The Briefing #089

10 Sep 2019 Posted by: Stephen O'Malley

The DataPOWA view on the most important talking points in the worlds of sport sponsorship and digital.

NBA & TEAMS HOLD THE POWA

Sportbusiness have featured the latest POWA index insights which show NBA’s Golden State Warriors as top the list of the US sports teams which wield the greatest sponsorship clout outside North America.

The POWA Index scores show the LA Lakers in second place with NBA teams dominating a Top 10 which features only the Dallas Cowboys (4) and New England Patriots (6) of the NFL and just one MLB team, the New York Yankees.

According to DataPOWA chief executive Mike Flynn, the figures underscore the global appear and marketability of NBA brands. “While NFL teams may be the more powerful sponsorship platform within the US, the global reach and appeal of the NBA which has been built up over the years are reflected in these figures,” he explained.

For more on this story, please visit Sportbusiness.com

THE ATHLETIC LIMBERS UP FOR GLORY

The Athletic is the new kid on the sports reporting block, but how will it fare in the long run? That’s the question asked by Bloomberg Businessweek’s Ira Boudway.

The subscription-based site launched in the US in 2016, and recently hit the UK to coincide with the start of the Premier League’s 2019/20 season.

Though plenty has been written about the site and around 600,000 people subscribe, it’s still not thought to be profitable across the board. Success, Boudway says, is all about adding services and boosting the value proposition.

“A lot rides on whether the Athletic can retain the large number of subscribers still reading through introductory discounts,” writes Boudway. “Doing so will require adding to the service so that it still feels like a bargain when it comes time to renew at full price.

“Earlier this year, the company added a podcast network – mostly beat writers talking about their teams and leagues – along with a New York office covering the business of sports.

“The move into the Premier League is as much about pleasing current subscribers as it is about adding new ones in the U.K.”

For more on this story, please visit Bloomberg Businessweek

OPTA FOCUS ON DATA-DRIVEN STORYTELLING

Sports data should be used to augment a story rather than take centre stage itself, according to Opta’s chief data editor.

Speaking to Sports Pro Media, Duncan Alexander outlines how the company has placed itself at the heart of sport’s data revolution and what future developments may bring to the industry.

“Technological advances are already allowing us to interrogate datasets and extract new insights and better stories,” Alexander says. “Artificial intelligence (AI) models will further speed this up and allow fans, the media and clubs to get the bespoke information they need, faster than ever before.

“The golden rule remains though: data is there to augment the story, not be the story. The best stat is the one that gets so widespread you hear it in conversation on the bus.”

For more on this story, please visit SportsPro Media

NFL OPEN TO STREAMING SERVICES

The NFL may look to sell broadcasting rights to streaming platforms in the future, according to its commissioner Roger Goodell.

Packages will be up for grabs again in 2021, and speaking to Sports Business Journal, Goodell says that he’s confident that a streaming service would be able to handle them.

“Absolutely. These are really very sophisticated companies, they are making huge investments into video. I firmly believe, and I hear this more consistently, that live sports can make a difference in a lot of those platforms.

“I do firmly believe that these other platforms are going to be players in future negotiations. And frankly they are in current negotiations.”

For more on this story, please visit Sports Pro Media

FORMULA ONE GOES THE DISTANCE

The F1 season will grow again next year as two new races – in Vietnam and the Netherlands – have been added to the calendar.

The Dutch Grand Prix will take place at Zandvoort, while the streets of Hanoi will host the race in Vietnam. The German Grand Prix has been removed, but the overall total still comes in at a record 22 races.

The decision means that there will be seven back-to-back race weekends, and offers up further opportunity for sponsors to generate additional value for money.

The sport’s owner Liberty Media has previously stated that it would like to run 24-race seasons, and events in South Africa, Morocco and Saudi Arabia are thought to be in contention.

For more on this story, please visit BBC Sport

GOOD SHOUT

JAPAN TIMES: Japan’s Paralympic organizers expect huge boost in support and awareness from 2020 Games

CITY AM: Anatomy of a modern football fan: The evolving trends and tastes of the Premier League’s global following

BBC SPORT: Huddersfield Town given FA fine after Paddy Power kit breaks advertising rules

SPORTS PRO MEDIA: Bayern Munich announce €750.4m annual revenues

THE VERGE: The NFL is now on TikTok to court younger viewers