Sports Business Journal — May 24, 2021

MAY 24-30, 2021
VOLUME 24 ISSUE 8 • $7.95

CHAMPIONS 2021

Detroit’s
Idea
Factory

Tom Wilson’s bold thinking
built arenas and championship
organizations that elevated the
game-day experience.

PAGEs 16-24

How Whoop Live is The Esports Observer: The Silver Seven: In-Depth: Hitting the
bringing viewers the Why so many owners Young NHL execs who (sports)books gives
heartbeat of sports. have ties to U.S. teams. burst out in the bubble. graduates an edge.

PAGE 6 PAGE 12 PAGE 26 PAGE 30

Congratulations to
DOUG GLANVILLE, MICHAEL PHELPS,
and PETER CARLISLE on your

SPORTS EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

and dedicated efforts to amplify
the important and necessary global
conversations surrounding social justice
and mental health.

DOUG GLANVILLE MICHAEL PHELPS PETER CARLISLE

Writer & Narrator Executive Producer & Narrator Executive Producer

Dick Schaap Outstanding Outstanding Long Sports
Writing Award Short Form Documentary
ESPN HBO

We are proud to have you as part of
our Octagon Family, and to work alongside
you on projects that help influence and
improve sports and society.

octagon.com | @octagon

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

STATE OF PLAY

GOOD NEWS

The Utah Jazz announced 55
college scholarship winners —
one for each of their 52 regular-

season and three preseason
wins this year — all of whom are

state residents and people of
color and will attend an in-state

university.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

C“aTphteain”

ESPN Up Off The Mat
announced
it will air a

six-part Ten months after announcing it would drop 11 varsity sports due to a budget crunch, Stanford University reversed

documentary course, declaring that all of those programs — men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s
series on rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling — would con-
the life and tinue after all. The school said it had “an improved financial picture” thanks in part to fundraising efforts to support
career of those programs, which have combined for 20 national titles and 27 Olympic medals.
former

New York

Yankees

shortstop

DEREK

JETER in YOU’RE HIRED IN WITH THE NEW
2022.
Duke promoted Senior Deputy The first NBA play-in game
Athletic Director NINA KING

to AD, replacing the retiring format was highlighted

Kevin White and making by a stellar showdown
her the third Black in which LeBron
woman in that position James’ Lakers beat
at a Power Five school. Stephen Curry’s

Warriors, showcasing

the potential of

the idea.

Getty Images (2); NBAE / Getty Images; Reagan Lunn “ MONEY TALKS THE METER
Now I have the opportunity to
hone my gardening skills and OUT WITH THE NEW

”work on my ballroom dancing. The Columbus Crew

decided not to rebrand
the team to Columbus SC
after all, citing supporter
pressure, and will keep

its original name
“forever,” according to
co-owner Peter Edwards.

— Longtime NBA broadcaster MARV ALBERT, who announced

that he would retire this year, ending a career that began in 1963.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 3

FORUM

A big week for three
trailblazing executives

T HREE WOMEN previously honored by class. Few executives in the business are more
Sports Business Journal for being respected than Ackerman, who we honored
pioneers and leaders in the industry in our second class of Champions in 2011. In
re-reading John Lombardo’s detailed profile
were in the news or recognized recently for of her, a few things struck me. Long before The entire contents
“authenticity” became an overused cliché in of this magazine are
continued outstanding achievement. It’s 2021, Ackerman noted 10 years ago that what- copyrighted by Street &
ever success she had was due to “having au- Smith’s Sports Business
gratifying to see, and the work they have done thenticity and being capable.” Journal 2021 with all rights
reserved. Street & Smith’s
shouldn’t get lost in a rapid news cycle. In- Both are true attributes for someone who is a registered trademark
was tabbed by David Stern at the age of 30 of Leaders Group Holdings
stead, it should be amplified and celebrated. to be his special assistant and gradually took LLC. Reproduction or use,
on more and more on her way to breaking without permission, of
ABRAHAM MADKOUR  JANET MARIE SMITH: The past two months barriers across sports. From the WNBA to editorial or graphic content
have only enhanced the brilliant career of the USA Basketball to the Big East, she’s been in any manner is prohibited.
PUBLISHER AND sports architect from Mississippi. In April, all about “firsts.” I’ve always been struck by Street & Smith’s Sports
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Smith unveiled the latest phase in a major the amount of work Ackerman has put in Business Journal (ISSN-
renovation of Dodger Stadium that won raves, — the hours and hours for the projects she 1098-5972) is published
THIS WEEK including an expansive new center field en- takes on. Former Big Ten Commissioner Jim weekly, with the exception
trance plaza. One reviewer said Smith’s touch- Delany’s remark stood out when he said, “All of the first week of July
MARKETING es were “so logical, you wonder how the good leaders have to confront what needs to and the last two weeks of
8 SCALING UP stadium ever functioned without them.” In be confronted, and one of Val’s good qualities December, for $315 a year
May, she cut the ribbon on Polar Park, the is that she was never afraid of the issues.” A by Street & Smith’s Sports
Elevate Sports Ventures’ sparkling new home of the Class AAA Worces- remark by her former WNBA colleague Gary Business Journal, at 120
acquisition of Infinite ter Red Sox. The team is owned by Larry Luc- Stevenson could apply to Ackerman’s bril- West Morehead Street, Suite
Scale expected to offer chino, who has worked with Smith throughout liant career: “It was remarkable what she did 310, Charlotte, NC 28202.
clients more design her career. The two projects show the breadth and the style in which she did it. It was ground- In Canada $382 per year,
options. and depth of her talent — from revitalizing breaking stuff, but yet it was never about her.” includes GST and all other
By Bret McCormick one of the best-known ballparks in the game The late David Stern summed up Ackerman’s countries $485, includes
in Los Angeles to designing a park in downtown contribution best, saying, “Val is smart, tal- a one-year subscription
EXECUTIVE SEARCH Worcester that holds just under 10,000 fans. ented and she is a good person. That is a win- and expedited air delivery
9 INTERNATIONAL ning combination.” Indeed it is. (GST#139794580).
We honored Smith as a Champion in 2017, Periodicals postage paid at
PUSH and Bill King chronicled when a 30-year-old CAROL STIFF: The Hall of Fame also named Charlotte, NC, and additional
CAA Search shows 60% Smith sent a blind résumé to the Baltimore Stiff, a longtime ESPN executive, as the re- mailing offices. Street &
increase in revenue in Orioles, who were looking for an in-house cipient of the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achieve- Smith’s Sports Business
the past year and grows architect for design and construction of a ment Award. We honored Stiff as a Game Journal is a publication of
globally with new execs. new ballpark. My favorite part of the story Changer in 2016 for working tirelessly to pro- Leaders Group Holdings
was that Lucchino reviewed all the discarded mote women’s sports. After she played hoops LLC. Street & Smith’s Sports
By Liz Mullen résumés, came across Smith’s and asked his at Southern Connecticut State University, she Business Journal is an equal
staff, “This is a woman who is an architect tried coaching before joining ESPN in 1990 in opportunity employer.
MEDIA with a master’s degree in urban planning. an entry-level role in communications. Good
14 N EW MARKETS Don’t you think that’s the sort of person we thing she did, because over the last three de- POSTMASTER: Please
ought to be talking to?” That led to the ground- cades she’s played a pivotal role in the growth send address changes
FOR TALENT breaking work at Camden Yards, which was of women’s sports. She’s been a well-respect- to Street & Smith’s
Excel talent agent Gideon followed by her work converting Atlanta’s ed leader in Bristol and nationally. In our Sports Business Journal —
Cohen sees new opportu- Centennial Olympic Stadium into Turner profile of her a few years ago, she acknowl- Subscriber Services,
nities for on-air talent, but Field and the construction of Philips Arena. edged the biggest challenge she faced in work- P.O. Box 36637,
not at networks. Then she worked with Lucchino on building ing in sports was, “having my voice heard.” Charlotte, NC 28236-6637
Petco Park and the amazing renovation of We should appreciate that she’s used her voice
By John Ourand Fenway Park. Now Dodger Stadium and Polar so effectively, as well as for how many women FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL
Park have all the graceful touches and char- she helped advance in sports along the way. 1-800-829-9839
LABOR acter of her previous work, and reaffirm her
15 NO LEVERAGE as one of the top sports architects ever. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating these For article reprints, please
leaders and thanking them for what they have contact celebrate@
MLBPA’s Tony Clark done — and continue to do — for our industry. sportsbusinessjournal.com
says union’s grievance or call customer service at
against MLB won’t play Abraham Madkour can be reached at 1-800-829-9839.
a role in collective bar- [email protected].
gaining.  VAL ACKERMAN: The news that Ackerman
By Liz Mullen will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 2021 in the contributor category was
COLLEGE enthusiastically received by so many of my
25 OBSTACLE colleagues and sources. When I reached out
to congratulate her, Ackerman, as is her way,
COURSE deflected the kudos and instead said how
AD Chris Pezman guides happy she was for the other members in the
Houston in a crowded
market and through SBJ PODCASTS
financial challenges.
BUZZCAST
By David Barron
Check out Buzzcast in Morning Buzz, our podcast that looks at the top sports business stories of the day.
OPINION. . . . . . . . . 36
CLOSING SHOT. . . . 38 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

Cover image by Rick Osentoski

4 | M AY 24-30, 2021

NOMINATIONS FOR 2021 GAME CHANGERS HONOREES
NOW BEING ACCEPTED

Do you know a successful woman who is
serving as a leader in the sports industry?

Nominate her to be recognized as
a Game Changer honoree.

VISIT WWW.GAME-CHANGERS-CONFERENCE.COM
TO ACCESS THE NOMINATION FORM.

NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED MAY 17 – JUNE 14 (11:59 PM ET), 2021

GOLD SPONSORS

GIFT PROVIDER

upfront

Thanks to the Whoop
on his wrist, golf fans
were able to watch Rory
McIlroy in a whole new
way as he tossed aside
his struggles en route
to his first PGA Tour win
since 2019 at the Wells
Fargo Championship.

A True Display of Heart ing experience forever. Whoop, the rapidly expanding human per-
formance wearable — which became the official fitness wearable
Whoop Live and other wearable tech devices are showing for the PGA Tour in January — is offering an alluring element for
the world what being an athlete is really like. BY ERIC PRISBELL networks and broadcasters, but the Whoop Live integration is just
the beginning, said CEO and founder Will Ahmed, who eyes pos-
T HOSE WHO TUNED IN to watch Rory McIlroy close out a sibilities in other sports.
one-shot victory on the 18th hole of the final round at
the Wells Fargo Championship on May 9 may have “There is something intimate about that feeling, watching [Rory]
wondered whether the golfer’s heart was pounding. have a 3-foot putt to win the tournament on the 18th hole and seeing
his heart rate at 135 beats per minute,” Ahmed said, his voice rising
The next day, the PGA Tour’s official Instagram account pro- with enthusiasm. “I mean, 135 is pretty jacked — you’re feeling
something. To know that one of the world’s best golfers feels even
vided an answer. Along with video taken from the CBS broadcast, a little nervous, or quite nervous, in that situation is exciting for
fans. What’s it going to be like when it’s the Ryder Cup and the
in the lower left-hand corner viewers were able to see McIlroy’s match is even and you have screaming fans?”

real-time heart rate fluctuate as the suspense built. They saw it The concept of bringing athletes’ biometric data to fans has long
stirred in Ahmed’s mind; he recalls broaching it for years with his
surge from 120 beats per minute to 140 when his errant tee shot mentor David Stern, the former NBA commissioner who was a
Whoop investor before he died in January 2020. Two years ago,
landed in the penalty area near the creek and then, having dodged Stern told Sports Business Journal that — provided player buy-in
was secured — introducing real-time athlete biometric data in a
disaster, watched it race to 152 immediately following his victory live broadcast would be a cutting-edge enhancement affecting en-
tertainment, performance and ultimately sports betting.
when he tossed his ball into the crowd chanting his name at Quail
These are heady times for Ahmed. An SBJ Forty Under 40 hon-
Hollow Club in Charlotte. oree this year, his 10-year-old Boston-based company raised $100
million in Series E funding in the fall with a valuation of $1.2 billion.
It was all part of Whoop Live, which first enabled viewers to see

McIlroy’s changing metrics during Golf Channel’s coverage of the Getty Images

second round. McIlroy had signed off on making those metrics

public in the live broadcast, and if other athletes agree to do the

same with their real-time biometric data it could change the view-

6 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

In the past 16 months, it has taken on TCS New York City Marathon, when  A video on the positive, that are contributing to the greatness of the
added importance for its ability to re- viewers saw runners’ biometric data PGA Tour’s Instagram sport?” asked Schmidt, whose company offers player
turn data that might indicate an early through Performance Metrics Powered account the day after tracking technology. “That’s probably what the play-
warning sign of COVID-19. And despite by TCS. A handful of runners wore the tournament showed ers want. If they do that, we will see an increase in
the pandemic, Whoop has grown from small electronic devices that collected how McIlroy’s heart rate in-game usage of data for fan engagement. Fans are
120 employees to more than 500, while real-time data — heart rate, breathing changed on the final longing for that because they are already using data
signing a lease on a 121,000-square-foot rate, cadence and pace — for in-race hole as he held on for a for fantasy games.”
global headquarters in the shadow of analysis. A host broke down the metrics one-shot victory.
Fenway Park that staffers will move live in the broadcast. In the future, imagine being able to see your favor-
into next year.  Some runners at the ite baseball player’s heart rate as he stands in the
“Everyone sees that it is the future, 2019 TCS New York City batter’s box in the bottom of the ninth of a pivotal
But it is this innovative fan engage- there is no doubt about it,” said Maxi- Marathon wore a device playoff game. Or the heart rate of a field goal kicker
ment element that most piques Ahmed’s milian Schmidt, Kinexon co-founder that allowed in-race as he marches onto the field before attempting a po-
enthusiasm. It’s entirely an opt-in fea- and managing director, speaking both analysis of breathing rate tential game-winning field goal. Or a basketball
ture for golfers; heart rate data was in general and related to Amazon Web and pace, among other player standing at the free throw line with the game
displayed for Mcllory and Justin Thom- Services’ Next Gen Stats in the NFL. metrics. in his hands.
as at the Wells Fargo. Players whose
data is featured on the PGA Tour’s In the German handball league, While the data from those scenarios would be re-
social channels receive $10,000 donated Handball Bundesliga, Kinexon collects vealing, it would also be dependent on discussions
to the charity of their choice. Ahmed all movement and performance data between respective leagues and players associations.
expects a large number of golfers to opt from nearly 400 players at games. Coach- Harpreet Rai, the CEO of Oura, believes the No. 1
in and participate. es and the league use real-time data, issue that “people don’t talk about enough” is the
while sponsors, media and fans receive need for leagues, unions and technology companies
If they do, Whoop will be able to selected live statistics as well. Schmidt to ultimately work toward establishing guidelines
choose a highlight from any PGA Tour said specific metrics are shown in a and guardrails for the use of athletes’ biometric data
event they’re playing in on which to halftime show on the venue’s video to allay data privacy concerns.
overlay a golfer’s heart rate. Because screen to inform fans which athlete was
of contractual reasons, Whoop Live is most active or contributed the most. Oura, known for a finger-based health tracker, has
only available during NBC and Golf established an ethics committee to navigate such data
Channel broadcasts, but the real-time “Is the data telling stories that are privacy issues. One important element, Rai said, is
data can be shared post-event on social that any use of the data for fan engagement purpos-
media from tournaments broadcast by es is strictly voluntary as an opt-in feature. If the
other networks, as was the case with major sports leagues can overcome those hurdles,
the Wells Fargo. It will be used during the benefits could be striking.
the Memorial Tournament’s Golf Chan-
nel coverage in early June, the FedEx “That could be huge,” Rai said. “Leagues are think-
Cup playoffs, which begin in August, ing about ways to re-engage fan bases.”
and the Ryder Cup in September during
NBC’s coverage. For Australian cricket coverage in 2018, Catapult,
the sports performance analytics company, launched
Ahmed said Whoop now has the tech- a broadcast overlay, sponsored by Gatorade, which
nology to broadcast the heart rate live, allowed viewers to see data — total distance run, top
sending the data from the individual’s speed, etc. — supplied by Catapult’s GPS-enabled
body directly to the broadcast command tracking technology. “We do offer our data for broad-
center before a network integrates it cast purposes,” said Catapult CEO Will Lopes, “but
on televisions at home. with the connection of the union and league. And it’s
very specific about which data and how it will show
“That is pretty exciting and has never up on the screen.”
really been done before, at least as I
know, in recent history in U.S. [major] Ahmed believes visible biometric data makes pro
sports,” he said. “I think we will be able athletes more relatable for the common fan.
to bring it to a lot of properties after
we do it with golf.” “The misconception that people have about profes-
sional athletes is that they don’t get nervous and are
While examples are limited in the somehow immune to the moment,” Ahmed said. “It’s
United States, they do include the 2019 actually the opposite. They do get nervous but they
are incredible at managing that stress. The world’s
Instagram/PGA Tour; Getty Images best athletes can rise to a level of stress that would
break most people or break amateurs or break the
50th- or 100th-best golfer in the world but not the top-
five golfer. That is something that Whoop Live helps
visualize.”

What’s next for Whoop is already percolating in
the minds of Ahmed and his product development
engineers, who are working on elevating the technol-
ogy to match the bounds of their imagination.

“The important thing about leading an innovative
technology company is that your vision, or your
imagination, is way out ahead of where the technol-
ogy is today,” Ahmed said. “We are equally excited
about what we are seeing happen day to day in the
market as we are with what we are building in the
background that no one knows about.”

To hear directly from Will Ahmed and other top
decision makers in sports business, check out SBJ’s
Unpacks podcast at sportsbusinessjournal.com.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 7

UPFRONT

Elevate’s acquisition of the 19-year-old design firm will remain as is, includ-
Infinite Scale offers clients ing the company’s name and branding, its 21 em-
more design firepower ployees, and its primary base in Salt Lake City,
where it opened a new show studio in 2019.

“We knew at some point we had to figure out a
long-term succession plan,” said Mazzolini, who
was a member of Sports Business Journal’s 2016
class of Game Changers. “We wanted to protect the
legacy of Infinite Scale and ensure that what we

and our team had built would continue to move

IN ANY MEETING to discuss the building of a new which were Infinite Scale clients. That spawned a forward. The methodologies we’ve created, the de-

sports venue or event, dozens of properties could strategic alliance between Elevate and Infinite Scale, signs, the process, which is really unique and a

be represented, ranging from the team or owner to which later led to further collaboration

concessionaires, to a sales representation and eventually discussions

agency, to an architect or design studio. BY BRET about joining forces. Last
Elevate Sports Ventures is trying to McCORMICK week, the companies closed a
deal in which Elevate will ac-
bring many of those capabilities under

one roof. Its latest acquisition is design quire Infinite Scale; no finan-

firm Infinite Scale, which will give Elevate cial terms were disclosed.

brand, venue, event and sponsorship design capa- Infinite Scale designs for brands, ven-

bilities under one agency. Elevate also recently ues, events and digital, with services

acquired Dynamic Pricing Partners to boost its ranging from crystallizing brand identi-

ticketing presence and struck a strategic partner- ties and strategy to wayfinding signage

ship with Learfield IMG College. and experiential style guides. The com-

“When we looked at Infinite Scale, that was an pany was formed in conjunction with the

easy one for us,” said Elevate President Chip Bow- 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake

ers. “We become that one-stop shop, full suite of City, and it has worked on more than 130

service for our partners, and the fact that we can high-level events and venues in the years

do that so naturally with Infinite Scale is why this since, including the Super Bowl, College

was such a good fit. We don’t feel like we need to Football Playoff, NHL Winter Classic and

bring them up to speed or work around different U.S. Open Tennis Championships, as well Infinite Scale and Molly Mazzolini first talked to Elevate in 2019.

personalities.” as Levi’s Stadium, Chase Center, Texas

Infinite Scale owners Amy Lukas, Cameron Smith A&M’s Kyle Field and Daytona International Speed- differentiator for us, we wanted that to live on too.

and Molly Mazzolini first chatted with Elevate way. So, when this idea and concept came up, we knew

Chairman Al Guido in 2019 when Levi’s Stadium Lukas, Smith and Mazzolini will join Elevate’s that this was the perfect answer for us and would

hosted the Pac-12 football championship, both of executive team but essentially everything else about also allow us to continue along with it.”

Learfield, Tappit team up to give schools more data, mobile fan options

LEARFIELD IMG COLLEGE AND TAPPIT have Fanbase, data that is then put to work
announced a multiyear strategic partnership that
will make Tappit available to Learfield’s hundreds in marketing efforts via Fan365.
of university clients.
Some colleges will be ready to
The move strengthens Learfield IMG College’s
fan experience offerings and its fan data efforts, deploy Tappit’s white label tech
while giving U.K.-based Tappit, a mobile fan
experience tech company, a strong foothold in the through their individual apps, while
college sports market as it grows in the U.S.
others will need to build or enhance
“Frankly, it allows us to punch above our weight
in some ways being a newish solution in the apps to accommodate mobile ordering
marketplace, by partnering with what I’ll call the
preeminent player in the college space,” said and other uses of Tappit’s tech. But
Tappit Chief Revenue Officer Meka White Morris.
Judelson said Learfield wouldn’t have
Andrew Judelson, Learfield IMG College
executive vice president of national sales, said that pursued the partnership with Tappit if
Tappit stood out from a large pack because it
brought business-to-consumer and business-to- none of its partner schools could
business value, whether making the fan experi-
ence safer and easier through contactless mobile benefit from employing the tech.
concessions ordering or the amounts of new fan
data that Tappit will provide for schools. Judelson The partnership is Tappit’s first entry
said that Learfield IMG College would consider
strategic partnerships with other mobile fan into college sports, after landing deals
experience tech companies in the future.
with the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City
“We were evaluating from a fan experience
perspective, but also evaluating it from delivering Tappit will have access to schools like Arkansas for the first time. Chiefs, San Antonio Spurs and San
value to our university partners,” said Judelson,
Diego Padres during the past year.

“for them to ultimately make the decision of what White Morris spent nine months at Learfield IMG

partner to deploy in their venues, versus us, quote, College overseeing its national sales team and was

unquote, forcing a specific player on them.” familiar with what her counterparts across the

The move jells with Learfield IMG College’s negotiating table needed.

data-focused push of the past year, during which “She understands the college space, she

the company launched Fanbase — Learfield’s understood the value of what Learfield IMG Jannah Din; Getty Images

data repository, which is being used by more than College could do,” Judelson said. “And I think she

100 schools — and Fan365, a marketing platform understood the challenges of [Tappit] trying to do

that’s marrying intellectual property with data to this on their own versus the value of finding a

reach consumers in valuable ways. Tappit eventu- strategic partner, who could help accelerate

ally will be another source of data feeding opportunity and potential deployment.” — B.M.

8 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

CAA Search adds two new executives, Lost Boyz Inc.
looks to grow more internationally to receive
Celebration of
CAA SPORTS’ executive placement arm, CAA Search, Service Award

has seen revenue increase by 60% since the pan-

demic started and is expanding, adding two more

executives to its team.

Joe Aiken, who most recently worked at Heidrick

& Struggles International Inc., where he was a senior CHICAGO-BASED LOST BOYZ INC. will be

associate in the Global Financial Officers and Fi- honored as the Celebration of Service Award

nancial Services Practice, will join recipient at the Sports Business Awards on

BY LIZ MULLEN CAA Search’s New York office. June 23.
CAA Search has also hired Gra-
Founded in 2009 by LaVonte Stewart, a

ham Hutchison, a former profes- native of Chicago’s South Side, Lost Boyz

sional footballer who played in the provides sports-based

Premier League and EFL before working in the ex- BY JOHN LOMBARDO youth development to

ecutive search business, and most recently led the underprivileged kids

global sports and entertainment practice for a bou- within some of the

tique UK firm. Hutchison will work out of London. city’s most economically disadvantaged

“The business continues to grow at a rapid pace neighborhoods.

because the smart sports businesses recognize they Under Stewart’s leadership, the organiza-

don’t have the right talent across a number of key tion runs 12 boys and girls baseball and

areas,” said Joe Becher, head of CAA Search. “This softball teams within the city for kids between

was really emphasized by COVID.” 4 and 14 years

Becher attributes the increase in revenue during Previous Celebration of age while
of Service recipients also offering
the pandemic to two main factors. First, COVID made

company executives realize that they needed to invest Since 2017, the Celebra- academic

in talent in the areas of tech, fan engagement, digital tion of Service Award has tutoring,

engagement, content creation and data and analytics. honored an organization that cultural

Secondly, CAA Search had multiple clients with increases social awareness awareness,

businesses that fared well in the locked-down envi- and imparts positive change and civic

ronment. through the power of sports. engagement

“We happen to play heavily in the direct-to-con- Year Winner programs as
part of the
sumer space, whether it be with streaming busi- 2017 Homeless World Cup organization’s
overall
nesses, video games companies, betting, connected PeacePlayers mission. The
International nonprofit also
fitness or the work we do in the music space,” Becher 2018

said. “All of these areas have remained very active 2019 PowerPlay NYC

during the pandemic.”

CAA Search’s business is growing internation- 2020 Team IMPACT runs work-

ally as well as domestically. As a result, CAA Search 2021 Lost Boyz Inc. force develop-
ment pro-
executive Asher Simons has recently relocated from

New York to London, where he will oversee interna- grams for kids

tional expansion efforts. between the ages of 15 and 21.

“Being based in London allows me to play an even There are about 125 kids in the program

greater role in guiding our team of world-class search with a goal to reach up to 160 kids by the end

executives, furthering our presence and expertise for of 2021.

clients throughout the region,” Simons said. He will For Stewart, the goal is to use baseball to

oversee a team of seven based in London, including help needy kids establish “positive trajecto-

Hutchison and Caz Lacey, a video gaming executive Joe Aiken (top), Graham Hutchison join CAA Search. ries” while increasing self-confidence and

who joined the firm right before the pandemic started. the U.K. CAA Search has worked on behalf of 17 of character development.
the top 20 soccer clubs in Europe.
CAA Search’s move comes amid an international “It is not just practice and go home for
“I expect our soccer business to continue to grow,”
expansion of executive search firms and increased Becher said. “We already work with the majority of these kids,” Stewart said. “There are other
the largest football teams in Europe, and I expect
profits for some despite the pandemic. For example, this to continue. I also see our U.S. clients continuing components as part of sports-based youth
to expand in Europe and I think we will see private
global search firm ZRG acquired Len Perna’s Turn- equity and U.S. investors continue to spend money development. It formalizes the things we
on European sports assets.”
key Search in January, after Turnkey’s record year know to be true in sports.”
Being able to place executives when they were not
in 2020, as part of its growth strategy. It’s not all able to meet candidates in person was a bit of a chal-
lenge, but there were ways around it.
positive for all companies, though. Of the top 50
“It’s much more difficult to get a sense around
overall executive search firms, according to Hunt chemistry and style through a video conference
rather than in person,” said Becher. “It meant having
Scanlon Media which covers the industry, 29 saw to conduct more sessions with candidates than nor-
mal, to make extra sure that they have the right
declining revenue in 2020. personality and style to be a fit for our clients.”

Courtesy of CAA Search (2) CAA Sports launched CAA Search in January 2017. Winners in 15 categories will be announced,
along with recognition of Paul Fireman, recipient
In the U.S., some of CAA Search’s clients include of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Lost
Boyz Inc. for Celebration of Service.
the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Blackhawks, Fanatics,
n Virtual awards ceremony
Hisense USA and NASCAR. n 7 p.m. ET, June 23
n Complimentary registration for the event
Internationally over the past four years, the unit available at www.Sports-Business-Awards.com

has completed 200 executive searches for companies

in China, France, Germany, Holland, India, Italy,

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 9

UPFRONT

New series spotlights virtual sports with registrations within a few days of
launching.
eye toward future Olympic inclusion But more than a marketing tool, the
OVS is a step toward fulfilling the

recommendation from the 2020+5

THE OLYMPIC Virtual Series, a gaming Federations. Subsequent meetings two worlds we will get some new play- agenda that gaming be given a place

showcase for the e-versions of five with esports stakeholders led to a ers and new competitors.” in the full Olympic spotlight. The shift

physical sports including baseball and recommendation in the IOC’s 2020+5 Rounding out the initial slate are toward appreciating esports and vir-

sailing, is at its core an attempt for agenda that virtual sports, or physical international federations for baseball tual gaming as valid competitions has

the International Olympic Committee competitions held in virtual spaces, and softball, cycling, rowing and sail- already happened at the sport level,

to reach a younger audience. But the be considered for a place in Olympic ing. Other IFs that expressed interest as Bertrand notes that FIA’s esports

series, which kicked off programming. That agenda but were left out of the debut series initiative was initially a marketing

earlier this month and runs BY CHRIS SMITH was approved in March, and include FIBA, FIFA, the ITF and World endeavor but now falls under his pur-
through Olympic Day on the IOC quickly pivoted to Taekwondo. DreamHack Sports Games view as a stand-alone competition.

June 23, is also the first real launch a platform for vir- is marketing and producing the OVS, “It was not so obvious at the very

indicator that virtual physical sports tual gaming ahead of this summer’s and the IOC has partnered with Nielsen beginning, but there is a proper dis-

— and, perhaps, non-physical esports Olympics in Japan. The IOC an- to perform quantitative and qualitative cipline,” he said. “What we clearly

— may have a formal place in the nounced the OVS in April, marking research around the series and how it aim for right now is not only ‘let’s

Olympic Games by LA28. its first entry into esports. leads to sustained engagement through bring some new fans to watch motor-

“The real opportunity around an The OVS includes more than just the Summer Games in Tokyo and the sports’ or ‘let’s just detect additional

Olympic Virtual Series for this year physically challenging virtual games Winter Games in Beijing next year. fans,’ but let’s create a proper catego-

came actually with the postponement like cycling races on at-home training That engagement is key, as a core ry of esports linked to motorsports.

of Tokyo,” said IOC Sports Director bikes. The series has three non-physi- goal of the OVS is to use gaming as a Because all the values we have in the

real one can live

also in the virtual

one.”

There are no firm

plans yet in place

for the future of the

OVS, but IOC lead-

ership is already

eyeing how it can

evolve into an an-

nual series.

As for esports at

the Olympics, a

form of virtual

competition is like-

The Olympic Virtual Series offers a gaming showcase for five virtual versions of physical sports, including baseball (left) and motorsports. ly on the horizon:
The adoption of the

2020+5 agenda in

Kit McConnell, who noted that lock- cal esports, including auto racing game bridge to a new, younger audience. March has made room for physical

down-related spikes in gaming activ- Gran Turismo Sport and sailing simu- “The Olympic Virtual Series fits right virtual sports as Olympic medal

ity were a major driver of the IOC’s lator Virtual Regatta. The wide breadth into the heart of one of the ways in events, and LA28 will be the first

urgency. “We saw massive increases was an intentional attempt to reach an which we want to engage with people. Games able to include them on the

in the number of people playing NBA array of gaming enthusiasts and secure And it’s not always on our terms but program.

2K, FIFA 21 and the emerging titles globally diversified participation. on their terms,” said Christopher Car- The future for non-physical esports

as well. Reflecting that growth, and To execute the series, the IOC has roll, IOC director of digital engage- at the Games — think video games

reflecting the opportunity that the partnered with five international fed- ment. “We have a whole set of like EA Sports’ FIFA series — remains

postponement of Tokyo gave us to erations with established virtual gam- strategic initiatives … to increase our murky, though McConnell said that

actually do something before Tokyo ing operations and publisher relevancy and engagement with the IOC wants to maintain a connec-

when we had that window created … relationships. “One of the goals of the youth.” tion with the massive and growing

we felt there was a real convergence project is to reach new people,” said Carroll noted that the IOC’s push global population of gamers.

and a unique opportunity to bring Frédéric Bertrand, circuit champion- into virtual gaming follows decisions “By no means are we cutting off

those elements together. So we seized ships director for the FIA, which formed to debut skateboarding and surfing at any engagement with the esports com-

it rather quickly.” a long-term partnership with Gran the Tokyo Games, and to feature break- munity in a wider sense,” he said. “We

The IOC first formally took on the Turismo publisher Polyphony Digital ing (aka breakdancing) at Paris 2024. really do want to continue to engage

question of esports inclusion in a 2018 in 2014. “But on the other side, we can He added that early signs are encour- with them and create connections to

forum organized alongside the Glob- be sure we will get the motorsports and aging, with the Gran Turismo compe- the Olympic movement, and we’ll find

al Association of International Sports esports addicts. We hope that from those tition reaching 50% of its goal for ways to do that moving forward.”

OLYMPIC BASEBALL CYCLING MOTORSPORTS ROWING SAILING Courtesy of Olympic Virtual Series (2)
VIRTUAL
SERIES Federation: World Baseball Federation: Union Federation: Fédération In- Federation: World Rowing Federation: World Sailing
Softball Confederation Cycliste Internatio- ternationale de l’Automobile Competition: Open format
nale Dates: May 31 – June 23 Competition: Virtual Regatta
Competition: eBaseball Pow- Competition: Gran Turismo (Virtual Regatta SAS)
erful Pro Yakyuu (Konami) Competition: Zwift Sport (Polyphony Digital)
(Zwift Inc.) Dates: May 20 – June 23
Dates: Qualifying period May Dates: Qualifying period
24-30; finals on June 23 Dates: June 1-23 May 13-23; finals on June 23

1 0 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Winners and losers from the Discovery-AT&T deal

THE BEST from last week in SBJ’s newsletters: recently launched Paramount+, also would SUMMER SKED fan engagement and spon-
have made sense. But it was Discovery that sor activation — is still a
SBJ MEDIA — John Ourand
made the deal. Starting next week, SBJ’s big question mark two
Winners and losers from last week’s deal in which
AT&T announced it will spin off WarnerMedia and n WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar: He’s ex- newsletters will adopt a months before camps
merge it with Discovery. pected to leave the company. temporary schedule for the open.
summer. Unpacks will still
WINNERS: n WarnerMedia employees: When Zaslav publish every day: The main dilemma is
n Leagues and conferences: The presence of Dis- touts $3 billion in synergies from the deal, union work rules, par-
that undoubtedly means significant cuts MONDAY ticularly in light of the
covery as a potential bidder should be enough to are coming. SBJ Media (John Ourand) low vaccination rates
keep U.S. sports rights from slipping. among players. Camps are
SBJ COLLEGES — Michael Smith TUESDAY sometimes crowded spac-
n David Zaslav, Discovery CEO: He understands SBJ Marketing (Terry Lefton) es, and part of the appeal
how to use the leverage of sports and now controls Moody Center, the privately funded sports SBJ College (Michael Smith)
top U.S. rights held by Turner Sports.
WEDNESDAY
n Jeff Zucker, chairman of WarnerMedia News & SBJ Esports (TEO)
Sports: He planned to leave the company by the end
of the year when his contract is up. Now, the odds and entertainment arena at Texas, has its EVERY OTHER THURSDAY is close access for fans to
are that he will sign a new deal. second major partnership. Austin-based SBJ Football (Ben Fischer) players. Can that happen
Brown Distributing Co. has agreed to a long- if players are mostly not
LOSERS: term deal to be a founding partner at the EVERY OTHER FRIDAY vaccinated? Indications
n AT&T: There has not been a more disastrous SBJ Betting (Bill King)

media strategy in U.S. business history than the Longhorns’ arena. With the marketing so far are that the NFL
one AT&T tried to follow over the past six years. It
paid $48 billion for DirecTV; in February it sold a rights come naming rights to the Texas Terrace, will continue to severely restrict the movement
minority stake to private equity firm TPG at a deep
discount. In 2018, it paid $85 billion for Time War- an indoor-outdoor party space with views of cam- and access of non-vaccinated players.
ner, a deal that essentially has now been unwound.
pus, the state Capitol and downtown Austin that
n Comcast, ViacomCBS: Comcast showed interest
in merging with WarnerMedia as a way to grow its can accommodate 1,000 people. The deal was bro- SBJ MARKETING — Terry Lefton
streaming services. A merger with ViacomCBS, which
kered by Oak View Group’s collegiate division, led Jeff Marks’ Innovative Partnerships Group has

by Dan Shell. won an agency shootout to assist the Phoenix Suns

SBJ FOOTBALL — Ben Fischer in selling the title to the city-owned downtown arena,

which is also home to the WNBA Mercury and IFL’s

The widespread confidence that the upcoming Rattlers. The Suns own all their media rights, so

season will be mostly normal does not extend to the package could be reasonably customized. Sourc-

the preseason, team and league sources say. Despite es said the team was going out with an asking price

rapid progress on COVID-19 caseloads around the of around $9 million a year and seeking a minimum

country, the commercial side of training camp — 10-year deal.

Survey: Wide generational gap over potential Olympic protests

MILLENNIALS IN the United States are nine The survey also polled fans on other SUMMER PLANS
times more likely to watch more of the matters related to the Olympics and the
Olympics if U.S. athletes engage in social or return of sports (see table): Looking forward to watching in % of sports % of U.S.
political protests in Tokyo compared to next 3-6 months fans agree 18+
members of the baby boomer generation, Percentage of adult U.S. sports fans who
according to a new survey from Kantar are looking forward to this year’s Olympics The start of the NFL season 57% 39%
Sports Monitor. The Summer Olympics 50% 41%
n More than previous Games: 40%
Athlete protests of ongoing racial and n Less than previous Games: 8% The NBA Finals 36% 25%
social justice issues have become an n No difference: 52%
increasingly common part of sports during The start of the NCAA football season 35% 24%
the past year and a half, but these will be the Percentage of adult U.S. sports fans who
first Olympic Games since the rise in those want the Games to proceed: 59% The Stanley Cup Final 27% 18%
demonstrations.
Percentage of adult U.S. sports fans who Which of the following sports-related activities would you
In an online poll of 500 people age 18 and believe the Games should be postponed or personally feel comfortable participating in today?
over conducted last week by Kantar, a data canceled: 41%
and analytics firm, 36% of millennials said Response % of sports % of U.S.
they would watch more of the Games if Percentage of adult U.S. sports fans who fans agree 18+
athletes raise a fist or take a knee and 18% plan to watch the Olympics … :
said they’d watch less. Among baby Watching a sporting event at a get-
boomers, 4% said they’d watch more and n 29%: “As much as I can”
48% said they’d watch less. n 25%: “A lot” together at your home or a friend’s 66% 58%
n 30%: “Some”
“To be relevant to younger audiences you n 10%: “Not very much” home
almost have to step into that area,” said Ryan n 6%: Not at all
McConnell, head of Kantar Sports Monitor Watching a sporting event that is 65% 54%
subscription service, who added that his For more data-driven insight and analysis, held outside (outdoor stadium)
firm will continue tracking that data through- go to SBJAtlas.com.
out and after the Games. Watching a sporting event at a bar or 46% 37%
restaurant

Watching a sporting event that is 41% 34%
held inside (indoor arena)

Working out in a crowded gym 27% 21%

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 11

UPFRONT

How the franchise
model changed the face
of esports ownership

ON JUNE 1, 2017, RIOT GAMES announced it would largely a niche phenomenon, with organizations

franchise teams in its League of Legends Champi- that were mostly just teams established by one or

onship Series (LCS) for the first time. The next multiple players. In general, esports teams were

month, Activision Blizzard announced the first focused on raising sufficient funds through spon-

seven cities and team owners that had been award- sorship deals and tournament winnings to attend

ed to the Overwatch League (OWL), in-person tournaments.

which also would follow a franchising BY TOBIAS SECK But with the introduction of those
model familiar to North American THE ESPORTS OBSERVER franchised esports leagues in the U.S.,
sports fans. the esports ecosystem in America ex-

Both leagues kicked off in 2018. One perienced a sudden increase in demand

year later, Activision Blizzard an- for capital that could be used to finance

nounced a franchise model for its Call of Duty franchising fees. The frameworks of the franchised

League (CDL), which debuted in 2020. leagues were created with investors’ interests in

In just four years, ownership in esports organiza- mind, offering a secured long-term participation

tions has changed forever. Not only does it look in the league without the risk of relegation and

more like the model used for decades by MLB, NBA, revenue-sharing models. A substantial majority of

NHL and NFL teams, in many cases it was the own- that demand was met by the same people and groups

ers of those same teams who were the ones buying who already populate ownership suites at U.S.

franchises in the esports leagues. leagues — as well as people from the venture capi-

At the beginning of the millennium, esports was tal, media and entertainment industries.

LOOK FAMILIAR? BOLD-FACED NAMES PART OF ESPORTS TEAMS n Investment by North American team:
Majority stake by owner

New York Excelsior (OWL); Team Liquid (LCS) co-created T1 by establishing a joint venture SKINNY: The Rangers have made no di-

New York Subliners (CDL) n Majority owner: aXiomatic Gaming with SK Telecom, a wireless provider in Korea rect investment in those esports brands, but
n Majority owner: Andbox n Associated North American teams: and owner of T1’s predecessor SKT T1. Ken Hersh, the owner of Hersh Interactive

n Associated North American team: Washington Wizards; Golden State Warriors; Group, is a co-owner of the team. Rufail is the

New York Mets Tampa Bay Lightning; Charlotte Hornets; Los Golden Guardians (LCS) founded of Envy Gaming, which has been
n Investment by North American team: Angeles Dodgers; Los Angeles Sparks; LAFC n Majority owner: Golden State Warriors around since 2007.

Majority stake from owner n Investment by North American teams: n Associated North American team:

SKINNY: Sterling.VC, the venture capital Direct investment from owners Golden State Warriors Immortals (LCS), Los Angeles
arm of the previous Mets’ owners before SKINNY: Ted Leonsis and Peter Guber n Investment by North American team:
their sale to Steve Cohen last fall, created Valiant (OWL), MiBR
Andbox for the purpose of establishing these created aXiomatic Gaming in collaboration Direct ownership n Majority owner: Immortals Gaming
two esports teams. with additional investors including Bruce SKINNY: The Golden State Warriors Club
Karsh and Jeff Vinik, which in turn acquired n Associated North American team:
NRG Esports; a controlling stake in Team Liquid, which owners created their own esports team, the Memphis Grizzlies
San Francisco Shock (OWL); had existed since 2000. Michael Jordan and Golden Guardians, in 2017. n Investment by North American team:
Magic Johnson are minority investors in Owner is part of majority ownership group
OpTic Chicago (CDL) aXiomatic. Dignitas (LCS) SKINNY: The ownership group of Immor-
n Majority owner: Andy Miller; Mark n Majority owner: Harris Blitzer Sports & tals Gaming Club includes Anschutz Enter-
Mastrov Misfits Gaming (LEC); Entertainment tainment Group, Lionsgate president Peter
n Associated North American team: n Associated North American teams: Levin and Steve Kaplan, who is a minority
Sacramento Kings Florida Mayhem (OWL); Philadelphia 76ers; New Jersey Devils owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.
n Investment by North American team: n Investment by North American teams:
Majority stake from owner Florida Mutineers (CDL) Majority stake by owner Cloud9 (LCS);
SKINNY: Miller and Mastrov, who are n Majority owner: Ben Spoont, Laurie Sil- SKINNY: HBSE bought the existing team
part of the Kings’ ownership group, cre- vers, Mitch Rubenstein Dignitas and then bought a franchise slot London Spitfire (OWL)
ated NRG Esports in 2015. They bought the n Associated North American teams: from the Houston Rockets to join LCS in 2019 n Majority owner: Jack Etienne
franchise for the Shock when OWL was first Cleveland Browns; Miami Heat; Orlando and rebranded them back into Dignitas.
introduced and later acquired OpTic Gaming Magic n Associated North American
with their co-CEO Hector Rodriguez, who n Investment by North American teams: teams: Washington Wizards; Wash-
previously owned the team before selling a Direct minority investment ington Capitals
majority interest to Texas Rangers executive SKINNY: Spoont founded Misfits Gaming,
Neil Leibman and Chris Chaney and created and when the first franchised leagues were n Investment by North American
OpTic Chicago for the CDL. announced, his in-laws — the husband-and- teams: Minority investment by owner
wife team of Silvers and Rubenstein, who
Vancouver Titans (OWL); founded SyFy channel — stepped in with the SKINNY: Etienne bought Cloud9 in
financing to become majority owners. The 2013 and has raised over $80 million
Heat, Magic and Browns provided capital. in investments, some of which came
from Raul Fernandez, who is a co-own-
er in the Wizards and Capitals.

Seattle Surge (CDL) T1 (LCK);
n Majority owner: Aquilini Group Philadelphia Fusion (OWL)
n Associated North American team: Team Liquid has backing from the NBA world. Boston Uprising (OWL)
n Majority owner: Kraft Group
Vancouver Canucks n Majority owner: Comcast Spectacor
n Investment by North American team: n Associated North American team: n Associated North American
Envy Gaming, Dallas Fuel (OWL), teams: New England Patriots; New England
Majority stake by owner Philadelphia Flyers
SKINNY: The Aquilini family has owned n Investment by North American team: Dallas Empire (CDL) Revolution Getty Images
n Majority owner: Hersh Interactive n Investment by North American teams:
the Canucks in full since 2006. They created Majority stake by owner
Group and Mike Rufail Majority stake by owner
the Titans and the Surge when those respec- SKINNY: Comcast Spectacor owns the Fly-
n Associated North American team: SKINNY: The Kraft Group created the Up-
tive leagues were introduced. ers and created the Philadelphia Fusion and
Texas Rangers rising franchise in 2017.

1 2 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

To successfully apply for a franchised esports are based in the United States and 30 involve

league, organizations had to present proof of at least one connection in their ownership

sufficient funding to finance franchising fees group to a traditional North American-based

and operational costs, such as league-regulat- franchise.

ed minimum player salaries. Initial franchising In the

fees required an investment of $10 million to end, only a Initial franchising
few of the
$25 million, payable over a set amount of years.

The entry fees for Riot Games’ LCS were $10 team fees required
brands an investment
million for organizations that were already that had

competing in the league

and $13 million for orga- already of $10 million to
been estab- $25 million.
Andy Miller, a nizations that were newly lished be-
fore the
co-owner of the entering the competition.

Sacramento Kings, Activision Blizzard, announce-
also owns the San meanwhile, billed orga-
Francisco Shock. nizations a reported $20 ment of the franchised LCS in 2017 managed

million for the OWL fran- to successfully secure one of the franchises in

chises based in a single the new Activision Blizzard leagues. Only two

city, while CDL franchises went for an esti- of the 10 teams competing in the LCS are still

mated $25 million. majority owned by their founders and estab-

Due to those financial hurdles, a great deal lished before the franchising model was an-

of new capital was needed by esports organiza- nounced.

tions. The result was that teams raised addi- Below is a look at various esports brands

tional funds. Additionally, several groups and their connections to teams in the tradi-

— whether venture capital firms, sports teams tional North American sports leagues. Those

or media and entertainment companies — ap- connections could come in one of five ways:

plied for a spot in one or more of the franchised direct ownership or direct investment; or

leagues. through a person(s) who are minority investors,

There are now 10 teams in the LCS, 12 in the part of an ownership group or with a majority

CDL and 20 in the OWL. Of those 42 teams, 37 stake.

Mark Ein owns the OWL’s Washington Justice and a World TeamTennis franchise. n Investment by North American team: ON THEIR OWN:
Minority investment by owner TEAMS WITHOUT
Getty Images (2) Los Angeles Gladiators (OWL); Los 100 Thieves (LCS); U.S. SPORTS TIES
Los Angeles Thieves (CDL) SKINNY: Mike Kimel, an investor in Over-
Angeles Guerrillas (CDL) n Majority owner: Matthew “Nadeshot” Active Media — the parent company of those These franchised teams in the LCS,
n Majority owner: Kroenke Sports & Enter- Haag and Dan Gilbert three teams — is also a co-owner of the Pen- OWL and CDL have no ties to U.S. or
tainment n Associated North American team: guins. North American pro sports teams:
n Associated North American team: Los Cleveland Cavaliers Team SoloMid (LCS)
Angeles Rams n Investment by North American team: Washington Justice (OWL)
n Investment by North American team: Majority stake by owner n Majority owner: Washington Esports n Majority owner: Andy Dinh
Majority stake by owner SKINNY: Haag, a former professional Ventures
SKINNY: KSE, which also owns the Premier esports player, created the lifestyle brand n Associated North American team: Evil Geniuses (LCS)
League club Arsenal, created the Gladiators 100 Thieves, and when the franchising for Washington Kastles n Majority owner: PEAK6 Invest-
in 2017 and the Guerrillas in 2020. the LCS was announced in 2017, he co- n Investment by North American team:
founded a team under that name with Dan Majority stake by owner ments
Counter Logic Gaming (LCS) Gilbert. The two partnered up again in 2020 SKINNY: Prominent investor Mark Ein
n Majority owner: Madison Square Gar- by acquiring a franchise slot for CDL that owns the Kastles, one of the eight franchises Atlanta Reign (OWL);
den Company became the Los Angeles Thieves. in WorldTeam Tennis, and is the majority Atlanta FaZe (CDL)
n Associated North American teams: owner and creator of Washington Esports
New York Knicks; New York Rangers Mad Lions (LEC); Toronto Defiant Ventures. n Majority owner: Atlanta Esports
n Investment by North American teams: (OWL); Toronto Ultras (CDL) Ventures
Majority stake by owner FlyQuest (LCS)
SKINNY: MSG bought a majority stake in n Majority owner: OverActive Media n Majority owner: Wesley Edens; Fortress Rogue (LEC); London Royal
Counter Logic Gaming in 2017 when the fran- n Associated North American team: Pitts- Investment Group Ravens (CDL)
chising of the LCS got announced. burgh Penguins n Associated North American team: Mil-
waukee Bucks n Majority owner: ReKT Global
n Investment by North American team:
Majority stake by owner Paris Legion (CDL); Paris
SKINNY: Edens, one of the co-owners of Eternal (OWL)
the Milwaukee Bucks, is the owner of the
Fortress Investment Group and created Fly- n Majority owner: c0ntact Gaming
Quest.
Houston Outlaws (OWL)
Minnesota ROKKR (CDL) n Majority owner: Beasley Media
n Majority owner: WISE Ventures
n Associated North American teams: Group
Minnesota Vikings; Nashville SC; Orlando
City SC Chengdu Hunter (OWL)
n Investment by North American teams: n Majority owner: Huya
Majority stake by owner
SKINNY: WISE Ventures, which was creat- Guangzhou Charge (OWL)
ed by the Vikings-owning Wilf family, bought n Majority owner: Nenking Group
a franchise slot when CDL was launched in
2020 that became the ROKKR. Hangzhou Spark (OWL)
n Majority owner: Bilibili
NOTE: LEC is the European version of League of
Legends Championship Series; LCK is the Korean Seoul Dynasty (OWL)
version of it. n Majority owner: Gen.G Esports

Shanghai Dragons (OWL)
n Majority owner: NetEase

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 13

THE INSIDERS

SPORTS MEDIA

Excel’s Gideon Cohen sees opportunities
for on-air talent — just not with networks

S OON AFTER talent agent Gideon
Cohen graduated from Syracuse
in 2000, he started working with

Steve Herz at IF Management. Business

was booming at the time, with regional

sports networks hiring talent and ESPN

launching a new channel seemingly every

year.

“It was like a sweepstakes,” Cohen said.

“We were signing anybody that sent us a

BY JOHN OURAND tape, basically.”

The market for on-air talent stayed ro-

bust for years after that, taking another

dramatic upturn a little more than a decade

later when Comcast bought NBC in 2011,

and rebranded the Versus sports channel

as NBC Sports Network. Fox launched

its own sports channel just two years later,

leading to frothy bidding wars as all three

networks tried to land the highest-profile

sports commentators for their own chan-

nels.

The market has been correcting itself

ever since, leading to this year when NBC

will shut down its sports channel and ESPN

and Fox are asking many in its on-air ranks

to take pay cuts or leave. ESPN’s Kenny Gideon Cohen recently joined Excel Sports to run its media talent representation division.

Mayne, for example, opted to leave ESPN

after the network offered him a 61% pay pitch a talent to DraftKings, as evidenced clients that are well positioned to succeed
by its decision to pay Meadowlark Media the way that the business is trending.”
cut to remain a “SportsCenter” anchor. $50 million over three years for the rights
to “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” Cohen’s advice to his clients is to con-
The highest-profile announcers still com- and the “Le Batard & Friends Network.” centrate on creating their own content.

mand top dollar, like CBS’s Tony Romo, Fox Sports may not be paying the same “You have to be a content creator as a
rates to call college basketball games as talent nowadays,” he said. “You can’t just
who makes around $17 million per year, it once did, but Cohen believes even more be someone who’s going to show up and
opportunities lie in podcasting or spon- read off a teleprompter anymore. That was
or ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who makes sored content. old school. … You’re not an actor.”

around $8 million per year. But the market “It’s more exciting than before because Cohen pointed to on-air personalities
there are all these versatile options,” he — everyone from Jim Nantz and Mike
outside of that top tier has dried up for said. “You don’t have to be locked into one Tirico to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bay-
monolithic network.” less — as examples of people who have
TV sportscasters. been able to cut through the clutter.
For example, Excel co-produced on a
“The business has completely changed,” documentary with NFL Films on Joe For the level below those stars, the path
Montana, an Excel client. NBC’s stream- to success does not have to involve televi-
Cohen said. “It’s kind of sad for someone ing service Peacock will carry that docu- sion. Cohen pointed to former NFL punt-
mentary this fall. Excel Media also is er Pat McAfee as an example — someone
like me, who’s a sports broadcaster at listed a co-production partner on the with a unique voice who has been able to
Derek Jeter documentary series that thrive in a nontraditional environment.
heart.” ESPN plans to carry next year. Mandalay
Sports Media and Spike Lee are the other “We’d be naïve to say that Pat McAfee
Given such softness in the TV marketplace, co-producers, working in cooperation with didn’t benefit somewhat from his ESPN re-
The Players’ Tribune. lationship — being on ‘GameDay’ grew his
it may seem surprising that the agency Excel visibility and following,” Cohen said. “Look
Cohen listed ESPN’s NBA analyst Rich- at the Meadowlarks of the world. Look at
Sports Management is making a foray into ard Jefferson, Portland Trail Blazers The Ringers of the world. Look at what Colin
guard CJ McCollum, Chicago Cubs out- Cowherd is creating. There are more op-
the media talent representation business. fielder Ian Happ and Los Angeles Angels tions for interesting people than ever be-
outfielder Dexter Fowler as clients. fore.”
As my colleague Liz Mullen reported ear-
“Excel already has a roster of elite, John Ourand can be reached at jourand@
lier this month, Excel hired Cohen from The world-class athletes, many of which will
make a smooth transition into traditional sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on
Montag Group to run the division as senior broadcasting,” Cohen said. “We also have
Twitter @Ourand_SBJ and read his twice-
vice president of media talent.
weekly newsletter.
Excel’s management team still sees

plenty of opportunities for on-air talent.

It’s just that many of those opportunities

are not with TV networks anymore.

“There’s a nontraditional side of the

business — an influencer space, a podcast

space,” said Excel’s managing partner

Mark Steinberg. “That’s an area where

we see the market going. It won’t just be Jessica Paschkes

with traditional broadcasters. I see that

as an ever-growing space as our world

evolves.”

ESPN may not be hiring. But Cohen can

1 4 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

LABOR AND AGENTS

MLBPA’s Clark emphasizes service
time, tanking still top bargaining issues

A S THE MLB and MLB Players Association The MLBPA’s Tony
are starting collective bargaining, the play- Clark is hoping for a
ers want more fairness in the service time more private nego-
system and more competition by clubs, but the union tiating environment
this year.
is not going to use its re-
soon.”
ported $500 million griev- Roberts said there

ance against the league as is a process in place
to replace her. The
leverage, MLBPA Execu- NPBA has previ-
ously said union of-
tive Director Tony Clark ficials were working
with international
said last week. law firm Dechert
and global executive
“It’s been interesting search firm
Heidrick & Strug-
how some have taken that gles to identify and
evaluate candidates.
ball and ran with it,”
Roberts’ depar-
Clark said, of speculation ture was put on
hold, and she was
in the media that the involved in negotiat-
ing changes to the CBA to allow for play in the
BY LIZ MULLEN grievance could be used as bubble and was very involved in both health and
a bargaining chip in the safety and social justice issues in the last year.
“I am actually pleased that I was able to be pres-
CBA talks. “No, It’s a com- ent in the most difficult last few months,” Roberts
said. “It’s all good.”
pletely separate, unrelated component of our dis-
■ LAWYERS SPLIT ON SUPREME COURT PREDICTIONS:
cussion,” Clark said, adding that the grievance is The NCAA v. Alston case being considered by the
U.S. Supreme Court was a big topic of conversation
complex and intricate and will take a while to re- at the SLA annual meeting last week, but there is
a difference of opinion on who will win.
solve.
“Predictions among sports law academics range
“We have an expiring collective bargaining agree- from being 9-0 (in favor of the student athletes) to
a 6-3 or 7-2 in favor of the NCAA,” said Matt Mit-
ment as of Dec. 1 of this year,” Clark said during it and talk about having a higher level of integrity ten, executive director of the National Sports Law
to the system overall,” Clark said. Institute at Marquette University.
the Sports Lawyers Association annual meeting
Young MLB players must have six years of major Justices grilled the NCAA’s attorney during argu-
last week. “Our focus is on that.” league service time to reach free agency. ments on March 31, but some also expressed con-
cerns about what would happen to college sports
Although Clark did not provide any specific in- But Clark also expressed concerns for players on if they ruled against the NCAA.
the other end of the age spectrum.
formation about what the players would be asking The case involves the NCAA’s appeal of a 9th U.S.
“Our league seems to be running veteran players Circuit Court of Appeals decision that would strike
for in CBA talks, he drove home, as he has for years, out of the game altogether,” he said. The grievance down caps on how much student athletes can be
in which the union is reportedly seeking $500 mil- offered to attend a university, as long as the benefits
the concerns players have about service time and lion in damages concerns the union’s allegations are tied to education. Although the case is not about
surrounding contentious negotiations involving name, image and likeness, it could affect that issue
MLB clubs tanking as he spoke during the panel what ended up as a 60-game regular season. Asked because the NCAA’s amateurism rules are at the
by Madkour if the union did not believe the league heart of the case.
discussion, which also featured National Basket- made every good faith attempt to play as many games
as possible, Clark said, “That’s why we filed the Attorneys on a panel regarding the Supreme Court
ball Players Association Executive Director Mi- grievance.” case said they could not predict when the high court
might rule, but all said they expected a decision at
chele Roberts, NFL Players Association Many aspects of the dispute surrounding the the end of the session, in late June, because of the
negotiations between the MLB and MLBPA to play complexity of issues in the case.
Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and NHL in 2020 were aired publicly, but despite that, Clark
said the relationship between the league and the Liz Mullen can be reached at
Players’ Association Executive Director Don union has not changed that much.
[email protected].
Fehr. Clark said it was both amazing and unfortunate
how much of the disagreements became public last Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
When asked by Sports Business Journal Pub- year. “We are hopeful that as we start collective
bargaining that any disagreements to the extent
lisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour if they that we have them moving forward don’t make as
much in the way of headlines as they did last year,”
were satisfied with the competitive environment he said.

of their respective leagues, Clark said, flatly, “No.” ■ NBPA’S ROBERTS LEAVING POSITION SOON: Roberts
said during the SLA panel discussion that she plans
Players, Clark said, are baffled and concerned about on leaving her position as the NBA players union’s
top executive in the near future.
what they believe are desires and intentions of some
Roberts had announced in early 2020 that she
MLB teams not to win and not to compete. planned to retire and that a search had started to
find her replacement, but then the pandemic hit.
“We have entered an atmosphere whereby it appears
“Well, I am still here,” Roberts said, when asked
that fewer and fewer teams are interested in winning about that. “But I anticipate leaving at some point

every game,” Clark said. “That is something that

players don’t understand. We are wired to win every

game, but what we have seen is a fundamental shift.

Not in a team or a couple of teams rebuilding in any

given year, but a much larger group of teams that

seem less interested in winning every game and mak-

ing the playoffs and being the last team standing.”

Clark also expressed concerns about service time

manipulation, saying that his own service time was

manipulated when he was a player. Clark said Kevin

Mather, who resigned as Seattle Mariners president

Getty Images and CEO, was “using his indoor voice outside” when

he was caught on video admitting the club manip-

ulated service time.

“We are going to have to have a conversation about

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 15

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Motor City
Motivator

Throughout his four decades in sports, TOM WILSON pushed
himself and those around him to innovate, making bold decisions
that changed the industry and inspired a new generation of leaders.

BY JOHN LOMBARDO

T OM WILSON has developed some of simultaneously held the NBA The Champions acting as a way out of a tough
America’s most trendsetting sports championship in the Pistons, childhood.
venues, so renovating his suburban the Stanley Cup in the Light- Below is the scheduled month
Detroit house would seem to be a ning, and the WNBA title in the for each profile honoring the His parents divorced when
Shock. Champions class of 2021: he was young, and being the
breeze. only child raised by a single

But it’s not, at least on this late spring morning. The titles speak to Wilson’s Date Champion mother in the heart of Detroit
ability to build winning organi- April Jean Afterman meant few frills and a lot of hard
“Your wife says, ‘Oh, I love this house. This is zations, but his business accom- work. Wilson, a good natural

perfect, we don’t have to do anything,’ and then

you do everything,” Wilson said, laughing. “I mean, plishments stand even taller. May Tom Wilson athlete, never played sports in

not a space that’s untouched. We’ve been living Innovative, bold and owning a July Larry Lucchino high school. He worked almost
creative knack to drive revenue, August Bill Hancock full time beginning at age 15,
down in the basement for seven months. We spent Wilson reinvented how arenas first as a back-office worker for

our first night upstairs last night. Finally got out

of the weight room with our bed. So I’m feeling are built, how suites and pre- September Tony Dungy a jewelry company and then as

really good today.” mium products are sold, and October Harlan Stone an office boy for a local broker-
how teams are structured into age firm on a work-study pro-
Here’s hoping that Wilson’s home project includes

a room big enough to showcase the multitude of integrated sports and entertain- gram.

championships won by the teams he operated dur- ment enterprises. He also helped redefine the role “She raised me in what was kind of a tough neigh-

ing his storied four-decade career. of executive leadership in a diversified sports orga- borhood,” Wilson said of his mother, Dorothy. “Being

The Detroit native blazed a trail for 32 years at nization, and his legacy carries on through an ex- a single mother was a tough job. I worked pretty

the Pistons, 23 of which he was president and CEO tensive executive tree that branches throughout the much full time from the time I was 15, just to help

of Palace Sports & Entertainment. His second act industry. out at home so we could make ends meet. Very strict

brought another accomplished 10-year tenure as “The Pistons were the model franchise in the upbringing. Home at 6 and that was it for the day. It

president and CEO of Olympia Entertainment, the NBA, and they were one of the most influential was difficult, but she just wanted to make sure I didn’t

Ilitch family umbrella company that owns the Red franchises in the league,” said NBA Commissioner get in trouble because it was mean streets and things

Wings and Tigers. Adam Silver of Wilson’s tenure running the Pistons. like that.”

When Wilson retired at the end of 2020 as presi- “David Stern said the development and evolution The hardworking Wilson was a promising student,

dent emeritus of Olympia Entertainment, he had of the Palace [arena] was a turning point for the and he tested into Cass Technical High School, a

run teams that won nine championship rings in- NBA, and Tom was a leader among NBA presidents. magnet school that attracted some of Detroit’s best

cluding three with the Pistons, three with the Tom had a very important behind-the-scenes voice and brightest students.

WNBA’s former Detroit with David. He professionalized the job of being a “I might have been the dumbest person at school,”

Shock, and one with the team president.” Wilson said in his typical self-deprecating style.

Rick Osentoski Tom Wilson is known NHL’s Tampa Bay Light- HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS “When I got down there, I thought there’s got to be
for finding creative ning. In 2004 alone, Wil- a mistake. Because coming out of that class, we
ways for teams to son presided over the
drive revenue. Palace Sports teams that Growing up in Detroit, Wilson had no early grand have nuclear physicists, we have the guy who’s sit-

plans for a career in sports. Instead, Wilson saw CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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CHAMPIONS: TOM WILSON

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 At age 25, Wilson quickly found a

ting first chair in the New York Symphony, we’ve new calling as one of the Lakers’ best

got the head of Harvard Medical School, and me. ticket sales representatives after the

So, just a long fall.” team became a huge draw in the mid-

After high school, Wilson lived at home and at- 1970s after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

tended Wayne State University at night while work- joined the franchise in a trade.

ing as a clerk at General Motors during the day. “A friend of mine and I sold probably

“It was the least expensive real college that we 50% of the tickets,” Wilson said. “It

had here in Detroit,” Wilson said of Wayne State. was purely commission, no draw, no

“Working for GM, it was just a perfect job for col- base, no nothing. You sold what you

lege because I was delivering messages all over the sold. And we had a good year.”

headquarters, and it was a mindless job.” When then-Lakers owner Jack Kent

Wilson majored in business and minored in per- Cooke summoned the two hotshot sales

forming arts, driven by an early ambition for an reps, Wilson figured he was up for a

acting career. One of Wilson’s teachers was well- promotion, or at least a bonus.

known TV actor Jeffrey Tambor, who inspired Wil- “I’m like, this is going to be great,”

son to start a small theater group at Wayne State. Wilson said “He comes in. He was not

Founding the group had benefits, as Wilson di- a very big guy so he sits in a barber

rected and cast himself as the lead in the few plays chair, cranks himself up. We’ve got a

the group produced. little tiny guest chair. It’s that whole

“I’d actually taken an acting class in my sopho- power thing. Then he talks in this deep

more year and that’s when I got the bug, and I de- voice, ‘Tom, thanks for coming in. I

cided I’m just going to keep going through business know how well you did. I know how

school, because you need a fallback just in case,” many tickets you sold, I know how

he said. “The goal was always to move to California.” much money you made, and I just want

He didn’t waste any time. The day after he grad- you to know it’s never going to happen

uated in 1971, Wilson headed to the West Coast. “I again.’”

don’t think my mom ever believed I was really going Wilson was stunned.

to do it until she saw the tail end of the car pulling “He just felt we’d been too success-

out,” he said. ful, that we’d made too much money,”

Early on, Wilson lived with a friend he met while Wilson’s early dream was to be an actor in Hollywood. Wilson said. “He took away all of our

working at GM who already had moved to Hollywood accounts and spread them out around

and had a few connections. It was hardly a glamor- spiral,” Wilson said. the entire staff. Not the most uplifting meeting and

ous beginning, with Wilson living in a cramped Wilson scratched out a living acting, but one failed certainly not what we expected. About a month or

apartment overlooking an alley. audition signaled that he may need to fall back on two later, I left.”

The first break for the struggling actor came about his business degree. Wilson, then married to his first wife, faced few

two months after moving to town when Wilson would “I’m sitting facing away from the camera, and career prospects so he decided to build a spec home

hang around the set of the short-lived “Jimmy Stew- I’m auditioning, I realized, to be the back of a guy’s to sell in Malibu. A year later, in late 1977, he head-

art Show,” where Wilson’s roommate had a part. head and I still didn’t get the part,” Wilson said. ed back to Detroit to

“I met an assistant director on the set, and he escape the pull of

made some calls,” Wilson said. “I went down to the LAKERS LESSONS acting. “It didn’t
“I didn’t have any-
union office and got my card. The day rate for an Wilson did manage to land a secondary role in a

extra was $28.” “Barnaby Jones” episode that centered on a profes- thing going,” he matter what
said. “I took every your business
Wilson earned his Screen Actors Guild card and sional basketball player challenged by criminals nickel that I had and card said. You
put it in the [spec
landed his first acting job: a deodorant commercial to throw a game. He didn’t know it then, but it was house] and fortu-

featuring Los Angeles Lakers star Jerry West. Wil- a fortuitous role for the then 24-year-old.

son, an athletic 6 feet, 4 “We filmed it at the either thrived
or died under
inches, was cast as an NBA TOM WILSON Forum with some of the nately sold it early
player in the spot. Laker players and front- on. We cashed out
and then around
“I can’t remember what n Age: 71 office staff,” Wilson said.

deodorant it was now, it n Family: Wife, Linda; daughters, “We became really friend- that time we had our Tom.”
might have been Right Kasey and Brooke; son, Kevin; seven ly. You’d shoot for a while, first daughter and so
Guard, but it was a lot of grandchildren then break so we’d all go
action shots,” Wilson said. out and play ball.” we just thought, let’s
“I thought this will be n Education: Wayne State University,
great because I’ll get re- (business administration) 1971 During the shoot, some- head back to Detroit.
siduals, and then a month one from the Lakers front
later he retired. So there Career: office mentioned to Wilson The problem with being an actor in Los Angeles
went that.” n 1974-1976: Sales representative, that there was an opening
Los Angeles Lakers in the marketing depart- is, it’s right there. If you want to move on with
Other parts followed in n 1978-1979: Sales director, Detroit ment and encouraged him
vintage 1970s TV shows, Pistons to apply. your life, it just tugs at you. Because you watch a
including appearances on n 1979-1983: Administrative director,
“The Nanny and The Pro- Detroit Pistons “In those days, nobody television show, which is filmed right over there,
f e s s o r, ” “ C a n n o n , ” n 1983-1991: CEO, Detroit Pistons went into sports,” Wilson
“M.A.S.H.,” and even a bit n 1987-2010: President and CEO, said. “I was eking out a liv- and you say, ‘I could do that.’”
part in the football movie Palace Sports & Entertainment ing acting, but this is the
“Brian’s Song,” where Wil- n 1991-2010: President and Lakers, this is the gold BACK TO WOODWARD AVE. Courtesy of Tom Wilson
son spent breaks playing CEO, Palace Sports & Entertainment; standard. I got the job and
President and CEO, Pistons started in ticket sales and Wilson banked on his success with the Lakers
n 2010-2020: President and CEO, when he cold-called the Pistons in early 1978 for a
ticket sales job. The team then was playing at Cobo
catch with actor James Olympia Entertainment then worked there for a Hall in downtown Detroit but was about to move
out to the suburbs to play in the Silverdome in
Caan. “He threw a tight couple of years.” Pontiac. The Pistons, coached by Dick Vitale,
struggled mightily with a roster that was anchored
by Bob Lanier.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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CHAMPIONS: TOM WILSON

Inside the building
of a Palace in the
suburbs of Detroit

IT TOOK A SNOWSTORM, the bold vision and sketching numbers. If we do a The Palace was packed with 17,846 fans on Sept. 14, 2003, to watch the Detroit
of Tom Wilson, and $90 million of late little bit of concert business, we can Shock defeat the Los Angeles Sparks en route to the Shock’s first WNBA title.
owner Bill Davidson’s money for the make XYZ. We justified a $20 [million],
Detroit Pistons to develop The Palace $25 million building. Went into it with you can’t put suites where we ulti- Suites were priced up to $120,000,
of Auburn Hills. And it was the spark a budget of $50 million and ended up
that set off a building boom across spending $90 million, which in those mately put them. It’ll screw up your which according to Wilson was more
sports. days was a tremendous amount of
money.” sightlines. And then they wouldn’t than double the price of any other
After a 1985 snowstorm caused the
collapse of the Pontiac Silverdome While Davidson put up the money, have been willing to listen. And Ros- suites. Despite the then-jaw-dropping
roof, where the Pistons then played, there was one other issue. Nobody in-
the team temporarily relocated to Joe volved in the project, including the setti was always willing to listen. figure back in the mid-1980s, Wilson
Louis Arena in downtown Detroit, building’s architect in Rossetti, had
where the energy of playing in an any experience building a sports arena. Sometimes ignorance is a great thing. and his staff sold all of them, helping
arena instead of the airplane hangar-
like Silverdome atmosphere moti- “We had a builder who’d never built
vated Wilson and Davidson to build one, an architect who’d never designed
their own facility. one, a developer who’d never devel-
oped one,” Wilson said. “Me, I’m as
“We went down there for like 15 close to worthless as you’re going to
games and you look around and say, find. And that’s our all-star team doing
‘this is not rocket science,’” Wilson this. But if we’d had an architect who
said. “You start getting out the pad had done it before, he would have said

It’s a great asset.” make the building profitable before

To help pay for the arena, the Pis- it even opened in 1988.

tons built 180 suites located on three The financial success and the revo-

levels, including some only 16 rows lutionary design ushered in a building

from the floor. The suite design was boom in sports, as other teams sought

new to the industry, and Wilson added to replicate the success of the Palace.

new amenities such as in-arena res- In the next decade, arenas would

taurants, LED signage, and later an spring up in Chicago, Los Angeles and

atrium and attached office space. Denver.

Gino Rossetti, in an interview last “I think Bill Davidson took a lot of

year about his namesake firm leading pride in that, and that pride sort of

the design, said the Pistons’ execu- cemented our relationship,” Wilson

tives were curious as to “We had a builder who’d
why the people paying the never built one, an architect
most money were the fur- who’d never designed one,
thest from the event. In-
troducing the mid-level

suites created a VIP con- a developer who’d never
course, which in turn developed one.”
brought in the VIPs for

dining and entertaining.

It was the major differentiator for the said. “We went on vacation the summer

Palace. “Because we had never de- after the Palace was built, a place in

signed one, we had no preconceived the south of France, and we spent two

ideas,” Rossetti said. weeks together just becoming friends.

The project was so bold that even He was sort of a father I never had, to

some of the Pistons’ executive staff be honest. He cut me a lot of slack.”

questioned the need for the building The Palace would hold its own for

pushed by Wilson. nearly three decades. But the begin-

“We were putting 30,000 people in ning of the end came when the Pistons

the Silverdome, and I said why would opted to move to downtown Detroit

we do this,” said John Ciszewski, for- and share the new Little Caesars

mer executive vice president of sales Arena, which opened in 2017, with the

for Palace Sports and Entertainment, NHL Red Wings.

who worked with Wilson for decades. The Palace closed on Sept. 23, 2017,

“But that is who Tom was. He always with a show by Detroit legend Bob Getty Images

wanted to do better. He was revolution- Seger. After unsuccessful attempts to

ary in adding the suites and clubs. He find an economically viable use for the

was always on the forefront.” Palace, it was torn down in 2020. — J.L.

2 0 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

The making of the ‘Bad Boys’

THE INFAMOUS Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” of the next season, the Raiders sent the Pis-

teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s tons a box full of black hats and T-shirts as

earned their reputation with nastiness on a gesture of mutual respect.

the court, so it figures they would share a It was then that Wilson and the Pistons

bond with the Raiders when the outlaw NFL fully embraced their Bad Boys reputation

team played in Los Angeles. — except for the team’s late general man-

The Pistons were playing the Lakers in ager, Jack McCloskey.

Game 6 of the 1988 Finals when Detroit star “Jack hated the whole Bad Boys thing,”

Isiah Thomas sprained his ankle in a 103- Wilson said. “He thought it would get us

102 loss. With the NBA title on the line and unfair whistles. But I took the box of Raid-

Game 7 set for two days later in Los Ange- ers stuff into his office, and we went back

and forth. He finally said go

“Chuck Daly had a great line by ahead, and the Bad Boys took
saying it was like managing 11 off. It gave us an identity.”

The Bad Boys era teams,

corporations because they all coached by Chuck Daly and
made so much money.” led by Thomas, Bill Laim-
beer, Rick Mahorn and Den-

nis Rodman, quickly took

les, the Pistons turned to the Raiders’ train- over the NBA. Detroit would win the 1989

ing staff for help in a desperate attempt to NBA title in a rematch with the Lakers,

get Thomas healthy for the critical contest. and then topped the Trail Blazers in 1990

“The Raiders took us in,” said former for its second consecutive crown.

Pistons CEO Tom Wilson. “They worked “Chuck Daly had a great line by saying

night and day on Isiah’s leg and our guys it was like managing 11 corporations be-

became friendly with them.” cause they all made so much money,” Wilson

Despite the Raiders’ efforts, the Pistons said. “That group will always be special.” Pistons owner Bill Davidson hoists the Larry O’Brien Championship
Trophy as players celebrate the first of back-to-back titles in 1989.
lost to the Lakers in Game 7. Before the start — J.L.

Getty Images

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CHAMPIONS: TOM WILSON

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 [1981] draft, where we could “He was the first executive who spent
at least be interesting, by that as much time on the entertainment
“It was not a huge organization, and it was the time we kind of figured out
worst organization in sports,” Wilson said. “They
were moving so that meant they were going to need the business. We understood side as he did on the sports side.”
to professionalize, going to need to put money into our roles, and what we need-
it, and going to need to expand. And I was coming
from the Lakers.” ed to do. And we’d come from

It was an inauspicious start for Wilson, as the nothing, which made it exciting. Everybody bought when we were doing better. I didn’t want to tell him
Pistons struggled during the late 1970s and early
1980s under owner Bill Davidson. in, this was our team, and the pride level in having at the time, I wouldn’t have had a chance.”

“We moved out to the Silverdome and averaged a little bit of success was huge. It was a wonderful Wilson quickly became a trusted Davidson con-
probably 3,000 people in a football stadium,” Wilson
said. “It was just awful. We didn’t have any heat thing.” fidant who was given the freedom to make bold
in the building, and it was a fabric roof. We had
games where guys were sitting in earmuffs, we Wilson bolstered the team’s sales force by hiring decisions.

had guys coming out in parkas. It was just a ter- more than a dozen young sales reps and pushed “One of his gifts was he had a great ability to see
rible experience. Nobody came and nobody should
have come.” them hard. He fostered loyalty by his own first-in- what people could be more so than what they were,”

After a year of playing at the Silverdome, David- the-building work ethic and his willingness to give Wilson said of Davidson. “If you performed, he
son sensed potential in the hard-driving Wilson
and put him in charge of the business side of the employees room to make mistakes. gave you an unlimited leash. And early on he gave
organization. “There were only about 10 of us,”
Wilson said. “Davidson wasn’t around all the time. us a lot of leash. He didn’t believe in marketing.
He didn’t have an office or anything like that. He
just would pass through every so often. Once he He didn’t believe in advertising. He didn’t believe
decided to make the change, he spent about two
hours with me one day. It wasn’t even that much in a whole lot of things and we did them anyway
of a professional talk. A little bit about, ‘Tell me
about yourself and your background’ and so on. and proved that they worked. He would take chanc-
He just sort of talked.”
es on people if he felt good. He’s a very instinctual
Despite the small staff, it was a meteoric rise for
the inexperienced executive who began changing kind of person. He just made decisions quick, fol-
the team’s culture with an intense sales focus. Wil-
son was 28 and learning on the fly as the team lan- lowed his gut, and never looked back. ”
guished at the bottom on the NBA standings.
By the mid-1980s, the Pistons’
“The good thing was that we were so bad and
there was nothing I could do to make us better,” fortunes had turned around during
Wilson said. “We had a whole bunch of guys we
brought in from college, and none of us knew what the team’s “Bad Boys” era led by
we were doing. But in three years or so when Isiah
Thomas came along, Kelly Tripucka in the same Wilson Thomas. Attendance was skyrock-

knew there eting at the Silverdome. Times were
was a bet- good, and about to get better.
ter alterna-
tive for the In 1985, the Pistons were forced
Pistons to play at Joe Louis Arena in down-

than play- town Detroit after the Silverdome’s
ing in the roof collapsed during a snowstorm.
cavernous The change from the hangar-like
Silverdome. Silverdome to the high-energy in-

tense atmosphere of the downtown

arena prompted Davidson and Wil-

son to boldly consider building a

new arena of their own (see story, Page 20).

To help pay for the building, ostentatiously named

The Palace of Auburn Hills, the arena featured a

then-revolutionary design of 180 suites located on

three levels, including some only 16 rows from the

floor. The facility also emphasized then-unheard-of

amenities such as in-arena restaurants, LED sig-

“It didn’t matter what your business card said,” nage, and later an atrium and attached office space.

said Sean Henry, president of the Nashville Preda- The project also was privately financed in an era

tors who worked for the Pistons in his 20s under when team owners typically strong-armed local

Wilson. “You either thrived or died under Tom. He municipalities for public funding to build arenas.

liked seeing you do new things, and you knew that Despite the then-hefty $90 million price tag, sales

if you failed, you weren’t going to get killed for it.” of the premium inventory made the Palace profitable

Wilson was so focused on revenue that he often before it opened with a Sting concert on Aug. 13, 1988.

sold his prime lower seat and would sit with the “Not only did it work, but it changed the whole

media. He also made sure that his cadre of execu- industry,” Wilson said.

tives looked the part. At one point he even called USHERING IN A NEW ERA

games on local television.

“Tom was very sales driven,” said Andy Appleby, Emboldened by the success of the Palace, Wilson

a former Pistons sales executive and founder of became even more aggressive.

General Sports & Entertainment. “There was never The organization created a new entity in Palace

a day when he didn’t ask me what I sold today. It Sports & Entertainment to reflect a new focus in

was like getting a Ph.D. in sports management. At becoming an integrated entertainment company.

the same time, he was very fastidious. He could It was a novel strategy back in the late 1980s but

spot a cracked button from across the room. But it proved so effective and profitable that it has become

made sense. Wearing a suit and tie made you feel today’s industry standard.

better about yourself.” To expand into the entertainment business, Wilson

It was a young, hungry staff that reflected Wil- convinced Davidson to acquire two local concert

son’s ambition. venues while eagerly courting top acts to play at the

“Ten years after I graduated high school and I’m Palace by partnering with Cellar Door Productions. Getty Images

running an NBA team,” Wilson said. “It wouldn’t “It was about getting as many shows as possible,”

happen today. There’s too much at stake. I wasn’t said Rich Franks, a former Cellar Door partner

ready to take it over. I told Bill that a few years later who now is a global promoter with Live Nation.

2 2 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Estis’ experience was typical for many young

executives at the Palace. Wilson’s style was to

quickly determine which employees would flourish

under his management.

“You can see who has it and who doesn’t,” Wilson

said. “A lot of it was sitting down with them and

instilling confidence. But there was a hair of sar-

casm in my approach and sometimes it didn’t play

well.”

Wilson would continue to lead Palace Sports dur-

ing its glory years from 1989 through 2009. Palace

Sports collected championships, including three

with the Pistons, and the company

stood as a model sports organiza-

tion.

Owner Bill But there was one night that Wil-
Davidson son would love to erase from his
saw poten- tenure.
tial in
On Friday, Nov. 19, 2004, at the

Wilson, and Palace arena, the Indiana Pacers
gave him and the Pistons would engage in the
autonomy infamous Malice at the Palace brawl
on key after Indiana’s Ron Artest ran into
business the stands to battle a fan who threw
decisions.

a cup at him as he lay on the scorer’s

table following a heated exchange

between players on the floor.

A brawl between players and fans

ensued, with fights stretching from the court into

the seats. It stands as one of the league’s darkest

chapters, and Wilson and the Palace faced heavy

criticism from the media for the lack of security.

“We had no idea we would be successful, but every- Sports & Entertainment. “He was the first to go “I was up in the stands, about three rows, right
thing worked.” deep into amphitheaters and he took to it a sports
mentality. While others were booking acts, he was by the player tunnel,” Wilson said. “You’re watch-
Wilson even floated a project to build an outdoor selling season tickets to the act. He was so far ahead
amphitheater in the Palace parking lot to compete of the curve.” ing this happen all over the place, and fans starting
with the successful Pine Knob amphitheater. When
the Pine Knob owners heard of the idea, they made Flush with success, Wilson convinced Davidson to come down, and our security staff, just trying to
a deal to be bought out by the Palace. Soon, the to expand his sports holdings by buying a minor
Palace was in the outdoor concert business as Wil- league hockey team, an Arena Football League team, get players off the floor as best they could. It was
son sold naming rights to the venue that became the WNBA’s Shock, and most notably, the Tampa
DTE Energy Music Theatre. The Palace also added Bay Lightning, which was then one of the worst happening so fast. It was an ESPN game, which
the Meadow Brook Music Festival venue to round teams in the NHL.
out its entertainment business. only exacerbated the situation.”
Davidson wanted little part of the Lightning deal
The growing success, expansion and integration until Wilson convinced him of future success. Da- Wilson’s phone rang at 9 a.m. the morning after
of Palace Sports launched Wilson’s reputation vidson paid $100 million for the team in 1999.
within the industry, but he never lost his sharp the brawl with NBA Commissioner David Stern
focus on ticket and sponsorship sales. “We were a little full of ourselves at the time, be-
cause we’d had great success in the amphitheater demanding an explanation.
The night the Pistons beat the Lakers to win the business, and the arena business, and the sports busi-
1989 NBA title and the first in franchise history, ness and stuff like that,” Wilson said. “He had a chance to cool off,” Wilson said. “It
John Ciszewski and other top team executives ex-
pected a joyous champagne-soaked return flight to Five years later, the Lightning — run by a group was rational, but David, even when he’s rational,
Detroit as they boarded Davidson’s private plane of ambitious executives Wilson sent from the Pis-
after winning the championship. tons down to Tampa — won the Stanley Cup. “We he could get a little upset. He knew it was a black
had a lot of young people that were looking to grow,”
“I figured it would be a monthlong celebration,” he said. eye, a huge black eye for the league. Where was
Ciszewski said. “But we were in the air and Tom
came back to us and asked ‘How do we sell more? Legends Executive Vice President Chad Estis security? A lot of other questions like where were
How do we take advantage?’ There was no resting was a promising young executive with Palace Sports
on our laurels. That stuck with me my whole career.” in the late 1990s who benefited greatly from Wilson’s your security people stationed? Why didn’t they
ability to develop talent.
As the Pistons won and sold out the Palace, Wil- stop this? Where were your ushers? It’s all those
son began applying the same sales strategies to the “Tom was an innovator and he had an incredible
company’s entertainment business. He created a presence,” Estis said. “He looked the part. Tall, things and they’re all the questions that we were
plan to sell season-ticket subscriptions at the music good-looking, shoulders back and incredibly con-
venues in what then was seen as another revolu- fident. He’d sit at the end of the big boardroom asking ourselves.”
tionary marketing tactic. He sold everything from table and it was aspirational to me. His expectations
VIP dinners after shows to VIP parking at the Pal- were higher than anything you thought you could The NBA came down hard and suspended nine
ace to improve the concert-going experience. do. He was pushing constantly for achievement.
Sometimes it didn’t feel great, but he pulled the players and levied large fines.
“He was the first executive who spent as much best out of people. There is no way I am sitting in
Getty Images time on the entertainment side as he did on the the role that I am now without the influence of Tom TURN THE PAGE
sports side,” said Scott O’Neil, CEO of Harris Blitzer early in my career.”
The Pistons and the NBA moved on from the inci-
dent with the league, instituting new security proce-
dures and limiting alcohol sales at games, but Wilson
faced more difficulty when Davidson died in 2009.

The succession plan between Wilson and Davidson
called for Wilson to continue to run the company and
for the team to stay in the Davidson family.

It was not to be.
The trustees charged with running Davidson’s
estate instead decided to sell, and Wilson’s reign
over the organization ended shortly before the Pis-
tons were sold to Tom Gores for a reported $325
million in 2011.
“It was shattering, because of our relationship,”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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CHAMPIONS: TOM WILSON

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Wilson was 60 when he joined Olympia and he

Wilson said of Davidson’s death. “Professionally, played a critical role in developing the new facility IN HIS
OWN
I was a little concerned because it was going to be while negotiating a deal to bring the Pistons to WORDS

complicated. But the one thing that we had talked downtown Detroit as a tenant in the new arena. TOM WILSON’S TOP 5
LEADERSHIP LESSONS:
about a lot, including up to three months before he But building a new arena in downtown Detroit
1. “It can’t be a job. It’s got to be
passed away, is that he always wanted it to stay in was more complicated than two decades prior in your life in order to do well. That
applies to just about any job that you
the family. Unfortunately, whatever happened, the wide open suburban Auburn Hills. do because people feed off of you.
Having that passion and wearing it on
decision was made to sell it shortly after he passed.” “When you build in Auburn Hills, they got six your sleeve every day so everybody
knows who you are, what you stand
As the Pistons were being shopped, Wilson re- politicians in the entire city,” Wilson said. “You’re for, and what you believe in, that’s a
real important thing.”
ceived a call from Chris Ilitch, son of Tigers and not really worried about zoning. In a city like Detroit,
2: “Being a good human being. I
Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch. it was much more difficult. Chris Ilitch should get want to work for good people, I want
to work for ethical people. I want to
“Chris just says, ‘If they do sell this thing, you’re all the credit because it took the patience that you work for people who make it fun to
come in every day. Because these are
probably the first guy out the door, because the new absolutely had to have to work through all the politics long hours and hugely stressful. “

guy, they always want their own people at the top. of everything involved.” 3: “I didn’t find it that hard. That’s a
funny thing to say, because it’s a lot of
Before I wake up and read you’ve gone to Denver, Wilson also had to adjust to an organization dif- work, but it was so enjoyable. Some-
times you’re maybe built for some-
let’s just have a conversation about what we’ve got ferent from his days at the Palace under Davidson. thing. There are people who are built
to be private equity guys. There are
planned.’” “I had complete autonomy with Bill,” Wilson people built to work at Wall Street, and
there are politicians who are maybe
In 2010, just prior to the Pistons sale, Wilson was said. “Or at least, I certainly had a feeling that it born. I don’t know what else I could
have done, but this was just perfect for
named president of Olympia Sports, the Ilitch um- was complete autonomy. When you go into a nor- me.”

brella that owned the Red Wings and Tigers. As mal organization, which is more the way the Il- 4: “Surround yourself with good
people. I used to always say my suc-
Olympia looked to expand and build Little Caesars itches are, the owners are very interested in what cess is the direct result of the number
of departments I don’t have to worry
Arena in downtown Detroit, Wilson found himself you’re doing. It was a lot more hands-on than I about. If the sales guy is more worried
about sales than I am, that’s great.”
in a familiar role but in a different structure. was used to.”
5: “Being competitive is a huge
“The opportunity to actually stay in my city, to When Little Caesars Arena opened in 2017, Wilson thing that drips off you and every-
body else gets it. I don’t mean throw-
work with the Tigers and the Red Wings, who I’d sensed his run at Olympia was winding down. “All ing things and everything like that,
which I’ve been known to do. I always
grown up rooting for, just like the Pistons and build the income streams were set,” he said. “It was a per- look for competitive people, and you
don’t have to be competitive neces-
a new arena, again, in my hometown — nobody fect time.” sarily in sports. If you’re competitive in
school, if you’re competitive with your
does that twice,” Wilson said. “I don’t know how Wilson retired at the end of 2020, but the decade brothers and sisters — if you can find
what made you compete and take it
skilled I am doing anything else. I wouldn’t be at Olympia only further cemented his gilded repu- into this world. ... Without being com-
petitive, in some respects, it’s hard to
much of a success in the insurance business. I tation within the industry. be successful in this world.” — J.L.

didn’t have to pull up roots. It made a lot of sense “Tom is legend in Detroit sports,” said Chris WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

to just stay.” Granger, group president of sports and entertain-

ment at Ilitch Hold-

ings. “He ushered in

the modern era of

sports marketing and

venue management in

the country. The les-

sons he taught in the

industry are still the

lessons that we live by

today. The notion of

building sales from

within. The modern-

day suites and premi-

um products started

with his leadership. He

cares deeply about

people and it becomes

fun and engaging to

work for him.”

Wilson today splits

time in suburban De-

troit, where his three

children and seven

grandchildren live, and

in Naples, Fla., where

he and his wife, Linda,

have a second home.

But he plans to remain

involved in sports.

“I’m doing a little bit

of consulting work,”

he said. “Sports has

been my life forever

and I love it. I didn’t

love every day, but I Getty Images

loved most of them.

How fortunate can you

Wilson’s tenure at Olympia Sports included the development of Little Caesars Arena. possibly be?”

2 4 | M AY 24-30, 2021

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

PORTFOLIO COLLEGE FINANCES

stream in the wake of discussions with Learfield

IMG College, the school’s marketing partner. Hous-

ton reported to the NCAA that it earned $2.66 million

in revenue from sponsorships, licensing agreements,

advertisements and royalties during 2020. That was

down from $4 million in fiscal 2019.

The Cougars are not unique when it comes to the

business relationship with Learfield. The multi-

media rights holder has been having sim-

Houston’s big run ilar discussions with many of its 200
in this year’s NCAA university clients about adjusting the fi-

Tournament under nancial model from an annual guarantee
Kelvin Sampson is
a financial booster to more of a revenue-sharing structure.
for the G5 school. For a G5 school like Houston, finding the
leverage to resist that can be challenging.

“Our point is that you’re asking us to

modify our contract for the next couple of years,

and we’re not seeing from the economy in Houston,

which is bolstered by energy, why they would come

to us asking for those concessions,” Pezman said.

Houston’s top-line sponsors lean heavily toward

local and regional brands such as Academy Sports

Looking For Air + Outdoors; the Memorial Hermann hospital chain;
HR services provider Insperity; and TDECU, a sav-
ings and loan group.

Tom Stallings, a sports management professor

AD Chris Pezman guides Houston in a crowded at Rice, said service-oriented companies looking
market, navigating tricky G5 financial challenges. for opportunities for exposure in a pro market fre-
quently seek out colleges in an effort to establish
lifetime brand loyalty among young consumers.

E VEN THOUGH the University of Houston’s turns,” he said. The Joint Chiropractic aligns with properties
trip to the men’s NCAA Final Four ended The need for more funding is clear in the depart- like Houston because millennials and Gen Z cus-
two steps shy of a championship, school of- tomers account for more than half of its client base.
ment’s 2020 financial report to the NCAA, which
“As the Gen Z student grows up and gains indepen-

ficials say it validates a decadelong $225 million reflects long-standing and COVID-related impacts dence, they are prioritizing both activities and expe-

facilities investment in a crowded, competitive on the athletic department’s bottom line. riences, and an alliance with their university provides

urban sports landscape. Of $66.3 million in revenue for the year ending a third-party endorsement from an institution they

While the Astros, Rockets and Texans struggle Aug. 31, 2020, athletics received $8.7 million in stu- already trust,” said Jason Greenwood, the company’s

with personnel turnover and head- dent fees and $37.9 million in direct institutional vice president of marketing.

BY DAVID line-grabbing controversies, UH support. The latter figure was $5.7 million over TDECU’s stadium naming-rights deal, originally
BARRON Athletic Director Chris Pezman said
the Cougars’ basketball success pre-COVID budget estimates, 5 for Five signed in 2014, totaled $15 mil-
according to an audit report. lion over 10 years with a five-
under coach Kelvin Sampson gives Schools in the Group of Five who most likely would year extension option
That reliance on direct move up to a Power Five conference if one of those beginning in 2024. That deal
the school an upbeat, successful support was driven home by leagues ever expanded, and how their finances

product to sell to fans and corporate sponsors. the Baylor-Houston Final compare: was brokered by the athletic

“We have to be successful,” Pezman said. “To Four pairing. Baylor was one 2019 revenue Allocated by director at the time, Mack

stand out in this market, average doesn’t cut it. You of four Texas schools that School (million) university Rhoades, and his department,

have to figure out a way to be consistently in the escaped the doomed South- Central Florida $69.1 45.9% without the help of an agency.

mix at a high level, as a top-25 program, to stay west Conference in 1996 for Cincinnati $68.8 43.1% Rhoades is now Baylor’s AD.
relevant in a saturated market like this. the Big 12; UH was one of four Houston $75.1 64.5% UH plans one more build-
schools left behind. Memphis $55.8 36.9%
“We saw that in a positive way with basketball. ing project: a football opera-
People have come out of the woodwork to be part That parting of the ways tions center at the stadium

of our program.” is reflected in revenue. In South Florida $55.0 58.2% with premium seating.

Along with Houston’s investment in facilities, 2018, the most recent year Notes — Allocated: Institutional support and student fees; While administrators, in-
including the $128 million TDECU Stadium, a $60 available, Baylor brought in revenue not generated by athletics cluding Rockets owner Til-

million renovation of the Fertitta Center basketball $45 million for football to $18 Source: USA Today database man Fertitta, chairman of the

arena and the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development million for Houston. UH board of regents, and

Center for basketball, the school earlier this year “But we’re not looking back,” Pezman said. “We President and Chancellor Renu Khator, have been

gave Sampson a two-year, $7.1 million extension have a chance to define our future in the next cou- staunch supporters, the budget shortfall and expan-

that has him under contract through 2026-27, and ple of years, and the success we had with basketball sion plans up the ante for successful programs.

in 2019 signed football coach Dana Holgorsen to a affirms what we are capable of doing.” Mike Pede, president and CEO of the university’s

five-year, $20 million agreement. The basketball team’s NCAA Tournament success alumni association, said student involvement has

The athletic department also continues to emulate earned five revenue units for the American Ath- grown with about 8,000 students now living on cam-

many of its Group of Five counterparts by requiring letic Conference, totaling about $10 million over pus and 3,500 on the university’s fringe.

substantial subsidies from the university. Thus, Pe- the next six years to be divided among 11 schools. “We’re seeing folks who waited 37 years for us to

zman said, came the urgency to capitalize on bas- Basketball ticket prices will go up by about 5% be in the Final Four, and we also have a generation

Getty Images ketball’s success and to turn around football. for the 8,479-seat Fertitta Center, and Pezman an- that doesn’t remember Phi Slama Jama,” Pede said.

“The next three to six months is where we do the ticipates an uptick in corporate sponsorship. “That group is excited about what they have done

hard work harvesting the efforts of the basketball As he attempts to add new sponsors, Pezman said since Kelvin Sampson took over.”

team’s success and turning that into financial re- he also is trying to protect UH’s existing revenue David Barron is a reporter based in Houston.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 25

PORTFOLIO PROFILES

A cadre of young league staffers played a critical

role in getting the NHL back on the ice last year
T
HE NHL PLAYOFFS that kicked off last week looked almost like normal, with best-of-seven
series featuring 16 teams playing on their home ice and thousands of towel-waving fans in
the stands. That bears little resemblance to last year’s postseason, in which the league
established two host cities in Toronto and Edmonton, invited 24 teams and played all
130 postseason games without crowds in attendance.

Still, just salvaging that season was a huge accomplishment. When the COVID-19

pandemic forced the NHL to suspend play on March 12, 2020, the playoffs were just

three weeks away. It would take more than four months of planning, but by Aug. 1, the NHL was back on

the ice. And on Sept. 28, the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup trophy, bringing an end to a

two-month experiment that included 33,174 COVID-19 tests and zero positives.

BY MARK J. BURNS Of the dozens of people at the league who labored behind the scenes, these

seven young staffers — all in their 30s — have been dubbed by the league

office as the “Silver Seven,” and were especially instrumental in ensuring the

return to play and that it was done with the utmost health and safety for all involved.

“Without their efforts, we wouldn’t have been able to do it. And their efforts were extraordi-

nary,” said Commissioner Gary Bettman. “It’s the countless hours and the lack of sleep. It’s the

stress of being away. It’s the challenge of doing things in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

Here are their stories.

Getty Images

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

PATRICK BITHER interviews and press conferences in a socially Staging and monitoring robotic POV cameras
distanced environment and monitoring the in and around locker rooms, implementing the
Senior Director, Broadcasting different broadcast and communications feeds Jitacam — a 360-degree camera suspended 40
behind the scenes. feet above the ice — and maintaining a direct
Supervisor: Ivan Gottesfeld, Executive Vice President, Broadcasting dialogue with the national rights holders and
Age: 36 “We really almost had to schedule everything local RSNs that were airing games remotely were
out by the minute in those first two weeks,” he all part of Bither’s 33-day stint in the Toronto hub.
IN THE HEART of the coronavirus pandemic last summer, said. “I became an expert in Excel.”
the NHL was among a handful of major U.S. pro sports “In the dog days of summer before being
leagues trying to offer sports fans a sense of normalcy. Traditionally, Bither would be in the produc- there, it was certainly a lot to grasp and how are
One major way to do that was to get games back on tion truck keeping a watchful eye on 20 different we going to manage all of this,” he said. “But we
television. For the NHL, that meant Patrick Bither, senior camera feeds and another 25 communications realized that any challenges that come our way,
director of broadcasting, was at the forefront of finally channels, but instead due to health and safety we’ll be able to get it done and deliver this
getting hockey back on the small screen. protocols, Bither sat by his lonesome in the product to our fans.”
bowels of Scotiabank Arena.
“We looked at it not only as an obligation or responsibil-
ity, but an opportunity to really do something different,
unique and cool,” said Bither.

Starting in April 2020, Bither and his colleagues within
the league’s TV rights holders relationships department
started discussions with national and local media
partners about what the TV product might look like, how
an altered broadcast model would work for all parties and
what would be the level of player access inside two
bubbles, among other broadcasting questions.

There were new opportunities available too. A hockey
environment without fans meant the NHL could enhance
the product with new technology, camera angles and
innovative thinking, including piping in crowd noise via
working in tandem with EA Sports.

For Bither, who joined the league in August 2006, his
responsibilities within the Toronto bubble began with
juggling two weeks of doubleheaders and tripleheaders
and mapping out the broadcast schedule on paper to stay
organized. The juggling act escalated into keeping tabs
on team arrivals, coordinating players’ and coaches’

Courtesy of NHL JAMIE entering each hub city on July 26 and games
HACKER restarting Aug. 1. It involved daily conversations with
Julie Grand (senior vice president/deputy general
Associate Counsel counsel) and Dr. Willem Meeuwisse (chief medical
officer), as well as consistent communication with
Supervisor: Julie Grand, Senior Vice President General Counsel David Zimmerman, Deputy Com-
and Deputy General Counsel missioner Bill Daly and Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Age: 32
“We had to figure out from the start what the best
JAMIE HACKER CANDIDLY ADMITTED that type of testing was going to be to employ, what the
there was clear anxiety with NHL staffers cadence of testing needed to be to keep everybody
in both the Toronto and Edmonton the safest. We needed to figure out all of those
bubbles around whether they could pull details, and there was no right or wrong answer at
off what they were being asked to do. that point,” said Hacker, adding that the known
science was still developing around the COVID-19
“At the end of the day, the goal for us virus as the NHL wrote its procedures.
from the beginning was to hand out the
Stanley Cup,” said Hacker, an associate “We needed to figure out how to almost do the
counsel at the NHL and a league staffer best we could do and learn as much as we could
since May 2017. about the virus and about taking measures to put in
place to prevent exposure to the virus without
Hacker’s day-to-day position — which actually knowing if it was going to be right or not.”
is player-centric and includes handling
safety issues, grievances against teams, Protocols designed in part by Hacker — which
supplementary discipline and contract included implementing Clear’s Health Pass technol-
issues, among other legal matters — ogy, symptom questionnaires and temperature
primed her for playing a key role during check kiosks in both bubbles — ensured that
last summer’s resumption of the 2020 players, team staff and league personnel completed
NHL season. their daily testing in 90 seconds. In a 65-day span,
over 33,000 total COVID-19 tests were administered
She helped conceive, develop and to those in both Canadian cities without a single
enforce all of the health and safety positive case.
protocols, an extensive process that
included a four-phase return to play “The night that we handed out the Stanley Cup
approach, culminating with players was such a weight off of my shoulders, off of so many
other people’s shoulders, that we’re all so proud of
the accomplishment,” she said.

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 27

PORTFOLIO PROFILES

ALLISON back-of-house food and beverage operation for the from scratch,” said
SCHECHTER league’s outdoor games or creating large-scale annual Schechter, who
parties such as the NHL’s New Year’s Eve celebration. spent about 60 days
Senior Director, Events, total in Edmonton up
Hotels & Hospitality When the NHL selected Edmonton and Toronto as the until both confer-
two return-to-play hub markets in July, Schechter turned ence finals series
Supervisor: Dean Matsuzaki, Executive Vice her attention to finalizing exclusive hotel deals with six kicked off in early
President, Events properties for players, staff, league and media personnel to September.
Age: 39 use. Developing protocols for sealed bubbles, coordinat-
ing daily COVID-19 testing for hotel staffers and scheduling Beyond address-
AT MIDNIGHT ON JULY 26, Allison Schech- room service were among some of the other logistical ing the big-picture
ter was at the Sutton Place Hotel in measures she helped craft. items, Schechter
downtown Edmonton putting the finishing fielded numerous
touches on players’ and team staffs’ “The No. 1 challenge was we were building this all questions that had
sleeping quarters, treatment rooms and never been asked
common spaces, just hours before 12 NHL before, such as:
clubs arrived in the bubble that the league What’s accessible in
and the city were creating. It may sound the hotel gift shops?
hectic, but it was just another 20-hour How can teams
workday for Schechter leading up to the obtain medication
NHL’s return to play for the 2019-20 season. from the local drug
store? Where can
“We use every single minute of every day players work out? And, how can personnel receive food
to be prepared, especially in the events via Uber Eats? Two full-time members of Schechter’s
business,” said Schechter, a 15-year league staff spearheaded similar logistical and day-to-day
veteran. “We want to make sure that every efforts in Toronto while she and another colleague,
T is crossed and I is dotted because that is Krystle Krasnaj, banded together in Edmonton.
what takes any event to the next level.” “Those are the types of things that I would never
consider during a typical NHL event,” she stated. “If you
Normally, Schechter, who sits in the hotel don’t like what’s there in the gift shop, you go outside
and hospitality group within the NHL’s and find another place.”
events department, spends her days When asked what she took away from the entire
developing and planning the annual Winter experience, Schechter said, “I certainly learned that we
Classic or Stadium Series, orchestrating the can pretty much do anything.”

STEVE connect their video game systems to Courtesy of NHL
TRICARICO hotel flat screens. There were also
more complex issues, such as configur-
Director, Event ing over 750 remote player and coach
Technical Operations interviews via Zoom and building out
separate suites for all 12 teams’ video
Supervisor: Dan O’Neill, Vice President, coaches and installing in each one a
Arena and Event Operations remote work environment, similar to a
Age: 37 setup that the coaches would tradition-
ally have at their home arenas.
WITH TWO LARGE 80-INCH FLAT
SCREENS inside the Platinum Club at the “It was like a duck in water where it
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Scotiabank Arena, was all calm on the top, but then we’re
Steve Tricarico and his 20-person moving a million miles a second
technical operations team had their war below,” said Tricarico of not only the
room all set up in the bubble last weeks leading up to Toronto but the
summer. Checklist dashboards and time spent in the city, which lasted
broadcast feeds filled the screens to until early September.
keep Tricarico and his staff informed and
ready for any issue that might arise. Of course, last-minute hurdles also
arose, like working with league
“We really had to keep our eyes on sponsor Apple and obtaining 15 Apple
everything,” he said. “It was a lot of TVs in the Toronto area — and a
documentation of the process and streaming solution — so players could
knowing steps that had to be done, but have access to watch U.S.-based clubs
also a lot of monitoring, making sure that in their respective lounges.
we didn’t have little hiccups that are just
going to snowball.” The most challenging part of the
entire hub experience? “Breaking old
Tricarico’s responsibilities encom- habits,” he said. “We have our certain
passed anything infrastructure or ways that we like to operate, whether it
IT-related within the Toronto bubble. be work or social, but when you’re in a
More simple tasks included keeping the bubble environment, all of that goes
lights on at Scotiabank Arena, ensuring out the window. You have protocols
there was a strong Wi-Fi connection, and that you have to follow. Whether it be
securing HDMI cables for players to something as simple as running to
Home Depot or Best Buy to grab
something, we didn’t have that luxury.”

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

KATHERINE JAROD there’s really no choice but to task of carefully constructing a
WATSON WERE volunteer and pitch in as well.” detailed testing environment.
Twelve teams, all operating on
Senior Counsel Vice President, A former consultant at Bain & their own individual schedules
Strategic Planning Co., Were joined the league in the within the hub city, added to the
Supervisor: David Zimmerman, Senior Executive fall of 2009. He typically spends complex nature of having to
Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Supervisor: Stephen McArdle, his days brainstorming creative manage testing traffic inside the
Counsel Senior Executive Vice President, ways to present the NHL product bubble. The success, or lack
Age: 36 Strategic Planning and Digital to fans, developing new revenue thereof, of the NHL’s return to play
Media streams and fan engagement in 2020 relied, at least in part, on
IN A MATTER OF WEEKS leading into both the Age: 36 initiatives and participating in the implemented COVID-19
Toronto and Edmonton bubbles, Katherine internal discussions and research testing protocols in Toronto.
Watson had to draft and execute over 100 THE NHL’S four-person strategy around the league’s media rights
individual contracts for medical service team is tasked with tackling the deals, among other areas of focus. “It’s not often that the work I
providers participating in the NHL’s return-to- “biggest, most complex have been enlisted to do has that
play format. problems” facing the league Once the pandemic hit, potential outcome,” Were said.
and “ones that cut across however, he and his colleagues
That included forming contractual relation- multiple business units,” found themselves with the added At times, he managed up to
ships with a range of medical professionals, according to Jarod Were, vice eight testing sites in Toronto —
including emergency medicine doctors, president of strategic planning. along with an hour-by-hour
infectious disease experts, orthopedic sur- There has been no bigger testing calendar he helped
geons and nurses to perform COVID-19 testing. planning hurdle during Were’s develop — and also oversaw the
time at the NHL than creating, execution of up to 1,700 daily
“Everybody had this immense excitement to developing and finally imple- COVID-19 tests in the early stages
be a part of something that had never been menting the COVID-19 testing of return to play. Each day, Were
done before,” said Watson, the NHL’s senior procedures in the Toronto then provided testing reports to
counsel, who joined the league in August 2016. bubble last summer. 17 different constituencies to
ensure compliance.
As part of her responsibilities leading into “My colleagues put their
play resuming in August, Watson also de- hands up and volunteered for Said Were: “I felt like a switch-
signed and implemented the anonymous email roles that were outside their board operator in certain days
tip line in both markets for people to report traditional responsibilities,” said really trying to put together
non-compliance of health and safety protocols, Were, “and when you see that, pieces from a bunch of different
a measure that wasn’t ever utilized, she said. In stakeholders, some of which were
her bubble-related work, Watson had consis- in the bubble, some of whom were
tent dialogue with associate counsel Jamie all over the country.”
Hacker and the NHL’s Chief Medical Officer Dr.
Courtesy of NHL Willem Meeuwisse, who identified the health ANDREW Wilson, who has worked on salary cap based on new informa-
care professionals needed in each city to keep WILSON contract and labor issues since tion surrounding players’ on-ice
players, team staff and league personnel safe. joining the league in December availability and the unusual
Senior Director, 2006, said “the general timeline circumstances that a shortened
When asked to Central Registry was the most difficult.” In the end, season presented also fell within
characterize the the parties created a 71-page his purview.
drafting of the Supervisor: Sean MacLeod, memorandum of understanding
100-plus contracts Senior Vice President and outlining the new rules, “That’s just a fraction of the
— a majority of Managing Director, Central procedures and critical
which were Registry dates for the 2019-20 issues we were dealing with at the
executed prior to Age: 37 season and also outlined time,” Wilson said.
the bubbles, while what helped inform the CBA
some were formed NEGOTIATIONS AROUND a that had been worked on Internally, he also advocated for
as additional collective bargaining agree- before the pandemic but the implementation of last
nursing staff was ment between the NHL and the wasn’t approved until July. summer’s play-in tournament.
needed — Watson NHLPA typically take most of a
could only say, “it year — if they get done at all “It was friendly, it was “From a perspective of shoe-
was a lot. Those — but Andrew Wilson and his stressful, it was difficult, but horning our systems into it, it
processes weren’t set up prior to the bubble front-office colleagues had a we managed through it,” worked,” he said. “We were able
because our teams never had to test people mere 3 1/2 months to hammer Wilson said of the talks. to then say, ‘OK, the regular
before coming into the arena.” out a framework to a new CBA season is over. Now, we have this
Normally, there may be some boilerplate that would save one season When the regular season play-in tournament type scenario
language for most contracts, but due to the and reshape several others. was initially suspended on March and playoffs that are separate
unique nature of the coronavirus pandemic, 12, Wilson had to immediately from what we’ve done, and we
the NHL’s use of the two bubbles and the “There was no time here,” wrestle with all issues pertaining can apply proration to what has
medical services that were needed, Watson said Wilson, one of the key to players’ contracts because the happened.’”
couldn’t rely on any precedent or template to figures involved in crafting the NHL’s traditional calendar timeline
model the 100-plus contracts. league’s return-to-play plan last no longer existed. Determining
“Nothing about the pandemic has been summer and negotiating terms how to configure player bonuses,
standard operating procedure,” said Watson, for the new CBA with the NHL salary arbitration and trade restric-
who was assisted by NHL staff attorney Shawn Players’ Association, a deal that tions — both in an abbreviated
Adkins to expedite the legal process. “At the was ratified July 10 and now regular season and with what
end of the day, we really just buckled down and stretches through the 2025-26 became an expanded 24-team
got it done. That was my mantra for all of the season. “Everything had to playoffs — were among some of
bubble work that I did. They were long days, have been done yesterday.” Wilson’s focus areas. Additionally,
but it was rewarding work.” writing a new hockey calendar
and deciding to eliminate the
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IN-DEPTH XXXX

Hitting the books
Sports U RSULA GROSSER was nine years into a successful DraftKings has added about 1,700 U.S. positions in Boston;
business banking career when she decided to enter the sports Hoboken, N.J.; New York City; and Vegas since the start of 2018.
education management graduate program at Columbia Uni- Australian-founded PointsBet has doubled its U.S. staff in the
programs and versity, smitten by the idea of transferring her ex- past year to almost 200, with most based in Denver. Penn Inter-
their recent active has gone from fewer than 100 to more than 400 in that
graduates perience and acumen to a sector that she loved. span.
have
discovered Jon Tasman had spent about the same amount of time in bank- It’s not slowing down.
that betting is FanDuel has plans for an Atlanta tech hub that will employ
the new hot ing, working in trade support on foreign currencies, when he 900 within five years. DraftKings expects to add 130 new jobs in
sector for jobs this quarter, on top of about 20 slots created in the first quarter
in the industry enrolled in the program in the hope that it might lead to a job that it still hasn’t filled. BetMGM has 75 open positions.
— a trend that Those driven to “work in sports” typically need time to deter-
is likely to applying data and analytics to baseball. mine exactly what that means — sorting out sectors and roles
continue. and skill sets. The flood of sportsbook openings, many of them
Ilan Bielas was in the sports practice of a consulting firm created at a time sports jobs had generally dried up, has brought
BY BILL KING a largely unfamiliar world of employers and job titles.
when he opted to cross over to the industry itself, choosing Co- At their core, most sportsbooks are tech companies. They’re
also consumer facing. Many operate at retail. Some create con-
lumbia as his vessel. tent. Most of the larger ones work closely with both sports prop-
erties and media companies.
None of them could have fathomed a career in sports betting There never has been a blend like this before; not at this scale,
with so much at stake.
when they decided to get their master’s in sports administration. A role at a sportsbook never crossed Grosser’s mind until a
recruiter called with a project manager role at still-nascent Bet-
Wagering on sports wasn’t legal outside of Nevada when Tas- MGM in March of 2019, about a year after she’d started taking
night classes at Columbia.
man and Bielas entered the program in 2016. In 2018, when they

graduated and Grosser entered school, sportsbooks in New Jer-

sey and Delaware were taking their first bets.

Since then, employment opportunities in the U.S. betting in-

dustry have grown exponentially, like a parlay bet rolled over,

and then rolled over again.

BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM Resorts and U.K. on-

line gambling giant Entain, has grown its U.S. presence from Getty Images

about a dozen people working in the basement of Atlantic City’s

Borgata Hotel to a head count approaching 600 split between

Jersey City and Las Vegas.

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Tasman remembers a classmate joking that a sports betting
job would be perfect for him when the Supreme Court opened
the door to legalized sportsbooks three years ago. But he didn’t
take it seriously — at least not until about a year later when,
still on the hunt for a sports job, he saw a posting for a spot on
the “trading” team at BetMGM.

Bielas was director of marketing and fan analytics at the fledg-
ling second iteration of the XFL when a headhunter pinged him
about a role as head of CRM at Penn Interactive, operator of
Barstool Sportsbook. He politely turned it down hoping to see
through what he’d started, but when the XFL folded a month
later he quickly made the jump.

“I came in wanting to be a chief revenue officer or CFO of a
team,” said Bielas, now director of marketing analytics at Penn’s
Barstool Sportsbook. “But there’s no better spot to be in the
sports industry today than the gambling side, because it’s such
a new industry and it’s growing with every state we add.”

The Columbia program’s career adviser, Bess Brodsky, re-
cently told Bielas that if he were offered his dream job with a
team tomorrow, she’d counsel him to turn it down.

“She said I was in the hottest space in sports right now,” Bie-
las said. “And she’s absolutely right. What we’re doing right now
is going to leave a lasting impact on the sports industry as a
whole.”

Courtesy of Ursula Grosser ILAN BIELAS A VARIETY OF ROLES TO FILL URSULA GROSSER
Director of marketing analytics, Director of projects, BetMGM
Barstool Sportsbook WHEN BETMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt began staffing up the joint
venture that initially was known as Roar Digital at the start of “I compare it to a roller-coaster ride. At the
“In terms of who is right for 2019, he started by filling a handful of senior roles with others beginning, it was just a lot of hard work.
these opportunities, it’s going like himself, who’d worked at sportsbooks abroad or had experi- Let’s figure this out. Having worked at
to be someone who is scrappy ence in other key functions of a digital business. companies that are really big — 50,000 to
and understands that we’re in 60,000 employees; 200,000 employees — it’s
the early years of the industry As they worked to fill out a staff heavy on data analysts and very different. It takes a lot of resilience
and there might not be all the other positions key to what he sees as a hyperspeed, sported-up and creative thinking. There has been a lot
process and systems and Amazon — e-commerce, but with inventory and prices that change of frustration as well. But then you look
checks that are in place at a by the second — Greenblatt found that they’d have to rely on back and remember, we are really creating
company or team that’s been qualities rather than qualifications. something here. It kind of gives me
around for 30 or 50 years. It’s a goosebumps at times.”
startup mentality and you “There was no talent that was directly relevant to our spe-
have to be OK with rapid cific sector because there wasn’t a sector before,” said Greenblatt, ing, analytics or customer service. Engineering
moves and unknowns. Being who spent eight years at sportsbooks in the U.K. “So what I was jobs are similar to those in other digital business-
able to pivot quickly and not looking for at the beginning were people who had an interest in es. Those with a data bent can find analytics roles
afraid of failing. We’re of the sport, were smart, and had the right attitude. You can’t teach in either trading — using predictive models to set
mentality that if you’re not attitude.” odds and lines and respond to moving markets — or,
failing, you’re not trying.” more likely, in groups that analyze ways to attract,
A good way to think of the roles at most sportsbooks is on the engage and retain bettors. Customer service jobs
above: Penn National, owner of Barstool curve that accompanies their expansion into new states. Govern- give a range of recent grads a chance to chart a
Sportsbook operations, has grown from ment relations and compliance departments help a sportsbook path up, or into, other areas of the organization.
fewer than 100 employees to more than get licensed in a state, adhering to — and perhaps later massag-
400 at Penn Interactive, which handles ing — the rules around their business. Engineers and developers “We’re a technology company first and foremost
the sportsbook’s digital properties. build, maintain and evolve the product — the sites and apps on and we have a sports betting product,” said Graham
which they will take most bets. Walters, chief people officer at DraftKings. “That’s
really how we compete. Engineers are interested
Data analysts and digital marketers tailor strategies to attract, by the problems. They want to come here because
keep and engage bettors, carefully weighing their offers — like the size and scale and magnitude of sports betting
matching as much as $2,000 in deposits, or forgiving lost bets on across the U.S. is an interesting challenge.
the home team — against how long it likely will take that person
to lose more than they’ve been given, plus the marketing expense “People from analytics, they’re similar. It’s an
required to get their attention in the first place. interesting problem [to solve]. Sports is an interest-
ing topic. You combine that with betting and trad-
There are sponsorship and marketing roles similar to those ing and it creates an interesting place to work.”
throughout sports. And the back-office functions of most any
company. When PointsBet signed what still is the only
sponsorship deal with a college program outside
And then there are the “traders,” who set and move point Nevada, aligning with the University of Colorado,
spreads and odds. the agreement included a career development pro-
gram that will have executives on campus in front
For grad students encountering a tightening of the job market of engineering and B-school students and recruit-
in a data and analytics space that was white hot before COVID- ing at career fairs.
19 hit, the sportsbooks offer a suitable substitute.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
“For data guys and data girls, our business is mecca,” said
Greenblatt, whose company recently was recognized on website
Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work list. “And in an even broader
sense, if you have an interest in e-commerce, top to bottom, and
have an interest in sports — this is the top of Everest here.”

At DraftKings, most entry-level hires come though engineer-

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IN-DEPTH SPORTS BUSINESS EDUCATION

JON TASMAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31 sports job. And you can apply what you’ve learned in a very
Sportsbook data meaningful way. For all those reasons, our students and alums
analyst, BetMGM “The growth potential for someone young coming in is sig- have found it really appealing. And I think it will continue to be
nificant,” said Eric Foote, chief commercial officer at PointsBet. that way.”
“Once I got in, I “It’s just so different from being at a media company or profes-
loved it and sional sports team, where the individuals at those places have As sports betting has swept across the country, Rosner has
loved seeing the so much experience. People here have a year or two experience. incorporated it into his classes and encouraged others on the
growth; going program’s faculty to do the same. They haven’t created specific
from just having “Let’s be honest. Unless someone has been transplanted in classes yet, but he’s looking for other ways to build out curricu-
New Jersey to from Europe or Australia, they haven’t done this before.” lum, including guest speakers and perhaps even workshops.
where we are
now, and then THE PLACE TO BE “It’s kind of enmeshed into our courses now,” Rosner said.
seeing the “You’ll have one class [session] here and one there dedicated to
momentum WITH THE SPORTS WORLD shut down and the job market flatlined, the space. Because if you’re not paying attention to this, you’re
building. When I Brodsky heard from a recent Columbia grad who had stumbled missing what is going on in the world. You have to be paying
was in banking, I into an unexpected connection. His boss at BetMGM had worked attention to this.”
couldn’t see that. with Brodsky when both were at Madison Square Garden. The
It’s been great former colleague wanted to reconnect. At Syracuse, the manager of the school’s undergraduate sport
being part of a analytics track recently got a call from an alum who has been
company moving “We got on a Zoom call and here was his boss,” Brodsky said. in a traditional sports role for three years, asking for help find-
so fast.” “The reason he was on was because they wanted to hire six ing his way over to the betting side. Recent grads who may have
people in their department. envisioned jobs at teams have landed at William Hill, BetMGM
DraftKings has been and Golden Nugget.
hiring to fill jobs in “When just about everything else went away last year, this was
engineering, analytics the No. 1 opportunity that was left, without a doubt. I would say “The pandemic took a significant toll on what was going to be
and customer service. to people sometimes, ‘Do you like betting? Are you interested in available from an entry-level perspective,” said Francesco Riv-
betting?’ Because that’s where the jobs are.” erso, who also serves as an academic adviser in sports analytics.
“Hypercompetitive became ubercompetitive. So now, not only
In the last two years, eight students from Columbia’s sports were entry-level students competing with their peers, they were
management graduate program have landed at BetMGM. Two also competing with those who were laid off, who were starting
others got jobs at Penn. One is at DraftKings. One is at FanDuel. over again, just to get a full-time job. The introduction of sports
betting and the sportsbook explosion, with their need to staff
The path from Columbia to BetMGM hasn’t been the tradi- up, has brought a really nice entry point for students with an
tional grad school pipeline, where an employer offers consulting interest in those areas.”
projects and internships that often lead to hires. It is more “or-
ganic,” Brodsky said, with grads connecting each other to op- Last month, Ohio University placed two students from its sports
portunities across the company. MBA program at DraftKings, where they’ll start in the trading
department. Both initially were pursuing analytics roles in
Four of those Columbia students landed BetMGM analyst jobs, player personnel.
but only two are in the same department. Another student is a
licensing manager. One is a partnerships coordinator. One is In August, Ohio’s AECOM Center for Sports Administration
creating social media content. Grosser works on projects across combined with bet-monitoring service U.S. Integrity to launch an
the company. online education platform that offers a certificate program around
three five-session courses: An overview series, a series around
“These companies are fantastic places to work,” said Scott integrity and a series on “innovations and insights.” Courses are
Rosner, who heads the Columbia program as its academic direc- priced at $1,325 each, or $2,999 for the three-course bundle.
tor. “They’re interesting. They’re new. They’re exciting. You’re
better compensated than you’d be starting out in a traditional

GRAHAM WALTERS Getty Images
Chief people officer, DraftKings
3 2 | M AY 24-30, 2021
“It’s more about the fit of the
employee in your culture than it
is about a specific skill set. Just
like any other large corporation,
we have jobs that run the gamut.
If I were to give advice to
somebody coming in, I’d say it’s
an amazing experience. You’re
going to get an incredible
amount of exposure to a lot of
different things. But at the same
time, you have to have somebody
who is willing to jump right in
and own it. And I think, given
the speed of the market, to be
successful it has to be somebody
excited by that pace and not
somebody that shies from it.”

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SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

ADAM GREENBLATT Led by former sports administration center head “Indeed is one of my best friends,” Kahler said. “I’d type in
CEO, BetMGM Jim Kahler, who stepped down from that role in sports gambling. I don’t even have to put in a state. The jobs were
July, Ohio’s sports gambling executive education out there when just about everything disappeared during COVID.
“You need to be able to be program attracted about 60 students in its first year, And they’re continuing to be out there as we come out of it.”
agile. And a self-starter at an Kahler said, with about two-thirds of them hoping
operational level. Identify an to gain insights that would help them in their cur- The sportsbooks also have proved willing to compensate sports-
opportunity for improvement rent organizations. focused MBA grads similarly to their classmates who enter other
and do something about it. To sectors, Kahler said, something rarely found by those chasing
be honest, there’s still a lot of The other third wants to transition fully into the careers in sports.
startup-i-ness to BetMGM. sports betting world.
We’re not ESPN, with estab- “Let’s just put it this way: They appreciate the MBA,” Kahler
lished hierarchies and pro- “They were looking for a way to break in, and said. “And they don’t have any preconceived notion about paying
cesses. It’s still quite scrappy, it’s working,” Kahler said. “As these companies your dues because, for the most part, those people didn’t.”
still quite go get ’em. We’ve begin to look for talent, not too many kids coming
obviously come a huge way, out of school can say they have any experience or The three Columbia alums — Grosser, Tasman and Bielas — all
but there’s still a ways to go.” extra understanding of what sports gambling is say they enjoy the pace, and sometimes even the uncertainty, of
all about. That certificate can give you a leg up.” a new U.S. sports sector that is growing rapidly, amid intense
BetMGM’s employment numbers competition and under increasing Wall Street scrutiny.
have grown along with its Kahler pointed to a UNC law school grad who turned
sponsorship portfolio across the class into a compliance role at Penn Interactive. They also caution that, like sports betting itself, it may be best
sports. An Ohio U undergrad who took the class while getting left to those with a high tolerance for the unknown.
his finance degree quickly landed a job at Sportradar.
“This is one of those growing industries where a lot is going
Like his counterparts, Kahler learned last year to happen and lot is going to change,” DraftKings’ Walter said.
that the quickest way to sports employment was “As we think about talent going forward, what a lot of times you
through a sportsbook. see is that talent is attracted to challenge. I think we’ll see a lot
of talent flock to gaming and sports betting.”

ERIC FOOTE
Chief commercial officer, PointsBet

“Coming over from the sports media
business, what is different about
sportsbooks is just the pace of the
industry. Everyone sees it. The pace of
entering new states. The pace due to the
competitive nature. Operators only enter a state one
time. So you get one chance to do it and one chance to do
it right. The pace is crazy. And it’s fun. It’s not about
how many hours you work in a day or a week. It’s just
the pace of your responsibilities day to day, week to
week, is something extremely unique to our category. It
positions quite well to a younger generation that is
ready to hit the job market, roll up their sleeves and bust
their tail. I love it.”

Getty Images [email protected] @SDSUSPORTSMBA BUSINESS.SDSU.EDU/SPORTS-MBA

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IN-DEPTH SPORTS BUSINESS EDUCATION

Advice from SBJ’s I Factor

Participants in the SBJ I Factor interview series were asked about tips they have for sports business management
students and recent graduates and what areas of the industry they should seek out.
Their responses are edited for clarity and brevity.

If you were a JEFF PRICE STEVE LAULETTA
20-something, Chief Commercial Officer, President, Pigeon Sports Marketing
what PGA of America
segments of “I believe [an agency is] always a really great
the sports “There’s two that jump out place to start because you get to see so many
business immediately. It’s everything on the different things. Agencies are nimble, different
would you be data and analytics side, not just the clients coming in and out, different industries,
interested in performance end of things, but really different sports, based on what those clients are
and focused consumer insights, consumer data, the ability to really doing. … Getting started in a place like that is really beneficial
on to start use information to drive business results, whether that’s because it teaches you a whole bunch of different skill sets that are
your career on the field or in the front office, or as a part of an needed. And then, again, you’ll find your passion in terms of what
journey? association. How does that data and analytics drives you, whether that’s social media, whether that’s execution,
opportunity create tremendous new opportunity for operations, pure brand marketing, things like that. That’s where
roles that never existed? And then I think about the DEI young people should really start to figure out what they excel in and
awakening that sports has had and the need that we have what really gets them excited, and then that skill set can get
for talent to help lead that.” transferred into whatever — motorsports, NFL, baseball — take
your pick.”

What advice do you give young people who are looking to get a start in the sports business?

PAUL ARCHEY KATHY CARTER JESSICA GELMAN TOM GLICK What’s the best
Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, LA28 Chief Executive Officer, President, Tepper Sports & career advice that
JMI Sports Chief Executive Officer, Kraft Analytics Group Entertainment you’ve received?
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
“Make sure when you are Properties “No. 1 piece of advice is “It goes back to this advice ALISON OVERHOLT
starting your career that wherever you are right that I got after my General Manager,
you’re working for “Don’t be afraid of doing now, start. People are freshman year in college, Oprah Winfrey and
someone or a group that the work, and the reality is always looking toward which is just get started, Hearst Magazines
you think you can learn also, don’t be afraid to use what their job is going to especially for somebody
from. Don’t look at the whatever connections you be, but there’s who’s not yet in it. If “Be who you are.
salary because the actually have to open the opportunities. If you’re in you’re a college student, Don’t sand your
difference in the money door. Because I think we school, for example, just get started. I always rough edges or try to
you’re going to make at sometimes forget it’s OK to volunteer with the athletic encourage people to be fit in a box because
any of those jobs is push hard and to open the department and see how willing to relocate. I think you think that that’s
inconsequential. Look at door, and I tell people all you can help them with it opens up a lot more what your
the situation, look at the the time, ‘I’m happy to their marketing or possibilities for people. … profession needs.
people that are running the open a door. What you do analytics or whatever it is, But setting those two You are enough, and
company or running your once that door is open, is and you can get some really things aside, I really think be who you are
department, who you will up to you.’ And then don’t great experience … that it’s the upline that you get every single day.”
report to. And is it be afraid to take advantage will show that you have an yourself into. So for me,
someone that you really of who you may know, interest in sports without David Tepper, Ferran To see full interviews and
think you can learn from which I think for a lot of going out and maybe being Soriano, David Stern, Scott more, visit sbj.tv/ifactor
in the business, that’s women, sometimes it’s able to get the internship O’Neil, Tom Dickson,
going to be a mentor to hard. You’re like, ‘Oh, I because especially in this Sherrie Myers, it’s finding To listen to the
you, is going to spend some have to do it on my own.’ economy right now and individuals and podcasts, visit
time helping you, or that Well, no, that’s not the way with what’s happened to organizations and projects sportsbusinessjournal.
you can just learn from by it works. Kick the door sports in this past year, where you can learn and com/Podcasts
being around them.” open, then it’s up to you.” there’s huge needs there.” develop.”

3 4 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Where’s the best place to start?

We asked sports business educators and executives:
Outside of sports betting, on what part of the sports business should job seekers should focus?

What’s the area in which you’re seeing the most hiring?

THAYER LAVIELLE PATTY FRANKENFIELD JAMES JORDAN “
Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, People & Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
The Collective Culture, Arizona Coyotes Charlotte Hornets
“There has been an increased focus on all aspects of
“This year we “The area in which we are digital the past few years and that is only going to
are seeing a seeing the most hiring for is continue. The digital experience stretches across our
significant definitely our ticket sales de- business. Digital content creation includes graphic design,
uptick in partment … specifically group video production and written posts and stories for our social media
hiring — sales. We are in the process of channels and websites, as well as our team broadcast’s streaming plat-
across all recruiting for top talent to fill forms and the continued development of our team app to allow fans to
specialties some open positions. Ticket do and experience even more both in and outside of the arena. Digital
and verticals sales is a great entry point for also encompasses our partnerships team members having the knowl-
working in sports. You have edge, skill set and ability to develop digital assets for sponsors that meet
of the business. an opportunity to gain valu- their business needs and goals. We also have had a significant focus on
It’s a very competitive market, able sales, communication, our corporate social responsibility department and foundation as we in-
so having the skills are really and customer service experi- crease our social justice platform and see a large increase in requests
table stakes.” ence in addition to profession- from partners regarding their community elements.”
al development and
GLENN WONG community outreach.” Columbia University
Professor of Practice, Sandra
Day O’Connor College of Law NANCY LOUGH MSp.So. rintsSMpoartnsaMgaenmageenmt ent
Executive Director, ASU Sports Professor, College of Education,
Law and Business Program and Co-Director, Sport Research In a League of Our Own
& Innovation Initiative at UNLV
“With the renewed focus on A Top-Ranked Program at the Center of the Sports World
social issues in society, em- “Based on the evolution of
ployment opportunities in sport technology, I think job “ The Columbia University Sports Management program
human resources and talent seekers need to focus on cur- has taught me how to discuss critical business topics in a
management have increased rent innovations in sport. manner that inspires growth, impact, and innvovation.
in the sports industry. In the Layden Williams
spring of 2021, the ASU Sports Those who will be Current Columbia University Sports Management Student
Law and Business program best positioned
developed and added to its to contribute to Your Columbia. Your City. Your Faculty. Your Curriculum.
curriculum “Leading Sports a sport orga-
Organizations: The Impera- nization sps.columbia.edu/sports
tive of Diversity, Equity and today need
Inclusion,” taught by Dr. to be mak-
Sonja Robinson (formerly ing connec-
with the D&I staff at the tions and
NCAA). The course enhances thinking
the students’ opportunities to about challenges
learn about these important
issues. It has also provided in new ways, exploring ideas
some employment opportuni- that are unique. Creating new
ties. Other employment op- models where teams include
portunities have been in the voices of women, people of
digital media, event opera- color will increasingly be val-
tions, baseball operations and ued by sport businesses. Just
the team services areas.” look to the Tampa Bay Bucs’
model of success.”

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 35

001510_SPRT_PrintAd_SportsBizJournal.indd 1 5/18/21 10:04 AM

OPINION

NWSL case study points to appears as a noteworthy development.
culture change in women’s sports The multiyear deal features a “VIP
I NVEST IN WOMEN. That idea isn’t new, but it’s become some- Game Day Experience” aimed at great-
thing of a rallying cry in sports recently. It’s the hashtag for the job to how the league established es- er fan engagement, pulling levers for
that appears on posts about impressive TV ratings for sential workstreams early in the pandemic. business growth and cultural change at
Liz Dalton, NWSL managing director of com- the same time.

women’s games. It’s the affirmation that follows announce- petition and player operations, described the When the case debuted at Sloan,
Baird joined the class as a guest speak-
ments about celebrities and pro athletes joining the ownership logistical challenges and intense planning in- er. The class session featured a brain-
storming workshop where student
ranks of the NWSL. It’s the praise that greets news of Breanna volved with the 2020 Challenge Cup. Former groups formed different workstreams
focused on fans, owners, players, spon-
Stewart’s signature shoe. It’s about giving more money, more U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati sors, media and social justice initia-
tives. Each workstream considered a
media attention and more respect to women’s sports. recounted the origins of the league’s unique different challenge. What steps can the
NWSL take to broaden and deepen its
That kind of investment is critically important. business model. Chicago Red Stars fan base? How can the NWSL maintain
its reputation as the best women’s pro
But there should be an investment in ideas, too. BY SHIRA owner Arnim Whisler called wom- soccer league in the world? How can
the NWSL capitalize on its social media
That means time, energy and resources should be SPRINGER en’s pro sports the hardest business strengths to gain more coverage by tra-
poured into studying women’s sports from a busi- he’s been involved with “by leaps ditional media outlets? It was an invest-
ment in ideas in action.
ness perspective. It means broadcasters, sponsors and bounds.” He added: “We’re not
And it was something more. The deep
and media outlets should think long, hard, creative- just growing a business. We’re dive into the NWSL effectively put a
business with women leading women
ly and critically about the unique needs and opportunities in changing a culture and waiting for culture to into the same conversation as the
major companies examined in other
women’s sports. Ultimately, an investment in ideas means car- change. This is a generational change.” cases. Ideally, that prompts culture
change, too.
ing enough about women’s sports, valuing them enough, to That comment frames the key business
Shira Springer writes about the intersec-
gain a true understanding and appreciation of their challeng- challenge presented in the case: How can the
tion of sports and culture and teaches
es and complexities. NWSL simultaneously pursue growth and en-
journalism at Boston University, including
That was part of the motivation behind a recently published courage the kind of culture change that leads
the course “Sports, Gender & Justice.”
MIT Sloan business case study that took a deep dive into the to more fans, more sponsors and more expo-

NWSL and its evolving business model. The case detailed the sure?

league’s origins, its approach to the pandemic and its tough You can’t have growth without culture

decisions ahead. The NWSL wrote a pandemic playbook quick- change or vice versa. It’s part of the strategic

er than anyone else. In the process, it became the first U.S. pro complexity that faces decision makers in the

league back in action, set ratings records and attracted Google NWSL and elsewhere in women’s sports. It’s

and Verizon as sponsors and, earlier this month, it added Mas- another reason why the NWSL makes for a

tercard. compelling case study. It’s also why the

What made the NWSL compelling case study material? league’s new partnership with Mastercard

“This is a story of how a relatively young women’s profession-

al sports league was able to create opportunities at a time

when most of the world was paralyzed by the pandemic,” said

Cate Reavis, associate director of curriculum development

and lead case writer at Sloan. “And, unlike other professional

sports leagues, the NWSL isn’t flush with money. But they are

flush with innovative ideas.”

The case was co-authored by Reavis, Sloan senior lecturer

Ben Shields and myself. It debuted last week in the Sloan class

“Sports Strategy and Analytics.” Fittingly, the theme of the

class session was “Future of the Winning Business.” It’s no se-

cret now that if you’re looking for growth potential, for

leagues on the upswing, the conversation should start with

women’s sports.

Leagues like the NWSL and WNBA offer valuable lessons in

being resourceful, resilient and innovative. They also offer op-

portunities to think differently, non-traditionally, about the fu-

ture of sports. Especially now. They’re moving beyond a

survival mindset and strategizing for long-term, sustainable

growth. They’re pushing for cultural relevance and gaining

traction there. And from the WNBA’s orange hoodie to Racing

Louisville FC’s subtle jersey tribute to Muhammad Ali,

they’re successfully bringing a “cool factor” to their brands.

(Seriously, check out Louisville’s home kit dotted with butter-

flies and bees.)

During the pandemic, the NWSL not only showcased its in-

novative, entrepreneurial spirit, its leaders engineered an in-

flection point for the league. “There’s a difference between

developing innovative ideas and finding a way to make them

happen,” said Shields, who co-created the sports strategy class

with Sloan Associate Dean Ray Reagans. “Lisa and her team

did both during the pandemic and, in the process, accelerated

the growth of the NWSL and women’s sports as a category.”

During multiple interviews for the case, NWSL Commis-

sioner Lisa Baird detailed everything from how she prepared

3 6 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

J. Cole gives star power boost to fledgling BAL
J
ERMAINE COLE jogged onto the Cole’s busy month
basketball court at the Ki- included his BAL
gali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, debut and his
new album “The
last week, completing a journey that Off-Season.”

was decades in the making. At 36 years statistics and tests
new technologies in-
old, he would be the oldest rookie in cluding second- and
third-screen options
the history of the NBA had those steps and possibly even
augmented reality
been in the features. Financial
terms for these deals
BY EDDIE GONZALEZ United States. have yet to be dis-
Instead he was closed, but the league
clearly has shown
over 7,000 miles the ability to attract
partners enthused by
away from his hometown of Fayette- the opportunities at
hand.
ville, N.C., as a backup for the Basket-
Cole’s presence in
ball Africa League’s Rwanda Patriots. the league will obvi-
ously help drive at-
True to his humble persona, the tention. “The
Off-Season” is pro-
Grammy-winning rapper known as jected to tally over
300,000 sales in its
J. Cole operated with little theater, opening week, top-
ping the Billboard
even as music from his new album albums chart. While
ESPN will air every
“The Off-Season” played during BAL game stateside
on its streaming
warmups before the game. He was platform ESPN+,
Cole’s debut aired on
simply another member of the team. ESPNews and was
covered by outlets
“When I was kid I wanted to play in that included CNN and TMZ.
But does Cole’s journey continue
the NBA, not just professional, but be beyond the three to six games he’ll
play in the BAL’s inaugural season?
in the NBA,” Cole explained on “The “This experience will tell me a lot,”
he said about the potential of more
ETCs with Kevin Durant” podcast two basketball beyond the BAL. “Just to
have this is a blessing and it’s amaz-
days before his professional debut. ing. I’m giving myself permission to
analyze how I feel after this and see
“But I was delusional. I didn’t have if this is something you want to con-
tinue to be ridiculous about. Or are
any reason to think that I would be in you satisfied with this?”
For a man who built his career on
the NBA, but I definitely thought I was “a dollar and a dream,” named his
record label Dreamville and refers to
good enough … I was that delusional his friends, family, supporters and
fans affectionately as “dreamers,”
kid. It’s almost like I had blinders on turning a delusion into reality is
worth more than any form of cur-
… and I kept that delusion going.” rency.

Cole attended St. John’s (N.Y.) on Eddie Gonzalez is a writer and editor

an academic scholarship, graduating at Boardroom and co-host with Kevin

in 2007, and he briefly tried out as a Durant of “The ETCs” podcast. This

walk-on his sophomore year. Despite column is part of a collaboration

not having played competitively since between SBJ and Boardroom (www.

high school, perhaps the greatest com- boardroom.tv), a sports business

pliment that can be paid to Cole for only big time to the global stage, but across Francophone and Anglophone platform from Thirty Five Ventures.

his pro basketball debut is that he also looking to build an ecosystem countries and territories in sub-Sa-

looked like he belonged. In 17 hard- right here on the continent,” BAL haran Africa. Voice of America will

fought minutes he tallied three points, president Amadou Fall told Marc broadcast 24 games in various lan-

three rebounds and two assists. Spears of The Undefeated. guages on radio throughout Africa.

Cole’s journey is almost as fascinat- Yes, being backed by the NBA and But perhaps more important than

ing as that of the league itself. A col- FIBA — the two biggest and most im- broadcast partners is the business

laboration between the NBA and portant governing bodies in the bas- relationships the league builds. A

FIBA, the Basketball ke t b a l l i n d u s t r y Nike/Jordan deal has outfitted the

Africa League is the — offers security entire league in the Swoosh and Jump-

first ever NBA-as- that leagues around man logos. The league formed an as-

sisted league outside the world would kill sociate partnership with digital

of North America for. Still, the BAL payment technology company Flut-

and features 12 must find ways to terwave and launched a digital cam-

teams from Algeria, Angola, Camer- stand on its own. Like most sports paign focused on offering African

oon, Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Mo- leagues, broadcast rights appear to entrepreneurs and small business

rocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, be a launching pad for league financ- opportunities to travel into other Af-

Senegal and Tunisia, respectively. es. The BAL has a bevy of worldwide rican markets in an effort to expand

The purpose of the BAL is not to be a broadcast part-

development league for the NBA itself. ners, giving the The league’s focus is to establish a
league a global system in Africa … and become an
Instead, the league’s focus is to estab- reach. TSN will opportunity for native players who
handle broad- can thrive at home and help create
lish a system in Africa to help the casts in Cana- their own culture of hoops.
da, while
game grow and become an opportu- Tencent Video

nity for native players who can thrive

at home and help create their own

culture of hoops.

“This is a combination of many will air games

Twitter decades of work from many people to in China, and Canal+ will partner their business. A new partnership

grow the game on the continent to not with ESPN to broadcast 26 games with Genius Sports provides real time

W W W . S P O R T S B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L . C O M MAY 24-30, 2021 | 37

CLOSING SHOT

The UEFA
Champions
League con-
cludes this week
on CBS, the
network’s first
season, with
Chelsea and
Manchester City
meeting in the
championship
game.

Quick Service Delivery

With only a week to go in the Champions League season, CBS looks back at its quickly created
studio show with pride … and tons of positive feedback from the chairman and on social media.

BY JOHN OURAND

WHEN CBS PICKED UP UEFA Champions to overwhelmingly favorable reviews involved in soccer. My comfort level “I was trying to watch it for business Getty Images
League rights in November 2019, the on social media, such as the NFL Pan- was pretty immediate that first day.” reasons,” he said. “But I got sucked
network thought that it had two years thers executive Bill Voth tweeting, in as a fan and had that emotional
to come up with a studio show to cover “Solid start … Professional, crisp, Jeff Gerttula, executive vice presi- reaction. I more than breathed a sigh
the league. But when Turner opted smart,” and soccer podcaster Chris dent and general manager for CBS of relief at that point.”
out of its deal in the middle of last Wittyngham noting that “it’s remark- Sports Digital, approached his comfort
season, CBS agreed to take over the able how English in production style Two English clubs — Manchester
package just weeks before games were CBS Champions League pregame ”Social media is City and Chelsea — play in the UEFA
scheduled to restart. That meant pro- show is.” immediate, and Champions League final on Saturday,
ducer Pete Radovich had to develop it usually trends May 29, ending CBS’s first full year
a high-quality studio show in a matter It was at that point that McManus negative. Out of the with the league. McManus said he’s
of weeks. realized that the show would be a suc- gate, immediately the been happy with the Champions
cess, comparing early plaudits to the reaction was almost League’s performance, particularly
“I’ve been in this business a long way NFL analyst Tony Romo was universally positive.” on Paramount+.
time,” said CBS Sports Chairman Sean praised at the beginning of his broad-
McManus. “What this team accom- casting career. level a couple of months later — Oc- “Sometimes when you have a plan
plished in a month — normally you’d tober or November, he said — when and invest hundreds of millions of
be rushed if you had to do this in six “Social media is immediate, and it he was drawn into a conversation the dollars into this product, you hope that
months.” usually trends negative,” McManus studio show was having and momen- it’s going to deliver in all the various
said. “Out of the gate, immediately tarily forgot his role on the set. ways,” he said. “This has delivered for
The studio show, which features the reaction was almost universally us. We have to keep setting the standard
host Kate Abdo with analysts Rober- positive. I felt that we had built the as far as soccer production is con-
to Martinez, Jamie Carragher and foundation that was going to last cerned. We’re off to a good start with
Micah Roberts, launched in August throughout however long as we’re a lot of work to remain.”

3 8 | M AY 24-30, 2021 WWW.SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

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