 years. Tracks are having a difficult time getting patrons through the door. I have a feeling that’s all starting to change. The folks at Churchill Downs are now taking a new approach to running their tracks. I think over the next few years you will see new entertainment ideas that will cater to the younger generation such as concerts, new ways to bet, more entertainment at the tracks, etc. Churchill Downs has a smart executive named Mike Mossholder who has some great ideas and his team is going to change the way you experience a race when you watch the horses go around the track. I think it is overdue and finally someone in the horse racing industry is stepping up and creating an entertainment atmosphere.

Canadian Professional Athletes are the Nice Guys in the Industry

Canadian Professional Athletes are the Nice Guys in the Industry

I was driving this morning and I heard that the Rangers and the Devils both lost in the playoffs last night. I was listening to the interviews of the players and they were so polite and gracious, it got me thinking about the Canadian athletes compared to athletes in every other country. Canadian professional athletes, for the most part, are great role models for any kid. Maybe that’s why so many parents have their children playing hockey. They are polite, will do anything for the fans and sign autographs until their hands fall off. And, they are rarely in trouble with the law. Compared to other sports, hockey has to rate as having the most behaved athletes of all sports. My guess is that it’s because most of them are Canadians. In my eight year tenure as the former Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League, I could count on one hand the problems I had to deal with when it came to the behavior of the players. It’s no coincidence that 75 percent of the players in the league were Canadians. I think it is their modest upbringing in many rural towns in Canada and they don’t forget where they came from. I am sure if you asked Gary Bettman he will tell you the same.

UFC Overtaking Boxing

Boxing needs a Dana White, it’s that simple. I know Dana has great people around him helping him build the UFC but it starts at the top. I met Dana 5 years ago at the Sportel conference in Monaco where he was pitching worldwide television executives UFC for international distribution. He is a great salesman and sold it with passion. I don’t know how many countries carry it now, but here in the United States, this thing is huge. It has taken over boxing and I think in the next five years will rival WWE wrestling. I just did a deal with a nationwide television outlet to carry a reality show on one of their top fighters. It will be out in July. It’s going to show how these fighters live with their families and how hard they train to become a UFC champion. The ratings that it garners are rivaling all sports and the “pay for view” numbers are through the roof. Boxing better find a Dana White real soon or the sport of kings will be relegated to smaller and smaller venues and television executives will be replacing their boxing content with WWE and UFC.

High School Sports - The Next Big Thing

I am on my way to Bristol, Connecticut to meet with eight executives from ESPN with one of my clients of the National High School Coaches Association. The NHSCA put the first high school wrestling event on ESPN. It received great ratings on ESPN360 and the ESPN brass immediately called me to set up this meeting to see if the NHSCA would be interested in putting more high school events on. I have made this trip many times trying to sell ESPN on indoor Lacrosse. We were on a few times but could never get them to buy in for a game of the week, mainly because they are loaded up with content during the NLL season. Ratings is king and if high school sports rates, it's going to get on. ESPNU has been very successful with college sports and it seems natural to highlight the next college stars so fans can follow them on ESPNU for the next four years. It seems like high school sports is the new frontier for television executives.

Business of Sports and entertainment: National Lacrosse League playoffs

Business of Sports and entertainment: National Lacrosse League playoffs

National Lacrosse League playoffs

The NBA and the NHL have started their playoffs this past week. One sport you will find starting their playoffs this weekend will be the National Lacrosse League. Now I must admit I am a little bias since I was the commissioner for the league for 8 years but I can tell you this you will never find a more exciting sport to watch in the playoffs then this sport of indoor lacrosse. First thing is it is not the best of 5 series its one and done. If your favorite team is having a bad night and they lose, guess what they are out of the playoffs there is no second chances and there is no tomorrow when it comes to winning the championship in the NLL. The playoffs are three rounds and its one game each round. It is set up like the NFL and that's why its so exciting. The fans in the league are so passionate sometimes I needed security to get out of the buildings because some fans would get so upset when their team lost and one bad call by the referee and it was all my fault. They live and die by every shot every goal. There is no better fan then in the NLL and if you go to a game the playoffs are a good start for a new fan. You will get hooked and next year you will be yelling at George Daniel the current commissioner when your team loses. I hope he has security!!!!