Eli Manning may have won the MVP and given himself a boost in net worth, but Victor Cruz ruled social media, just as he did during the NFC Championship Game. According to Twitter’s official Super Bowl tracker, Cruz led Manning in Twitter mentions most of the game, although Manning took over once the game ended.
So will that end up being simple trivia for Cruz, or could the buzz lead to more endorsements?
“If you’re making clutch catches game in and game out through the playoffs and the end of the year, you’re going to become marketable and have that recognition factor right away,” said Doug Shabelman, president of Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing Inc.
Shabelman isn’t aware of any national endorsements for Cruz going into this season, but thinks he could get some now: “Can he? Yes. Is he going to be a big six-figure or seven-figure endorser? No.”
Record tweets: The game prompted a record number of tweets per second for a sporting event, with 12,233. Madonna’s halftime performance peaked at 10,245. The prior record: 9,420 tweets per second, when the Denver Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime during the AFC wild-card game.
#hashtagseverywhere: Dawn Zencka, vice president at iProspect, a global digital performance agency, noted the prevalence of Twitter hashtags in this year’s commercials. She was especially impressed that Coca-Cola's polar bear ads reacted to the game in real-time and with the ability of fans to interact with the polar bears via Coca-Cola’s Twitter account.
“[It was] great in terms of a fan watching and tweeting. It was complete interaction and getting characters involved in the game in a way I haven’t seen any other advertiser do,” she said. “It [made] Coca-Cola a part of the conversation instead of just being talked about.”
“Heads” for free pizza: Papa John’s will dish out millions of free pizzas and soda bottles after website members collectively -- and correctly -- guessed the pregame coin flip. Website members will receive an email Monday with information about how to claim a free one-topping large pizza and 2-liter Pepsi MAX.
Sound expensive for the company, which is an official partner of the NFL? It might be worth the cost.
“There are people who will become loyal consumers of that product, which will offset the cost,” said Michael Lysko, director of Southern Methodist University’s sports management program.
“When you consider the money they’re spending on their NFL partnership, they’ve got to do something to break free of the pack,” he said. “They have to do something like this to activate their partnership. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense to be an official partner, they could just buy the airtime.”
Doritos, consumer ads big winners: For the sixth year, Doritos aired consumer-created commercials, and they scored well again with viewers. Two Doritos commercials -- “Sling Baby” and “Man’s Best Friend” -- lead the USA TODAY Ad Meter.
If the commercials retain their current positions through Tuesday evening, the creator of the first-place ad will receive $1 million, with the creator of the second-place ad earning $600,000. Third place pays $400,000.
“Other advertisers are starting to get into it, like Chevy with their Camaro ad this year,” said Zencka of the consumer-produced ads. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see more next year, especially advertisers like Budweiser that have so many spots in the game.”
Pregame sizzle, fizzles: Two ads released prior to the Super Bowl to great fanfare fell flat during the game: Honda’s "Ferris Bueller"-inspired commercial and Acura’s Seinfeld commercial rank 11th and 14th in USA TODAY’s Ad Meter.
Alex Rowland, chief revenue officer and co-founder of Alphabird, an audience development viral video company that worked on this year’s Seinfeld and "Ferris Bueller"-themed ads, said the Ad Meter isn’t the only way to determine a winner, however.
“At the end of the day, brands are not buying first-place ratings, they’re buying impressions,” he said. Acura’s Seinfeld ad has more than 15 million views on YouTube, while Honda’s ad has more than 12 million.
The Doritos “Sling Baby” ad? Just a bit more than 300,000 views on YouTube since being uploaded by Doritos as part of its contest a month ago.
So will that end up being simple trivia for Cruz, or could the buzz lead to more endorsements?
“If you’re making clutch catches game in and game out through the playoffs and the end of the year, you’re going to become marketable and have that recognition factor right away,” said Doug Shabelman, president of Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing Inc.
Shabelman isn’t aware of any national endorsements for Cruz going into this season, but thinks he could get some now: “Can he? Yes. Is he going to be a big six-figure or seven-figure endorser? No.”
Record tweets: The game prompted a record number of tweets per second for a sporting event, with 12,233. Madonna’s halftime performance peaked at 10,245. The prior record: 9,420 tweets per second, when the Denver Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime during the AFC wild-card game.
#hashtagseverywhere: Dawn Zencka, vice president at iProspect, a global digital performance agency, noted the prevalence of Twitter hashtags in this year’s commercials. She was especially impressed that Coca-Cola's polar bear ads reacted to the game in real-time and with the ability of fans to interact with the polar bears via Coca-Cola’s Twitter account.
“[It was] great in terms of a fan watching and tweeting. It was complete interaction and getting characters involved in the game in a way I haven’t seen any other advertiser do,” she said. “It [made] Coca-Cola a part of the conversation instead of just being talked about.”
“Heads” for free pizza: Papa John’s will dish out millions of free pizzas and soda bottles after website members collectively -- and correctly -- guessed the pregame coin flip. Website members will receive an email Monday with information about how to claim a free one-topping large pizza and 2-liter Pepsi MAX.
Sound expensive for the company, which is an official partner of the NFL? It might be worth the cost.
“There are people who will become loyal consumers of that product, which will offset the cost,” said Michael Lysko, director of Southern Methodist University’s sports management program.
“When you consider the money they’re spending on their NFL partnership, they’ve got to do something to break free of the pack,” he said. “They have to do something like this to activate their partnership. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense to be an official partner, they could just buy the airtime.”
Doritos, consumer ads big winners: For the sixth year, Doritos aired consumer-created commercials, and they scored well again with viewers. Two Doritos commercials -- “Sling Baby” and “Man’s Best Friend” -- lead the USA TODAY Ad Meter.
If the commercials retain their current positions through Tuesday evening, the creator of the first-place ad will receive $1 million, with the creator of the second-place ad earning $600,000. Third place pays $400,000.
“Other advertisers are starting to get into it, like Chevy with their Camaro ad this year,” said Zencka of the consumer-produced ads. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see more next year, especially advertisers like Budweiser that have so many spots in the game.”
Pregame sizzle, fizzles: Two ads released prior to the Super Bowl to great fanfare fell flat during the game: Honda’s "Ferris Bueller"-inspired commercial and Acura’s Seinfeld commercial rank 11th and 14th in USA TODAY’s Ad Meter.
Alex Rowland, chief revenue officer and co-founder of Alphabird, an audience development viral video company that worked on this year’s Seinfeld and "Ferris Bueller"-themed ads, said the Ad Meter isn’t the only way to determine a winner, however.
“At the end of the day, brands are not buying first-place ratings, they’re buying impressions,” he said. Acura’s Seinfeld ad has more than 15 million views on YouTube, while Honda’s ad has more than 12 million.
The Doritos “Sling Baby” ad? Just a bit more than 300,000 views on YouTube since being uploaded by Doritos as part of its contest a month ago.
It’s just a few days before the Super Bowl and a good time to check your preparation. What better way than with a quick pop quiz about the teams' presence in the all-important digital space?
1. Which New England Patriot was tweeted about most leading up to the playoffs?
Sigh. We’re one question in and you’ve already messed up your chances for a perfect score. Hard to believe, we know, but coach Bill Belichick took honors with more than 3 million tweets compared to Tom Brady’s nearly 700,000, according to Banyan Branch, a social media agency. (Giants coach Tom Coughlin didn’t quite reach 30,000 tweets.)
Henry Schafer of the Q Scores Company, which measures the national awareness and appeal of various personalities, isn’t surprised by the public response to Belichick. Compared to Coughlin, Brady and Eli Manning, Schafer says, “[Belichick] creates more emotion. He’s the devious mastermind with all kinds of tricks up his sleeve.”
Schafer says 18 percent of those familiar with Belichick say he’s one of their favorite sports personalities. His 18 Q Score eclipses that of Coughlin and is comparable to Manning’s.
“Coming into the Super Bowl, he’s probably being perceived as the more creative coach of the two,” Schafer says. “With the injuries, especially to the tight end, I’m guessing a lot of it has to do with the strategy he might employ and how he might surprise everyone Sunday.”
2. Which team had more buzz on Twitter?
Easy stuff. New York Giants-related tweets dwarfed the Patriots’, garnering 63 percent of the tweets between the two teams. That margin occurred even though the number of tweets mentioning Brady was twice that of Manning.
“The Giants have more of a team brand versus an individual player brand,” says Blake Cahill, president of Banyan Branch.
3. Which had the more popular team website in December as it made its run to the playoffs?
Yeah, yeah -- a poorly worded question for a quiz. But if you missed it, too bad: The Patriots grabbed about 70,000 more unique visitors than the Giants, according to Nielsen and NM Incite. But those of you who guessed the Giants can live with the dreaded moral victory: Giants fans spent an average of 10 minutes, 21 seconds per person on their site compared to the Patriots’ 5 minute, 54 seconds mark. And Giants fans viewed an average of 17 pages, while Patriots fans viewed just nine, creating a 3.5 million gap in total page views.
4. Which website drew a wealthier visitor?
Visitors to the Patriots’ website in January were three times more likely to make $150,000 or more annually than U.S. visitors to other websites, according to Nielsen.
5. Finally, which team website drew more women visitors?
We’ll call it the Brady factor, because a greater percentage of women among visitors clicked on the Patriots’ site: 67 percent of visitors to the Giants’ site were male, compared to 57 percent on the Patriots’ site, according to Nielsen.
1. Which New England Patriot was tweeted about most leading up to the playoffs?
Sigh. We’re one question in and you’ve already messed up your chances for a perfect score. Hard to believe, we know, but coach Bill Belichick took honors with more than 3 million tweets compared to Tom Brady’s nearly 700,000, according to Banyan Branch, a social media agency. (Giants coach Tom Coughlin didn’t quite reach 30,000 tweets.)
Henry Schafer of the Q Scores Company, which measures the national awareness and appeal of various personalities, isn’t surprised by the public response to Belichick. Compared to Coughlin, Brady and Eli Manning, Schafer says, “[Belichick] creates more emotion. He’s the devious mastermind with all kinds of tricks up his sleeve.”
Schafer says 18 percent of those familiar with Belichick say he’s one of their favorite sports personalities. His 18 Q Score eclipses that of Coughlin and is comparable to Manning’s.
“Coming into the Super Bowl, he’s probably being perceived as the more creative coach of the two,” Schafer says. “With the injuries, especially to the tight end, I’m guessing a lot of it has to do with the strategy he might employ and how he might surprise everyone Sunday.”
2. Which team had more buzz on Twitter?
Easy stuff. New York Giants-related tweets dwarfed the Patriots’, garnering 63 percent of the tweets between the two teams. That margin occurred even though the number of tweets mentioning Brady was twice that of Manning.
“The Giants have more of a team brand versus an individual player brand,” says Blake Cahill, president of Banyan Branch.
3. Which had the more popular team website in December as it made its run to the playoffs?
Yeah, yeah -- a poorly worded question for a quiz. But if you missed it, too bad: The Patriots grabbed about 70,000 more unique visitors than the Giants, according to Nielsen and NM Incite. But those of you who guessed the Giants can live with the dreaded moral victory: Giants fans spent an average of 10 minutes, 21 seconds per person on their site compared to the Patriots’ 5 minute, 54 seconds mark. And Giants fans viewed an average of 17 pages, while Patriots fans viewed just nine, creating a 3.5 million gap in total page views.
4. Which website drew a wealthier visitor?
Visitors to the Patriots’ website in January were three times more likely to make $150,000 or more annually than U.S. visitors to other websites, according to Nielsen.
5. Finally, which team website drew more women visitors?
We’ll call it the Brady factor, because a greater percentage of women among visitors clicked on the Patriots’ site: 67 percent of visitors to the Giants’ site were male, compared to 57 percent on the Patriots’ site, according to Nielsen.
The numbers, crunched by consultant Kantar Media, are almost mind-boggling:
• Over the past 10 years, Super Bowl advertisers have spent $1.7 billion on TV ads.
• Advertisers spent $228 million on the game last year.
• That sum, about what is expected to be spent this year, will account for about 25 percent of the $1 billion NBC paid for rights to air the game.
How advertising has become so integral to the Super Bowl is about more than the 110 million or so people who watch the game. A study recently completed by BIGinsight for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found that 25 percent of viewers watch solely for the commercials. Ann Bastianelli, senior lecturer of marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, says that number is even higher when considering that 58 percent of women tune in solely for the commercials.
The game provides an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers, says Bastianelli, when considering that women’s opinions account for upward of 70 percent of “important family purchasing decisions.”
The formula certainly seems to be working for Volkswagen. Sharethrough, a social video advertising platform and distribution network, tracked commercials that aired during last year’s Super Bowl through the end of 2011 and identified which categories, and which individual commercials, were shared the most often through social media.
The hands-down winner of the social media game was VW’s “The Force,” which featured a young boy dressed up like Darth Vader. Sharethrough calculated the ad had 45.2 million total views and 4.6 million engagements -- the number of times the commercial was mentioned on social media sites. “The Force” dwarfed others in terms of total views and engagements. Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit,” featuring Eminem, came in second at 13.4 million total views, but had only 357,735 total engagements.
“We were able to get about $100 million of earned media around that one simple television execution,” said VW’s general manager of brand marketing, Brian Thomas. He sees the nearly 50 million YouTube views to date as extra advertising that didn’t cost the company a dime.
This year’s VW ad, “The Bark Side,” features dogs joining in the chorus of a familiar theme song, building upon last year’s ad. The teaser already has more than 10 million views, more than any commercial from last year’s Super Bowl, with the exclusion of “The Force” and Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit.”
Honda released a teaser for its Ferris Bueller-style commercial on Friday without revealing who was behind the ad campaign and received more than 4 million page views through Monday. Honda released an extended version of the commercial on Monday and hit more than 4.4 million page views by Tuesday night.
“Ferris Bueller is beyond the typical commercial we’re used to seeing,” says Sharethrough's director of marketing, Chris Schreiber. “They’re putting out trailers and building interest by bread-crumbing the content.”
Some experts question whether an advertisement’s success should be gauged based on social media impressions. This year’s Brand Keys Super Bowl Engagement Survey, which measures to what degree brand values are affected by advertising during the Super Bowl, found Volkswagen and Honda to be unaffected, not coming out as a winner or a loser in the Super Bowl advertising game. That’s tough news when commercials cost an average of $3.5 million for 30 seconds.
“What we’re doing is pointing out the massive difference between advertising entertainment and brand engagement,” says Robert Passikoff, founder of Brand Keys.
Passikoff says he worries that the trend toward entertainment has resulted in “cute” commercials, but consumers don’t necessarily remember what company produced the commercial.
“More entertaining will get more attention, but virtually every single advertiser in the Super Bowl is already known, so awareness is not the objective,” he says.
Passikoff isn’t sold on teasing commercials, either.
“If you were worried you weren’t getting enough attention in the Super Bowl, maybe there’s something wrong with your advertising,” he says.
Thomas disagrees.
“[The Super Bowl] has become a multiweek public relations and social media campaign with the broadcast as a centerpiece,” he says. “Super Bowl [advertising] is about conversation -- conversation about your brand.”
Companies have more opportunities than ever to buy Super Bowl time. According to Kantar Media, the number of advertisements during the game has jumped from 74 in 2002 to 96 in 2011. Nearly 10 minutes of commercials have been added to the game, pumping tens of millions more dollars into the networks each year, which continue to pay more and more with each new NFL broadcast contract.
• Over the past 10 years, Super Bowl advertisers have spent $1.7 billion on TV ads.
• Advertisers spent $228 million on the game last year.
• That sum, about what is expected to be spent this year, will account for about 25 percent of the $1 billion NBC paid for rights to air the game.
How advertising has become so integral to the Super Bowl is about more than the 110 million or so people who watch the game. A study recently completed by BIGinsight for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association found that 25 percent of viewers watch solely for the commercials. Ann Bastianelli, senior lecturer of marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, says that number is even higher when considering that 58 percent of women tune in solely for the commercials.
The game provides an unparalleled opportunity for advertisers, says Bastianelli, when considering that women’s opinions account for upward of 70 percent of “important family purchasing decisions.”
The formula certainly seems to be working for Volkswagen. Sharethrough, a social video advertising platform and distribution network, tracked commercials that aired during last year’s Super Bowl through the end of 2011 and identified which categories, and which individual commercials, were shared the most often through social media.
The hands-down winner of the social media game was VW’s “The Force,” which featured a young boy dressed up like Darth Vader. Sharethrough calculated the ad had 45.2 million total views and 4.6 million engagements -- the number of times the commercial was mentioned on social media sites. “The Force” dwarfed others in terms of total views and engagements. Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit,” featuring Eminem, came in second at 13.4 million total views, but had only 357,735 total engagements.
“We were able to get about $100 million of earned media around that one simple television execution,” said VW’s general manager of brand marketing, Brian Thomas. He sees the nearly 50 million YouTube views to date as extra advertising that didn’t cost the company a dime.
[+] Enlarge
AP PhotoThis scene, from an advertisement provided by the Coca-Cola Co. and Wieden + Kennedy, shows the polar bear tumbling through the air trying to catch his bottle of Coca-Cola before it falls to the ground. The "Catch" ad will be aired during Super Bowl XLVI.
AP PhotoThis scene, from an advertisement provided by the Coca-Cola Co. and Wieden + Kennedy, shows the polar bear tumbling through the air trying to catch his bottle of Coca-Cola before it falls to the ground. The "Catch" ad will be aired during Super Bowl XLVI.Honda released a teaser for its Ferris Bueller-style commercial on Friday without revealing who was behind the ad campaign and received more than 4 million page views through Monday. Honda released an extended version of the commercial on Monday and hit more than 4.4 million page views by Tuesday night.
“Ferris Bueller is beyond the typical commercial we’re used to seeing,” says Sharethrough's director of marketing, Chris Schreiber. “They’re putting out trailers and building interest by bread-crumbing the content.”
Some experts question whether an advertisement’s success should be gauged based on social media impressions. This year’s Brand Keys Super Bowl Engagement Survey, which measures to what degree brand values are affected by advertising during the Super Bowl, found Volkswagen and Honda to be unaffected, not coming out as a winner or a loser in the Super Bowl advertising game. That’s tough news when commercials cost an average of $3.5 million for 30 seconds.
“What we’re doing is pointing out the massive difference between advertising entertainment and brand engagement,” says Robert Passikoff, founder of Brand Keys.
Passikoff says he worries that the trend toward entertainment has resulted in “cute” commercials, but consumers don’t necessarily remember what company produced the commercial.
“More entertaining will get more attention, but virtually every single advertiser in the Super Bowl is already known, so awareness is not the objective,” he says.
Passikoff isn’t sold on teasing commercials, either.
“If you were worried you weren’t getting enough attention in the Super Bowl, maybe there’s something wrong with your advertising,” he says.
Thomas disagrees.
“[The Super Bowl] has become a multiweek public relations and social media campaign with the broadcast as a centerpiece,” he says. “Super Bowl [advertising] is about conversation -- conversation about your brand.”
Companies have more opportunities than ever to buy Super Bowl time. According to Kantar Media, the number of advertisements during the game has jumped from 74 in 2002 to 96 in 2011. Nearly 10 minutes of commercials have been added to the game, pumping tens of millions more dollars into the networks each year, which continue to pay more and more with each new NFL broadcast contract.
Many woke up Tuesday morning to the Dunk Heard ‘Round the World -- a one-armed dunk by Blake Griffin over the head of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kendrick Perkins. The Twitterverse has been lit up since; even LeBron James noted Griffin’s dunking prowess: “Dunk of the Year!! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!! Wow!! I guess I'm #2 now. Move over #6.”
Griffin is very well known for his dunks -- the one over a Kia sedan during last year’s NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest probably drew the most national attention. But do the dunks turn into dollars for him?
“He’s an exciting, slam-dunk, highlight-film sort of player,” said Doug Shabelman, president of Burns Entertainment and Sports Marketing. “The dunk over the Kia obviously put him in a different stratosphere. Then the Clippers went out and became a good team.”
And that’s the real key to marketing power for Griffin: the Clippers winning.
“With the team winning, he could go to the next level,” Shabelman said. “He could get a quick one-off opportunity if they’re winning that would have otherwise gone to Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant or Dwight Howard.”
Shabelman estimates Griffin is making between $3 million and $5 million annually on endorsements, an amount that pales in comparison to James’ $30 million -- the top mark for an NBA player. Howard earned about $12 million last year.
Despite a loss to the Lakers last week, the Clippers lead the Pacific Division by 1.5 games. If the Clippers can continue to win and heat up the Lakers rivalry, Shabelman believes that Griffin will be in a position to explode on the marketing scene.
“Combined with the new success of the team, the addition of Chris Paul, the Lakers rivalry -- Blake Griffin is a force to be reckoned with in the marketing arena and could eventually challenge Kobe [Bryant], LeBron and some of the others,” he said.
Griffin is very well known for his dunks -- the one over a Kia sedan during last year’s NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest probably drew the most national attention. But do the dunks turn into dollars for him?
“He’s an exciting, slam-dunk, highlight-film sort of player,” said Doug Shabelman, president of Burns Entertainment and Sports Marketing. “The dunk over the Kia obviously put him in a different stratosphere. Then the Clippers went out and became a good team.”
And that’s the real key to marketing power for Griffin: the Clippers winning.
“With the team winning, he could go to the next level,” Shabelman said. “He could get a quick one-off opportunity if they’re winning that would have otherwise gone to Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant or Dwight Howard.”
Shabelman estimates Griffin is making between $3 million and $5 million annually on endorsements, an amount that pales in comparison to James’ $30 million -- the top mark for an NBA player. Howard earned about $12 million last year.
Despite a loss to the Lakers last week, the Clippers lead the Pacific Division by 1.5 games. If the Clippers can continue to win and heat up the Lakers rivalry, Shabelman believes that Griffin will be in a position to explode on the marketing scene.
“Combined with the new success of the team, the addition of Chris Paul, the Lakers rivalry -- Blake Griffin is a force to be reckoned with in the marketing arena and could eventually challenge Kobe [Bryant], LeBron and some of the others,” he said.
As difficult as it is to predict a winner on the field in this year’s Super Bowl, it’s just as difficult to judge which star quarterback -- Tom Brady or Eli Manning -- will win off the field. New England's Brady has Hollywood looks, a supermodel wife, and an edge in endorsement deals to date, but Manning is part of a family that’s football royalty and is not as far behind in big-dollar deals as fans might think.
Brady made about $10 million in endorsements in 2011, and Manning about $7 million, according to Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing. But the marketability game doesn’t end there.
Henry Schafer of QScores.com, a company that rates the familiarity and appeal of everything from celebrities to brands, says Manning comes out on top with the general public. Eli’s positive Q Score, which measures likeability, is a 19. An average Q Score for an athlete is 15, which is what Brady rates.
To give some perspective, Manning’s brother, Peyton, is the highest-rated active athlete at a 28 (and also topped the NFL in endorsement deals last year at $15 million, according to Burns). Schafer says Eli Manning approached that number after his Super Bowl XLII victory but dipped after a couple of years out of the playoffs. Brady, on the other hand, never outranked Peyton Manning, not even when he was winning Super Bowls. “Brady is somewhat aloof,” Schafer says. “He didn’t take advantage of his Super Bowl victories.”
A similar system is the N-Score system created by the Nielsen Company and E-Poll Market Research. In terms of “brand effectiveness,” says Stephen Master, vice president of sports for Nielsen, Brady is the clear winner. Brady’s 152 N-Score dwarfs Eli Manning’s 98, but it also represents Brady’s highest score on record. While Brady’s score has been consistently high over the years, Eli Manning did pass him in 2009 with a 166.
“Brady has stood the test of time,” says Master. “He quadruples other athlete’s scores in categories dealing with attractiveness and confidence.” Master went on to say, however, that Brady scores low in categories such as humor, and he is characterized as boring.
Master says Brady’s national advertisements have increased over the past couple of years, but he says Eli Manning has a strong local presence in the New York area. “Eli probably does the most local ads after [Derek] Jeter.”
Eli Manning and his New York Giants are winning the battle at the cash register, at least according to Fanatics, a sports merchandise company that sells officially licensed gear for the NFL’s official online shop, NFLShop.com. Tracking sales from Sunday to Monday, which Fanatics public relations manager Anne Lacey Whitaker says is when fans react the most profoundly, Manning’s jersey outsold Brady’s by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Price-comparison website Nextag.com says that in terms of clicks on each player’s jersey on its site, it’s neck-and-neck.
Schafer says regardless of the outcome on the field, Manning has more to gain from this Super Bowl: “I would say, just from his track record, he’s probably going to see significant growth in his consumer appeal outside of the sports world, probably to his prior level in 2007-2008. ... He has a personality to carry it better than Brady for a lot of products.”
Brady made about $10 million in endorsements in 2011, and Manning about $7 million, according to Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing. But the marketability game doesn’t end there.
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AP Photo/Charles KrupaThe marketability of Tom Brady and Eli Manning is not as one-sided as fans might think.
AP Photo/Charles KrupaThe marketability of Tom Brady and Eli Manning is not as one-sided as fans might think.To give some perspective, Manning’s brother, Peyton, is the highest-rated active athlete at a 28 (and also topped the NFL in endorsement deals last year at $15 million, according to Burns). Schafer says Eli Manning approached that number after his Super Bowl XLII victory but dipped after a couple of years out of the playoffs. Brady, on the other hand, never outranked Peyton Manning, not even when he was winning Super Bowls. “Brady is somewhat aloof,” Schafer says. “He didn’t take advantage of his Super Bowl victories.”
A similar system is the N-Score system created by the Nielsen Company and E-Poll Market Research. In terms of “brand effectiveness,” says Stephen Master, vice president of sports for Nielsen, Brady is the clear winner. Brady’s 152 N-Score dwarfs Eli Manning’s 98, but it also represents Brady’s highest score on record. While Brady’s score has been consistently high over the years, Eli Manning did pass him in 2009 with a 166.
“Brady has stood the test of time,” says Master. “He quadruples other athlete’s scores in categories dealing with attractiveness and confidence.” Master went on to say, however, that Brady scores low in categories such as humor, and he is characterized as boring.
Master says Brady’s national advertisements have increased over the past couple of years, but he says Eli Manning has a strong local presence in the New York area. “Eli probably does the most local ads after [Derek] Jeter.”
Eli Manning and his New York Giants are winning the battle at the cash register, at least according to Fanatics, a sports merchandise company that sells officially licensed gear for the NFL’s official online shop, NFLShop.com. Tracking sales from Sunday to Monday, which Fanatics public relations manager Anne Lacey Whitaker says is when fans react the most profoundly, Manning’s jersey outsold Brady’s by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Price-comparison website Nextag.com says that in terms of clicks on each player’s jersey on its site, it’s neck-and-neck.
Schafer says regardless of the outcome on the field, Manning has more to gain from this Super Bowl: “I would say, just from his track record, he’s probably going to see significant growth in his consumer appeal outside of the sports world, probably to his prior level in 2007-2008. ... He has a personality to carry it better than Brady for a lot of products.”
Having thoughts of a last-minute trip to the Super Bowl? Prepare to outlay a boatload of cash. For those interested in the latest on tickets, travel and hotels, here are some mind-boggling notes:
• Super Bowl ticket prices have risen 9.7 percent since Sunday, according to TiqIQ.com, an online aggregator of event tickets. The current average price is $4,001, up nearly 10 percent from last year and a whopping 72 percent over 2010’s contest in Miami. On the high end, TiqIQ has a $15,786 ticket in Section 140, Row 8 and a suite for more than $587,000.
• StubHub says the get-it-now price for a game ticket is $2,300, but prices are expected to fluctuate. The median price, not skewed by a few high-end tickets, is $2,800, about $200 below last year’s median at this same time. “We've seen national interest -- over 4 million pageviews since Sunday,” said StubHub’s head of U.S. Communications, Joellen Ferrer. “While Giants and Patriots fans have a loyal backing, they don't have the same rabid traveling fan base as the Packers.”
• Ticket purchases are coming from expected areas: Since Monday, 29 percent of all StubHub buyers have been from the New York-New Jersey regions, with 19 percent from the New England area. NFL Ticket Exchange is seeing a similar trend, with 22 percent of purchases coming from New York and New Jersey buyers, and 12.5 percent coming from Massachusetts and Connecticut.
• Flight costs are rising alongside ticket prices. Flights from Boston-Logan and Manchester, N.H., airports to Indianapolis have risen 16 percent since Friday, according to Orbitz.com. The average rate is now $896. New York fans have seen an even larger increase of 46 percent, with the current average rate at $911. Even with the higher costs, New Yorkers are booking more flights -- about 67 percent more -- than New Englanders, according to Orbitz.
• It’s probably no surprise that hotels in Indianapolis are sold out, at least according to Orbitz. Fifteen miles from downtown, the average rate is $500 a night, up from $85 a night the rest of the year. Cheaper options are available 30 miles out, near Anderson, Ind., at $150 a night.
• Super Bowl ticket prices have risen 9.7 percent since Sunday, according to TiqIQ.com, an online aggregator of event tickets. The current average price is $4,001, up nearly 10 percent from last year and a whopping 72 percent over 2010’s contest in Miami. On the high end, TiqIQ has a $15,786 ticket in Section 140, Row 8 and a suite for more than $587,000.
• StubHub says the get-it-now price for a game ticket is $2,300, but prices are expected to fluctuate. The median price, not skewed by a few high-end tickets, is $2,800, about $200 below last year’s median at this same time. “We've seen national interest -- over 4 million pageviews since Sunday,” said StubHub’s head of U.S. Communications, Joellen Ferrer. “While Giants and Patriots fans have a loyal backing, they don't have the same rabid traveling fan base as the Packers.”
• Ticket purchases are coming from expected areas: Since Monday, 29 percent of all StubHub buyers have been from the New York-New Jersey regions, with 19 percent from the New England area. NFL Ticket Exchange is seeing a similar trend, with 22 percent of purchases coming from New York and New Jersey buyers, and 12.5 percent coming from Massachusetts and Connecticut.
• Flight costs are rising alongside ticket prices. Flights from Boston-Logan and Manchester, N.H., airports to Indianapolis have risen 16 percent since Friday, according to Orbitz.com. The average rate is now $896. New York fans have seen an even larger increase of 46 percent, with the current average rate at $911. Even with the higher costs, New Yorkers are booking more flights -- about 67 percent more -- than New Englanders, according to Orbitz.
• It’s probably no surprise that hotels in Indianapolis are sold out, at least according to Orbitz. Fifteen miles from downtown, the average rate is $500 a night, up from $85 a night the rest of the year. Cheaper options are available 30 miles out, near Anderson, Ind., at $150 a night.
Those trying to cash in on Paterno thwarted
January, 24, 2012
Jan 24
3:10
PM ET
It looks like those trying to cash in on Thursday's public Joe Paterno memorial service -- tickets were distributed by Penn State on Tuesday morning -- are getting crushed by Internet users.
A few sets of tickets popped up on eBay and craigslist not long after they were distributed, but the postings were either removed by the original poster or flagged for removal.
One set of tickets slowly escalated from a $0.99 initial bid to $500 before bids moved into the ridiculous range of $10,000 and $90,000 -- eBay users’ way of protesting the sale to the seller. At least two other auctions were put up by different sellers and then removed.
At least two craigslist ads were removed by early Tuesday afternoon, though a handful of people have posted “wanted” listings for tickets.
In the case of the first set of tickets on eBay that drew the $90,000 bid, the seller amended the posting with this message: “To those opposing this auction: no one is forcing you to buy tickets; it is a choice. And yes, there are much worse ways to make a dollar, judge not lest ye be judged. You do not know my situation. Thank-you.”
Penn State and eBay have an agreement that no free tickets can be auctioned. Penn State officials are urging those who see such sales to report them to eBay.
A few sets of tickets popped up on eBay and craigslist not long after they were distributed, but the postings were either removed by the original poster or flagged for removal.
One set of tickets slowly escalated from a $0.99 initial bid to $500 before bids moved into the ridiculous range of $10,000 and $90,000 -- eBay users’ way of protesting the sale to the seller. At least two other auctions were put up by different sellers and then removed.
At least two craigslist ads were removed by early Tuesday afternoon, though a handful of people have posted “wanted” listings for tickets.
In the case of the first set of tickets on eBay that drew the $90,000 bid, the seller amended the posting with this message: “To those opposing this auction: no one is forcing you to buy tickets; it is a choice. And yes, there are much worse ways to make a dollar, judge not lest ye be judged. You do not know my situation. Thank-you.”
Penn State and eBay have an agreement that no free tickets can be auctioned. Penn State officials are urging those who see such sales to report them to eBay.
The announcement Friday that the St. Louis Rams will be the home team in London for a game a year for three years is all about the NFL trying to strengthen its fan base -- and revenue streams -- overseas.
Last October, the league announced that games in London would continue through 2016, with the goal of having at least two games a year in England. But the only game in 2012 will be the Rams game against the New England Patriots on Oct. 28.
NFL officials tout progress in Europe on multiple fronts in recent years. The NFL’s popularity has doubled since the league began playing games in London in 2006 -- the league has seen a 32 percent increase in two years in England and now has a total base of 11 million fans. Participation in American football has grown 50 percent since the NFL arrived in London, and television viewership is up, with Super Bowl ratings up 74 percent since 2006 and viewership of Sunday games up 154 percent over the past five years.
But the overall NFL-in-Europe story has been measured. The NFL’s first venture into Europe was in 1991 as the World League of American Football. That league was disbanded prior to the 1993 season, and in 1995, NFL Europe was launched. That league folded in 2007, after drawing fewer than 20,000 fans per game on average. Last year’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears was not a sellout but did draw more than 75,000 people to the game, despite not being finalized until after the lockout.
Lou Imbriano, former chief marketing officer for the Patriots, said the NFL “has done a great job of building their audience in London” but still has room to grow. He said it will take a second game annually to get a true feel for the appetite of Londoners for the NFL.
“One game is easy,” he said. “Everyone can stop for that one time of year. In the next year or two you’ll see them playing two games. That will really be the test is can they sell out two games.”
Chris Parsons, NFL vice president of international, said the ultimate step -- putting an NFL franchise in London -- could only be considered after doubling the current fan base, which would lead to high TV ratings.
English fans now see four games a week live on television, with Sky Sports showing two of the day games and Channel 4 showing the evening game on Sundays. UK fans also get "Monday Night Football" via ESPN. BBC shows highlights from games and airs the Super Bowl live as well on the radio. In addition, Sky Sports shows programming from NFL Network like “NFL Total Access” during the week.
Parsons said a feature Sky Sports introduced last year called “Red Button,” which takes fans to commercial-free red zone action, has been a big hit. “It brings in new fans because it’s nonstop action, which is what UK fans are used to with their sports,” he said.
While the St. Louis game in London will deprive hometown fans of a game each year, it will not affect the team negatively financially.
Ticket revenue for a regular-season home game is split, with 66 percent going to the home team and 34 percent going into a pool that is split between all 32 clubs equally. Parsons said revenue from the London matchup will be handled separately so that no net loss occurs for the Rams.
Imbriano sees positives in the Patriots making the trip.
“They’re an East Coast team, so the travel is roughly comparable to flying to the West Coast,” he said. If he were still in the Patriots front office, he said, he would be pulling together a database of contacts the team has in London and looking into business opportunities, like building a fan club or hosting events while the team is in town.
“If I was running the marketing, I would love the exposure to the European market and to London,” he said. “I’d want to become London’s team.”
The Rams, though, may have the advantage in achieving that status because of the three home games in London, and because Stan Kroenke is the Rams' owner and happens to be the majority shareholder in the English soccer club Arsenal.
Last October, the league announced that games in London would continue through 2016, with the goal of having at least two games a year in England. But the only game in 2012 will be the Rams game against the New England Patriots on Oct. 28.
NFL officials tout progress in Europe on multiple fronts in recent years. The NFL’s popularity has doubled since the league began playing games in London in 2006 -- the league has seen a 32 percent increase in two years in England and now has a total base of 11 million fans. Participation in American football has grown 50 percent since the NFL arrived in London, and television viewership is up, with Super Bowl ratings up 74 percent since 2006 and viewership of Sunday games up 154 percent over the past five years.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Dave ShoplandThe NFL games in London are played at Wembley Stadium.
AP Photo/Dave ShoplandThe NFL games in London are played at Wembley Stadium.Lou Imbriano, former chief marketing officer for the Patriots, said the NFL “has done a great job of building their audience in London” but still has room to grow. He said it will take a second game annually to get a true feel for the appetite of Londoners for the NFL.
“One game is easy,” he said. “Everyone can stop for that one time of year. In the next year or two you’ll see them playing two games. That will really be the test is can they sell out two games.”
Chris Parsons, NFL vice president of international, said the ultimate step -- putting an NFL franchise in London -- could only be considered after doubling the current fan base, which would lead to high TV ratings.
English fans now see four games a week live on television, with Sky Sports showing two of the day games and Channel 4 showing the evening game on Sundays. UK fans also get "Monday Night Football" via ESPN. BBC shows highlights from games and airs the Super Bowl live as well on the radio. In addition, Sky Sports shows programming from NFL Network like “NFL Total Access” during the week.
Parsons said a feature Sky Sports introduced last year called “Red Button,” which takes fans to commercial-free red zone action, has been a big hit. “It brings in new fans because it’s nonstop action, which is what UK fans are used to with their sports,” he said.
While the St. Louis game in London will deprive hometown fans of a game each year, it will not affect the team negatively financially.
Ticket revenue for a regular-season home game is split, with 66 percent going to the home team and 34 percent going into a pool that is split between all 32 clubs equally. Parsons said revenue from the London matchup will be handled separately so that no net loss occurs for the Rams.
Imbriano sees positives in the Patriots making the trip.
“They’re an East Coast team, so the travel is roughly comparable to flying to the West Coast,” he said. If he were still in the Patriots front office, he said, he would be pulling together a database of contacts the team has in London and looking into business opportunities, like building a fan club or hosting events while the team is in town.
“If I was running the marketing, I would love the exposure to the European market and to London,” he said. “I’d want to become London’s team.”
The Rams, though, may have the advantage in achieving that status because of the three home games in London, and because Stan Kroenke is the Rams' owner and happens to be the majority shareholder in the English soccer club Arsenal.
Darvish-like signings rare but draw attention
January, 19, 2012
Jan 19
3:39
PM ET
The Texas Rangers’ signing of Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish is one of the biggest stories in baseball. The combined $111.7 million being spent on him -- between the posting payment going to his former team in Japan and his $60 million, six-year contract -- is drawing comparisons to the commitment the Red Sox made to another Japanese player, Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Darvish signing is also renewing debate over the posting system developed between Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball.
While signings like Darvish’s and Matsuzaka’s make headline news, few players -- just 1 percent of all active MLB players -- have actually been acquired this way.
The agreement applies to any player in the Nippon league who is not yet a free agent for international signing, which requires 10 years of service.
The agreement was put into place in 1998, has no expiration date and works like this: A Japanese club makes a player available for posting through the Japanese commissioner’s office, which then contacts the MLB commissioner’s office. Major League clubs are then notified about the player and have four business days to submit a silent bid. Once those bids are received, the Japanese commissioner’s office is notified of the high-bid amount but not the team submitting the bid. That kicks off a four-business-day period for the bid to be accepted or rejected by the Japanese team that holds the player’s contract. If the bid is accepted, the Major League club with the winning bid has 30 days to reach an agreement with the player. If that occurs, the club pays the posting bid to the Japanese club. If no agreement is made with the player, then no posting payment is paid.
Darvish’s former team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, on Wednesday became the recipients of the largest posting bid ever. The $51.7 million posting bid was slightly more than the $51.1 million bid the Red Sox paid for Matsuzaka in 2006. Impressive numbers, but the average posting bid for all 10 players who have acquired major league contracts through the posting process is $16.7 million, with a low of $300,000 for Akinori Otsuka in 2003. While Darvish’s posting fee broke records, the other Japanese player acquired through the posting system this year, Norichika Aoki, had a modest posting fee by comparison at $2.5 million.
In all, just 21 players have been posted since 1998. Of those, 10 have signed major league contracts and three have signed minor league contracts. The combined total of all posting fees paid for those signing major league contracts is $166.6 million, which includes the more than $102 million for Darvish and Matsuzaka. Two players received bids but did not sign contracts, including Hiroyuki Nakajima, who the Yankees acquired rights to this past December but failed to sign. Six players who have been posted received no bids, including Hiroki Sanada this year.
Despite there being no expiration date on the agreement with NPB, Major League Baseball officials do plan to discuss the posting system as a part of ongoing meetings of its new International Talent Committee. The committee was formed as part of the new collective bargaining agreement to explore current and proposed regulations regarding the signing of international talent. The group had its first meeting on Jan. 9 and plans to meet once or twice a month going forward. It consists of representatives from both MLB and the MLB Players Association, which will also bring in outside experts to explore the future of international signings.
While signings like Darvish’s and Matsuzaka’s make headline news, few players -- just 1 percent of all active MLB players -- have actually been acquired this way.
The agreement applies to any player in the Nippon league who is not yet a free agent for international signing, which requires 10 years of service.
The agreement was put into place in 1998, has no expiration date and works like this: A Japanese club makes a player available for posting through the Japanese commissioner’s office, which then contacts the MLB commissioner’s office. Major League clubs are then notified about the player and have four business days to submit a silent bid. Once those bids are received, the Japanese commissioner’s office is notified of the high-bid amount but not the team submitting the bid. That kicks off a four-business-day period for the bid to be accepted or rejected by the Japanese team that holds the player’s contract. If the bid is accepted, the Major League club with the winning bid has 30 days to reach an agreement with the player. If that occurs, the club pays the posting bid to the Japanese club. If no agreement is made with the player, then no posting payment is paid.
Darvish’s former team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, on Wednesday became the recipients of the largest posting bid ever. The $51.7 million posting bid was slightly more than the $51.1 million bid the Red Sox paid for Matsuzaka in 2006. Impressive numbers, but the average posting bid for all 10 players who have acquired major league contracts through the posting process is $16.7 million, with a low of $300,000 for Akinori Otsuka in 2003. While Darvish’s posting fee broke records, the other Japanese player acquired through the posting system this year, Norichika Aoki, had a modest posting fee by comparison at $2.5 million.
In all, just 21 players have been posted since 1998. Of those, 10 have signed major league contracts and three have signed minor league contracts. The combined total of all posting fees paid for those signing major league contracts is $166.6 million, which includes the more than $102 million for Darvish and Matsuzaka. Two players received bids but did not sign contracts, including Hiroyuki Nakajima, who the Yankees acquired rights to this past December but failed to sign. Six players who have been posted received no bids, including Hiroki Sanada this year.
Despite there being no expiration date on the agreement with NPB, Major League Baseball officials do plan to discuss the posting system as a part of ongoing meetings of its new International Talent Committee. The committee was formed as part of the new collective bargaining agreement to explore current and proposed regulations regarding the signing of international talent. The group had its first meeting on Jan. 9 and plans to meet once or twice a month going forward. It consists of representatives from both MLB and the MLB Players Association, which will also bring in outside experts to explore the future of international signings.
No one knows where it will be, and no one knows where the money will come from, but the state of Minnesota appears committed to keeping the Vikings and giving the team new digs. On Thursday, three formal proposals were submitted to Gov. Mark Dayton by a close-of-business deadline.
The Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome has expired, and team owners have pledged not to sign another one until a new stadium has been approved. That has led to speculation that the Vikings might be an option for Los Angeles, which is seeking an NFL franchise. The Chargers, Rams, Raiders, 49ers and Jaguars organizations have also been mentioned as L.A. options.
One option submitted to the governor -- by the city of Minneapolis -- is rebuilding on the Metrodome site. The advantages include not having to purchase new land and already having infrastructure in place. The Minneapolis Mayor’s Office said that proposal is for nearly $900 million. Public funding is estimated at $313 million, which the city proposes to pull together by redirecting taxes beginning in 2016 that currently support the Convention Center. Construction could begin following the 2012 season, and the team could be in its new home as early as 2015.
The city’s plan – at four pages – was the least formal of the three submitted and didn’t include any dollar figures.
The Vikings are wary of some aspects of the city’s Metrodome plan -- including having to play at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium for three years. The team estimates a loss of $12.3 million each year at TCF Bank Stadium due to "limitations on stadium space and capacity, available sponsorships, and fan amenities." An additional $11 million in facility upgrades would be needed, according to the team, to meet minimum NFL stadium standards. And another $19 million would be needed to build additional parking facilities. The mayor’s office says the Vikings’ concerns can be addressed.
Rather than re-build on the Metrodome site, the Vikings support a new stadium in the city of Arden Hills, at the site of a former Army ammunitions plant. The costs associated with this option total $1.1 billion -- the most-expensive proposal made. The public portion would be $375 million, which Ramsey County has committed to raise through a 3 percent tax on food service and on-sale drinks. The state would have to approve that funding option, but the county could then implement it without a public referendum. The proposed Arden Hills site is also the only site for which the Vikings have committed money, to the tune of $425 million.
The last proposal submitted was from the city of Shakopee, which is southwest of Minneapolis. The plan calls for the acquisition of land from two land owners said to be ready and willing to sell, and is pegged at $920 million. It would require a $400 million commitment from the Vikings, $29 million a year generated by slot machines at race tracks (not yet approved by the state), and $16 million in fan user fees -- a $5 ticket surcharge, naming rights, and a Vikings license place, among other possibilities.
The Shakopee stadium would seat 75,000 fans, compared to 65,000 to 72,000 at the Arden Hills site. The city of Minneapolis' proposal does not include any specifics about the stadium.
"We would work with the Vikings to give them the stadium they want,” said the mayor's communications director, John Stiles.
The state legislature, which would have to approve any final plan, convenes Jan. 24. Gov. Dayton is expected to identify a frontrunner prior to that date. The Vikings if planning to move, would have to notify the NFL by Feb. 15.
The Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome has expired, and team owners have pledged not to sign another one until a new stadium has been approved. That has led to speculation that the Vikings might be an option for Los Angeles, which is seeking an NFL franchise. The Chargers, Rams, Raiders, 49ers and Jaguars organizations have also been mentioned as L.A. options.
One option submitted to the governor -- by the city of Minneapolis -- is rebuilding on the Metrodome site. The advantages include not having to purchase new land and already having infrastructure in place. The Minneapolis Mayor’s Office said that proposal is for nearly $900 million. Public funding is estimated at $313 million, which the city proposes to pull together by redirecting taxes beginning in 2016 that currently support the Convention Center. Construction could begin following the 2012 season, and the team could be in its new home as early as 2015.
The city’s plan – at four pages – was the least formal of the three submitted and didn’t include any dollar figures.
The Vikings are wary of some aspects of the city’s Metrodome plan -- including having to play at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium for three years. The team estimates a loss of $12.3 million each year at TCF Bank Stadium due to "limitations on stadium space and capacity, available sponsorships, and fan amenities." An additional $11 million in facility upgrades would be needed, according to the team, to meet minimum NFL stadium standards. And another $19 million would be needed to build additional parking facilities. The mayor’s office says the Vikings’ concerns can be addressed.
Rather than re-build on the Metrodome site, the Vikings support a new stadium in the city of Arden Hills, at the site of a former Army ammunitions plant. The costs associated with this option total $1.1 billion -- the most-expensive proposal made. The public portion would be $375 million, which Ramsey County has committed to raise through a 3 percent tax on food service and on-sale drinks. The state would have to approve that funding option, but the county could then implement it without a public referendum. The proposed Arden Hills site is also the only site for which the Vikings have committed money, to the tune of $425 million.
The last proposal submitted was from the city of Shakopee, which is southwest of Minneapolis. The plan calls for the acquisition of land from two land owners said to be ready and willing to sell, and is pegged at $920 million. It would require a $400 million commitment from the Vikings, $29 million a year generated by slot machines at race tracks (not yet approved by the state), and $16 million in fan user fees -- a $5 ticket surcharge, naming rights, and a Vikings license place, among other possibilities.
The Shakopee stadium would seat 75,000 fans, compared to 65,000 to 72,000 at the Arden Hills site. The city of Minneapolis' proposal does not include any specifics about the stadium.
"We would work with the Vikings to give them the stadium they want,” said the mayor's communications director, John Stiles.
The state legislature, which would have to approve any final plan, convenes Jan. 24. Gov. Dayton is expected to identify a frontrunner prior to that date. The Vikings if planning to move, would have to notify the NFL by Feb. 15.
With New Orleans hospitals, schools and basic infrastructure in dire need of rebuilding following Hurricane Katrina, many taxpayers wondered aloud why the Federal Emergency Management Agency would allocate $156 million for a renovation of the Superdome.
Sure, the stadium was eligible for FEMA funding because it was state-owned, open to the public, and it sustained damage during Katrina. Yet questions came, anyway.
But for Louisiana, it marked an “If You Build It, They Will Come” idea. Fast-forward six years, and note that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome -- on the heels of a $336 million, multiphase renovation -- is in the midst of playing host to a string of the country’s major sporting events.
In addition to the annual Sugar and New Orleans bowls, the city that hosted the Allstate BCS National Championship Game Monday night also has Saints playoffs games this winter, the SEC men’s basketball tournament and men’s Final Four this spring, the Super Bowl in February 2013, and the women’s Final Four a few months later.
Landing such events was part of the post-Katrina recovery plan, says Mark Romig, chief executive officer of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., and a member of committees for the Super Bowl and Sugar Bowl. “We knew for us to come back and to lift ourselves up, we had to go through this process.”
Romig says New Orleans annually ranks at or near the top of the list in hospitality jobs nationally, with between 70,000 and 80,000 positions. He says that number is “very close” to pre-Katrina levels and that there are more restaurants in New Orleans than before the hurricane, and hotel numbers are comparable.
John Williams, interim dean for the University of New Orleans’ College of Business Administration, attributes much of the city’s jump from $4.3 billion in tourism spending in 2009 to $5.5 billion in 2010 to sports. Business travelers are staying an average of 2.2 days longer than their business plans, he says, often to attend sporting events.
Williams says studies also show fans visiting for sporting events are more likely to patronize local restaurants than other tourist segments, like day visitors or business travelers. It’s why he thinks the city has seen a jump in restaurants from 805 pre-Katrina to 1,230 today. “Sports are really key to that,” he says.
Williams says the city saw a 6.6 percent growth in tourism-related jobs in the first quarter of 2011 alone. While numbers have not yet been vetted for the remainder of 2011, he says the city has been experiencing a snowball effect since hosting Saints playoff games in 2009.
Romig says hosting events like the BCS game Monday essentially provides the city with immeasurable free advertising to help boost tourism unrelated to sporting events. ESPN logged more than 36 hours of programming on sets around New Orleans in the week leading up to the game, not counting the game itself, pre- or postgame shows or halftime shows.
Asked to estimate the value of the advertising New Orleans received around the BCS National Championship Game, Malcolm Turner of Wasserman Media Group says, “There’s no question we’re talking in the tens of millions of dollars.”
The projected economic impact from the recent Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship Game was $400 million. The R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl played on Dec. 18 and the Saints playoff game last Saturday were expected to contribute another $45 million. But the Super Bowl is the big revenue generator, with estimates at about $900 million.
Sure, the stadium was eligible for FEMA funding because it was state-owned, open to the public, and it sustained damage during Katrina. Yet questions came, anyway.
But for Louisiana, it marked an “If You Build It, They Will Come” idea. Fast-forward six years, and note that the Mercedes-Benz Superdome -- on the heels of a $336 million, multiphase renovation -- is in the midst of playing host to a string of the country’s major sporting events.
[+] Enlarge
Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome before the All-State BCS National Championship Game.
Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome before the All-State BCS National Championship Game.Landing such events was part of the post-Katrina recovery plan, says Mark Romig, chief executive officer of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., and a member of committees for the Super Bowl and Sugar Bowl. “We knew for us to come back and to lift ourselves up, we had to go through this process.”
Romig says New Orleans annually ranks at or near the top of the list in hospitality jobs nationally, with between 70,000 and 80,000 positions. He says that number is “very close” to pre-Katrina levels and that there are more restaurants in New Orleans than before the hurricane, and hotel numbers are comparable.
John Williams, interim dean for the University of New Orleans’ College of Business Administration, attributes much of the city’s jump from $4.3 billion in tourism spending in 2009 to $5.5 billion in 2010 to sports. Business travelers are staying an average of 2.2 days longer than their business plans, he says, often to attend sporting events.
Williams says studies also show fans visiting for sporting events are more likely to patronize local restaurants than other tourist segments, like day visitors or business travelers. It’s why he thinks the city has seen a jump in restaurants from 805 pre-Katrina to 1,230 today. “Sports are really key to that,” he says.
Williams says the city saw a 6.6 percent growth in tourism-related jobs in the first quarter of 2011 alone. While numbers have not yet been vetted for the remainder of 2011, he says the city has been experiencing a snowball effect since hosting Saints playoff games in 2009.
Romig says hosting events like the BCS game Monday essentially provides the city with immeasurable free advertising to help boost tourism unrelated to sporting events. ESPN logged more than 36 hours of programming on sets around New Orleans in the week leading up to the game, not counting the game itself, pre- or postgame shows or halftime shows.
Asked to estimate the value of the advertising New Orleans received around the BCS National Championship Game, Malcolm Turner of Wasserman Media Group says, “There’s no question we’re talking in the tens of millions of dollars.”
The projected economic impact from the recent Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship Game was $400 million. The R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl played on Dec. 18 and the Saints playoff game last Saturday were expected to contribute another $45 million. But the Super Bowl is the big revenue generator, with estimates at about $900 million.
The retail market for licensed collegiate apparel is, quite simply, a behemoth of a business that brings in about $4.3 billion annually.
Seemingly everyone wants a piece of it, which is why so many people at so many major events hawk items of all shapes, types and sizes -- whether the items are legitimately made and licensed or counterfeit.
Vendors selling counterfeit goods mixed right in with legitimate vendors at the SEC championship game in December in Atlanta. They did it at the Rose Bowl, too. And they’ll do it again Monday night at the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game.
Last year, more than 60,000 pieces of counterfeit merchandise valued at more than $1 million overall were seized by Collegiate Licensing Company. While CLC represents nearly 200 colleges and universities, in addition to bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA, it’s not the only licensing agency around. Learfield Sports, Licensing Resource Group and Silver Star Merchandising represent collegiate properties in their licensing efforts as well.
At the SEC championship game in December, CLC took possession of 1,012 pieces of unlicensed product with an estimated retail value of more than $15,000. That’s up from 2010, when 541 pieces of unlicensed produced were seized or voluntarily surrendered by vendors. More than twice that many products were seized in January 2011 at the Rose Bowl by CLC.
CLC officials said that on average, nearly 5,000 counterfeit items, from T-shirts to hats to bracelets, are seized outside the host stadium of the BCS title game each year.
Some of the items are obvious: In December in Atlanta, a roaming vendor on Mangum Street south of the Georgia Dome peddled T-shirts, gold letters emblazoned on purple reading: “BATON [expletive] ROUGE.” The back of the shirt warned: “IF YOU DON’T BLEED PURPLE AND GOLD TAKE YOUR [expletive] HOME!”
Most people wouldn’t consider such a shirt an officially licensed product of Louisiana State University because of the vulgar language. But another vendor sold shirts proclaiming a “2011 SEC Championship Showdown” and featured the trademarked logos for LSU and Georgia. Few buyers would be able to determine the shirts were counterfeit.
CLC investigators team with local police at major events and seize such material, and give citations to the vendors or arrest them. Companies like CLC conduct such enforcement activities because federal law requires trademark owners to “police” their mark. Trademark law is largely enforced through private lawsuits, although there are also criminal penalties for counterfeiting goods. Failure to police a mark by attempting to prevent infringing uses can result in a loss of protection for a trademark.
The most clear-cut violations by vendors are those involving the use of trademarks that are registered at the state or federal level. Trademarks include more than just the university, conference or BCS logo. For example, University of Georgia lists the following trademarks: “Georgia,” “University of Georgia,” “Georgia Bulldogs,” “Bulldogs,” “Dawgs,” “UGA,” “University of Georgia Athletic Association,” “Between The Hedges,” “How Bout Them Dogs,” “Go You Silver Britches,” “Hairy Dawg,” the oval “G” mark and many others.
In addition to registered trademarks at the state or federal level, universities can also claim common law rights to marks or wording typically associated with the university.
In 2008, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by a Louisiana federal district court against Smack Apparel for intentional trademark infringement based on its use of school colors in combination with other designs and words that made it apparent the references were designed to associate with a particular school. For example, one shirt featured the following: “Got Seven? We do! 7 Time National Champs.” The shirt included a depiction of the state of Ohio and a marker noting Columbus, Ohio, on the back. The court decided the shirt referred to the seven college football national titles claimed by Ohio State University.
The court ruled that the schools involved in the suit owned trademark rights in their color schemes and that combined with other indicia on the various shirts, such as the reference to Ohio State’s location in Columbus and national titles in the example above, trademark infringement had occurred, even without use of the school name or logo.
So, who are these vendors?
One cited in Atlanta was the man selling the shirts with the expletives. He said he planned to keep $8 of the $20 shirt cost, with $12 going to his boss. He expected to make $1,500 to $2,000 that day before he was stopped by CLC investigators and Atlanta police for vending without a permit.
The man said he was based out of Cleveland but traveled nearly every weekend for major sporting events. He said he worked for a company named Street Talk Tees, which is registered as a business in Ohio for “novelty tees and apparel.” The vendor said his company employs about 30 people who travel to events -- two others also worked the SEC game.
Requests for comment from Street Talk were not answered.
CLC says buyers have a few ways to determine the authenticity of their purchases:
• Look for an “Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” hologram on the product or hang tag.
• Consider taste of the product, as distasteful designs are not approved by trademark holders.
• A torn or missing tag usually is evidence of a second-hand garment.
• The name of the manufacturer will be on the product somewhere, either in the form of a hang tag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly.
• All merchandise should have appropriate trademark designations next to a specific name or design.
Universities depend on millions of dollars in royalties to fund athletic programs and other university initiatives. For example, the University of Florida showed more than $6 million in licensing revenue on its audited financial statement for 2010-11, with just $40,000 of that going to CLC in marketing fees.
Ohio State budgeted for $3.5 million in licensing revenue for 2011-12 and projects $1.58 million of that will move from the athletic department to the university, to be used for academic programming and scholarships.
Seemingly everyone wants a piece of it, which is why so many people at so many major events hawk items of all shapes, types and sizes -- whether the items are legitimately made and licensed or counterfeit.
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Kristi Dosh/ESPN.comSome counterfeit shirts look more authentic than others.
Kristi Dosh/ESPN.comSome counterfeit shirts look more authentic than others.Last year, more than 60,000 pieces of counterfeit merchandise valued at more than $1 million overall were seized by Collegiate Licensing Company. While CLC represents nearly 200 colleges and universities, in addition to bowl games, athletic conferences, the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA, it’s not the only licensing agency around. Learfield Sports, Licensing Resource Group and Silver Star Merchandising represent collegiate properties in their licensing efforts as well.
At the SEC championship game in December, CLC took possession of 1,012 pieces of unlicensed product with an estimated retail value of more than $15,000. That’s up from 2010, when 541 pieces of unlicensed produced were seized or voluntarily surrendered by vendors. More than twice that many products were seized in January 2011 at the Rose Bowl by CLC.
CLC officials said that on average, nearly 5,000 counterfeit items, from T-shirts to hats to bracelets, are seized outside the host stadium of the BCS title game each year.
Some of the items are obvious: In December in Atlanta, a roaming vendor on Mangum Street south of the Georgia Dome peddled T-shirts, gold letters emblazoned on purple reading: “BATON [expletive] ROUGE.” The back of the shirt warned: “IF YOU DON’T BLEED PURPLE AND GOLD TAKE YOUR [expletive] HOME!”
Most people wouldn’t consider such a shirt an officially licensed product of Louisiana State University because of the vulgar language. But another vendor sold shirts proclaiming a “2011 SEC Championship Showdown” and featured the trademarked logos for LSU and Georgia. Few buyers would be able to determine the shirts were counterfeit.
CLC investigators team with local police at major events and seize such material, and give citations to the vendors or arrest them. Companies like CLC conduct such enforcement activities because federal law requires trademark owners to “police” their mark. Trademark law is largely enforced through private lawsuits, although there are also criminal penalties for counterfeiting goods. Failure to police a mark by attempting to prevent infringing uses can result in a loss of protection for a trademark.
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Kristi Dosh/ESPN.comAtlanta police and investigators from Collegiate Licensing Company walk a man accused of selling counterfeit apparel away from the SEC championship game in December.
Kristi Dosh/ESPN.comAtlanta police and investigators from Collegiate Licensing Company walk a man accused of selling counterfeit apparel away from the SEC championship game in December.In addition to registered trademarks at the state or federal level, universities can also claim common law rights to marks or wording typically associated with the university.
In 2008, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by a Louisiana federal district court against Smack Apparel for intentional trademark infringement based on its use of school colors in combination with other designs and words that made it apparent the references were designed to associate with a particular school. For example, one shirt featured the following: “Got Seven? We do! 7 Time National Champs.” The shirt included a depiction of the state of Ohio and a marker noting Columbus, Ohio, on the back. The court decided the shirt referred to the seven college football national titles claimed by Ohio State University.
The court ruled that the schools involved in the suit owned trademark rights in their color schemes and that combined with other indicia on the various shirts, such as the reference to Ohio State’s location in Columbus and national titles in the example above, trademark infringement had occurred, even without use of the school name or logo.
So, who are these vendors?
One cited in Atlanta was the man selling the shirts with the expletives. He said he planned to keep $8 of the $20 shirt cost, with $12 going to his boss. He expected to make $1,500 to $2,000 that day before he was stopped by CLC investigators and Atlanta police for vending without a permit.
The man said he was based out of Cleveland but traveled nearly every weekend for major sporting events. He said he worked for a company named Street Talk Tees, which is registered as a business in Ohio for “novelty tees and apparel.” The vendor said his company employs about 30 people who travel to events -- two others also worked the SEC game.
Requests for comment from Street Talk were not answered.
[+] Enlarge
CLCThese tags and holograms can be found on licensed collegiate apparel and items.
CLCThese tags and holograms can be found on licensed collegiate apparel and items.• Look for an “Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” hologram on the product or hang tag.
• Consider taste of the product, as distasteful designs are not approved by trademark holders.
• A torn or missing tag usually is evidence of a second-hand garment.
• The name of the manufacturer will be on the product somewhere, either in the form of a hang tag, a neck label, or screen-printed directly.
• All merchandise should have appropriate trademark designations next to a specific name or design.
Universities depend on millions of dollars in royalties to fund athletic programs and other university initiatives. For example, the University of Florida showed more than $6 million in licensing revenue on its audited financial statement for 2010-11, with just $40,000 of that going to CLC in marketing fees.
Ohio State budgeted for $3.5 million in licensing revenue for 2011-12 and projects $1.58 million of that will move from the athletic department to the university, to be used for academic programming and scholarships.
The 2011-12 bowl season hasn’t been a gem in terms of attendance, even with four games yet to play. Nearly 3 percent fewer people -- 42,959 overall -- have attended games this season than last year.
Yet college football profits topped $1 billion last year, attendance during the regular season increased for the fourth time in five years last year, and big matchups like the LSU-Alabama game this November were huge on TV -- that game alone drew almost 6.5 million more viewers than 2010’s highest-rated matchup. So what gives with the bowl attendance?
Bowl executives list a number of reasons for the decline. Tina Kunzer-Murphy, an ESPN executive who is also executive director of the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas and chairwoman of the Football Bowl Association, says factors include public disenchantment with football’s postseason system, the tough economy and games that feature teams which haven’t been able to draw fans. (ESPN owns seven non-BCS bowl games and the BCS broadcast rights through 2014.)
Seven bowls thus far have seen a decrease in attendance of 10,000 or more from last year. With the exception of the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl, all have one thing in common: last year’s game featured a team whose campus was less than 300 miles from the bowl. In the cases of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, last year’s matchup featured a team within just 10 miles.
After posting its highest attendance ever last year at 48,049 with San Diego State playing, the Poinsettia Bowl saw attendance slashed in half this year with a TCU-Louisiana Tech matchup. The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl saw a decline of more than 10,000 this year with its Southern Miss-Nevada matchup, with Nevada distributing less than 1,000 tickets to its fans.
The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and Outback Bowl each featured a team located less than 300 miles away last year, and each saw at least 11,000 fewer tickets sold this year. The local-school-tie-in anomaly: the Gator Bowl, which despite having a matchup between Urban Meyer’s former team and the team he’ll coach in 2012 -- and Florida’s close proximity to Jacksonville -- saw a decline of 16,185 fans this year.
Bowls that saw increases of 10,000 or more fans this year similarly saw their fortunes tied to fan base proximity.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, which saw its 15th straight sellout in 2011, benefits from its proximity to the fan bases of the ACC and SEC, but that’s not the key to success, says bowl president and CEO Gary Stokan.
“Every bowl has the opportunity if they work diligently to sell tickets to local people and businesses before the teams are announced," he says. Stokan says his bowl sells approximately 38,000 tickets each year before teams are announced, leaving essentially only the team ticket allotments available.
While he says some of the bowl’s success is due to Atlanta being the “capital of college football” and home to the first- or second-largest segment of each ACC and SEC school’s alumni base, he believes the true secret to attendance success is in selling to locals, not waiting until schools are announced to sell to fans.
Will Webb, executive director of the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, says his bowl looks at fan interest level, not just proximity.
He says in addition to attending games and paying close attention to a team’s record for the second half of the season, bowl officials also monitor Internet message boards. A lot of fans calling for a coach’s head? Then the fan base probably isn’t excited enough about a bowl game to pack the house. Last year, Louisville looked like a good choice until the bowl committee noted the Cardinals’ basketball schedule. Officials saw a basketball game against rival Kentucky scheduled for the same time as the bowl game. Needless to say, the bowl passed on Louisville.
Kunzer-Murphy echoed some of Webb’s sentiments with regard to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. Down to Arizona State or UCLA, bowl officials had to weigh UCLA’s two big losses at the end of the season and firing of head coach Rick Neuheisel. Meanwhile, Arizona State had never been selected for the bowl, had never played in Nevada, and traveling to Las Vegas would be easy.
When asked about potential changes in light of the down attendance this year, each bowl executive had a somewhat different answer, but all were open to change. Kunzer-Murphy believes change is inevitable once conference realignment is settled. Stokan likes a playoff idea that keeps the BCS bowls but also boosts the importance of the other bowls.
Yet college football profits topped $1 billion last year, attendance during the regular season increased for the fourth time in five years last year, and big matchups like the LSU-Alabama game this November were huge on TV -- that game alone drew almost 6.5 million more viewers than 2010’s highest-rated matchup. So what gives with the bowl attendance?
Bowl executives list a number of reasons for the decline. Tina Kunzer-Murphy, an ESPN executive who is also executive director of the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas and chairwoman of the Football Bowl Association, says factors include public disenchantment with football’s postseason system, the tough economy and games that feature teams which haven’t been able to draw fans. (ESPN owns seven non-BCS bowl games and the BCS broadcast rights through 2014.)
Seven bowls thus far have seen a decrease in attendance of 10,000 or more from last year. With the exception of the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl, all have one thing in common: last year’s game featured a team whose campus was less than 300 miles from the bowl. In the cases of the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, last year’s matchup featured a team within just 10 miles.
After posting its highest attendance ever last year at 48,049 with San Diego State playing, the Poinsettia Bowl saw attendance slashed in half this year with a TCU-Louisiana Tech matchup. The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl saw a decline of more than 10,000 this year with its Southern Miss-Nevada matchup, with Nevada distributing less than 1,000 tickets to its fans.
The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and Outback Bowl each featured a team located less than 300 miles away last year, and each saw at least 11,000 fewer tickets sold this year. The local-school-tie-in anomaly: the Gator Bowl, which despite having a matchup between Urban Meyer’s former team and the team he’ll coach in 2012 -- and Florida’s close proximity to Jacksonville -- saw a decline of 16,185 fans this year.
Bowls that saw increases of 10,000 or more fans this year similarly saw their fortunes tied to fan base proximity.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, which saw its 15th straight sellout in 2011, benefits from its proximity to the fan bases of the ACC and SEC, but that’s not the key to success, says bowl president and CEO Gary Stokan.
“Every bowl has the opportunity if they work diligently to sell tickets to local people and businesses before the teams are announced," he says. Stokan says his bowl sells approximately 38,000 tickets each year before teams are announced, leaving essentially only the team ticket allotments available.
While he says some of the bowl’s success is due to Atlanta being the “capital of college football” and home to the first- or second-largest segment of each ACC and SEC school’s alumni base, he believes the true secret to attendance success is in selling to locals, not waiting until schools are announced to sell to fans.
Will Webb, executive director of the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, says his bowl looks at fan interest level, not just proximity.
He says in addition to attending games and paying close attention to a team’s record for the second half of the season, bowl officials also monitor Internet message boards. A lot of fans calling for a coach’s head? Then the fan base probably isn’t excited enough about a bowl game to pack the house. Last year, Louisville looked like a good choice until the bowl committee noted the Cardinals’ basketball schedule. Officials saw a basketball game against rival Kentucky scheduled for the same time as the bowl game. Needless to say, the bowl passed on Louisville.
Kunzer-Murphy echoed some of Webb’s sentiments with regard to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. Down to Arizona State or UCLA, bowl officials had to weigh UCLA’s two big losses at the end of the season and firing of head coach Rick Neuheisel. Meanwhile, Arizona State had never been selected for the bowl, had never played in Nevada, and traveling to Las Vegas would be easy.
When asked about potential changes in light of the down attendance this year, each bowl executive had a somewhat different answer, but all were open to change. Kunzer-Murphy believes change is inevitable once conference realignment is settled. Stokan likes a playoff idea that keeps the BCS bowls but also boosts the importance of the other bowls.
The NHL’s Winter Classic is solidifying itself as the league’s signature event, eclipsing the NHL All-Star Game and even some playoff matchups. Ticket sales and ratings have soared in the five years the Classic has been played.
Ticket re-seller StubHub has seen overall ticket sales for the Winter Classic trump not only the all-star game but also quite a few Stanley Cup games. Last year’s Classic in Pittsburgh out-sold Games 2, 3, 5 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer notes that not as many tickets were available for the Stanley Cup games, but the trend wasn’t unique to last year.
The Winter Classic also out-sold Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2008 Winter Classic was the second-best selling game of the regular season.
Ferrer said several hundred tickets have been purchased on StubHub for the upcoming All-Star Game in Ottawa, but prices are about 50 percent lower than they were for Monday’s 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
On TV, the Winter Classic also has dominated the all-star game. Last year’s game was moved from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. because of weather, which put it up against the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl. Even so, the game drew a 2.9 national rating, up 8 percent from the previous year. By comparison, last year’s all-star game drew just a 1.2, up from a 0.8 in 2009 (there was no 2010 game because of the Olympics). Last year’s Winter Classic rating also topped Games 1 and 3 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.
With such success, it might be tempting for the NHL to hold more than one outdoor game a year, but the league is being cautious. Sam Kennedy, chief operating officer of the Boston Red Sox, which held the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park, said the game was such a success the Red Sox approached the Bruins and the NHL about holding another Fenway matchup this year. Although the NHL allowed two outdoor games for the first time in 2011 -- the Winter Classic and the Heritage Classic (played between two Canadian teams) -- Kennedy said the league declined the second Fenway proposal.
But the Red Sox brought outdoor hockey back to Fenway this year on their own in an event called “Frozen Fenway.” Sunday marked the first of 16 of days of activities at the ice rink inside Fenway Park. A high school triple-header was played Monday, and on Saturday, teams from college’s Hockey East will take the ice in a doubleheader that sold out in less than a week.
In all, Fenway will host eight high school hockey games and six college games, including girls and women’s hockey. About 25 percent of the ice time will be used for children and families through public ice skating, high school games and USA Hockey youth clinics.
Kennedy said the cost of building the ice rink is a seven-figure number, with operating costs on top of it that can skyrocket if there’s snow that has to be cleared. Title sponsor Sun Life helps make it possible, and with the first college doubleheader sold out and the second with more than 25,000 tickets sold thus far, Kennedy is optimistic about the event’s success.
Even with such success, Kennedy said it’s unlikely such an event would be held annually. It’s expensive and strains the Red Sox staff, which runs the event. Like the NHL, the Red Sox also acknowledge novelty as a key factor in success: “I could see a scenario where we do it every two or three years, because it’s such a special event,” Kennedy said.
Ticket re-seller StubHub has seen overall ticket sales for the Winter Classic trump not only the all-star game but also quite a few Stanley Cup games. Last year’s Classic in Pittsburgh out-sold Games 2, 3, 5 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer notes that not as many tickets were available for the Stanley Cup games, but the trend wasn’t unique to last year.
The Winter Classic also out-sold Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2008 Winter Classic was the second-best selling game of the regular season.
Ferrer said several hundred tickets have been purchased on StubHub for the upcoming All-Star Game in Ottawa, but prices are about 50 percent lower than they were for Monday’s 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
On TV, the Winter Classic also has dominated the all-star game. Last year’s game was moved from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. because of weather, which put it up against the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl. Even so, the game drew a 2.9 national rating, up 8 percent from the previous year. By comparison, last year’s all-star game drew just a 1.2, up from a 0.8 in 2009 (there was no 2010 game because of the Olympics). Last year’s Winter Classic rating also topped Games 1 and 3 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.
With such success, it might be tempting for the NHL to hold more than one outdoor game a year, but the league is being cautious. Sam Kennedy, chief operating officer of the Boston Red Sox, which held the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park, said the game was such a success the Red Sox approached the Bruins and the NHL about holding another Fenway matchup this year. Although the NHL allowed two outdoor games for the first time in 2011 -- the Winter Classic and the Heritage Classic (played between two Canadian teams) -- Kennedy said the league declined the second Fenway proposal.
But the Red Sox brought outdoor hockey back to Fenway this year on their own in an event called “Frozen Fenway.” Sunday marked the first of 16 of days of activities at the ice rink inside Fenway Park. A high school triple-header was played Monday, and on Saturday, teams from college’s Hockey East will take the ice in a doubleheader that sold out in less than a week.
In all, Fenway will host eight high school hockey games and six college games, including girls and women’s hockey. About 25 percent of the ice time will be used for children and families through public ice skating, high school games and USA Hockey youth clinics.
Kennedy said the cost of building the ice rink is a seven-figure number, with operating costs on top of it that can skyrocket if there’s snow that has to be cleared. Title sponsor Sun Life helps make it possible, and with the first college doubleheader sold out and the second with more than 25,000 tickets sold thus far, Kennedy is optimistic about the event’s success.
Even with such success, Kennedy said it’s unlikely such an event would be held annually. It’s expensive and strains the Red Sox staff, which runs the event. Like the NHL, the Red Sox also acknowledge novelty as a key factor in success: “I could see a scenario where we do it every two or three years, because it’s such a special event,” Kennedy said.
MSG Network’s announcement Saturday night that its programming -- including live coverage of the Knicks, Rangers, Sabres, Islanders and New Jersey Devils -- will be removed from Time Warner Cable is just the latest example of what’s become a seemingly regular battle between broadcasters and carriers.
The issue in each case: carriage fees -- the amount of money carriers or cable operators pay to networks to carry their programming. When those go up, cable bills usually rise, too, so cable companies try to hold ground to avoid angering subscribers.
The current rate for MSG and MSG Plus is about $4.65 per subscriber per month, according to media researcher SNL Kagan. A recent Wall Street Journal article called that rate higher than “almost any other regional sports network” and noted it had risen 70 percent in five years. By comparison, ESPN cost operators on average $4.69 per month in 2011.
Time Warner said MSG is seeking a 53 percent fee increase, much higher than a 6.5 percent increase the cable operator said it has been willing to pay. MSG disputes it asked for the 53 percent increase but has yet to make public what it has sought.
Time Warner said the problem is deeper than simply the rate for MSG, though. Time Warner spokeswoman Maureen Huff said a deal nearly happened at a 6.5 percent increase until MSG learned that Time Warner planned to drop the MSG-owned music channel FUSE. Time Warner said the network sought to double its rate if FUSE were dropped. MSG disputed that -- a spokesman called the allegations surrounding the FUSE issue “categorically untrue.”
Another item in dispute is whether Time Warner offered to continue carrying MSG through the current NBA and NHL seasons at a 6.5 percent increase. Time Warner said MSG declined the offer but MSG disputed the offer was made or declined.
The impasse affects some 2.8 million subscribers in the New York and New Jersey areas. Nearly 400 live games a year are broadcast on MSG.
“The decision to remove their programming from our lineup rests entirely with MSG,” said Time Warner spokesman Alexander Dudley. “By making that decision well in advance of the deadline, MSG has again shown that they are more interested in holding New York sports fans hostage than in negotiating a deal. Rather than engage in a war of words, they should come back to the table and get a deal done.”
MSG on Saturday night detailed the network’s value in its press release about the negotiations, pointing out that ratings for the Knicks were up more than 100 percent last season, the Rangers had a double-digit increase in viewers, and that the Sabres were the highest-rated American team in the NHL.
A number of communications from MSG have referenced Time Warner’s deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly worth $5 billion. MSG noted that deal again Saturday night and said “we expected that they would be eager to continue to deliver top New York sports programming to their customers, who are unfortunately caught in the middle of this dispute.”
But the comparison isn’t entirely apples-to-apples given Time Warner will be developing two regional sports networks, one in English and one in Spanish, with the Lakers as part of the new deal.
The issue in each case: carriage fees -- the amount of money carriers or cable operators pay to networks to carry their programming. When those go up, cable bills usually rise, too, so cable companies try to hold ground to avoid angering subscribers.
The current rate for MSG and MSG Plus is about $4.65 per subscriber per month, according to media researcher SNL Kagan. A recent Wall Street Journal article called that rate higher than “almost any other regional sports network” and noted it had risen 70 percent in five years. By comparison, ESPN cost operators on average $4.69 per month in 2011.
Time Warner said MSG is seeking a 53 percent fee increase, much higher than a 6.5 percent increase the cable operator said it has been willing to pay. MSG disputes it asked for the 53 percent increase but has yet to make public what it has sought.
Time Warner said the problem is deeper than simply the rate for MSG, though. Time Warner spokeswoman Maureen Huff said a deal nearly happened at a 6.5 percent increase until MSG learned that Time Warner planned to drop the MSG-owned music channel FUSE. Time Warner said the network sought to double its rate if FUSE were dropped. MSG disputed that -- a spokesman called the allegations surrounding the FUSE issue “categorically untrue.”
Another item in dispute is whether Time Warner offered to continue carrying MSG through the current NBA and NHL seasons at a 6.5 percent increase. Time Warner said MSG declined the offer but MSG disputed the offer was made or declined.
The impasse affects some 2.8 million subscribers in the New York and New Jersey areas. Nearly 400 live games a year are broadcast on MSG.
“The decision to remove their programming from our lineup rests entirely with MSG,” said Time Warner spokesman Alexander Dudley. “By making that decision well in advance of the deadline, MSG has again shown that they are more interested in holding New York sports fans hostage than in negotiating a deal. Rather than engage in a war of words, they should come back to the table and get a deal done.”
MSG on Saturday night detailed the network’s value in its press release about the negotiations, pointing out that ratings for the Knicks were up more than 100 percent last season, the Rangers had a double-digit increase in viewers, and that the Sabres were the highest-rated American team in the NHL.
A number of communications from MSG have referenced Time Warner’s deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly worth $5 billion. MSG noted that deal again Saturday night and said “we expected that they would be eager to continue to deliver top New York sports programming to their customers, who are unfortunately caught in the middle of this dispute.”
But the comparison isn’t entirely apples-to-apples given Time Warner will be developing two regional sports networks, one in English and one in Spanish, with the Lakers as part of the new deal.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Kristi Dosh
Dosh covers sports business for ESPN. She is an attorney, founder of BusinessOfCollegeSports.com, and joined ESPN in October 2011. Follow Dosh on Twitter: @SportsBizMiss.