Sports - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Shortening Commercial Breaks with Six-Second Ads

August 31, 2017

After years of skipping television advertisements with DVRs, many Americans have little patience for commercial breaks. And although ads are largely unavoidable during live programming like sporting events or award shows, that doesn’t mean people are paying attention. Oftentimes viewers will fiddle with their smartphones or simply tune out completely while commercials are rolling. This is bad news for companies who pay big bucks to advertise during high-rated time slots.

In an effort to get people watching ads on TV Continue reading →

Marketing, Sports, Entertainment, Television, Advertising, NFL, Fox

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

NBA to Launch a League for Video Game Basketball

February 10, 2017

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the years video games have grown from a niche entertainment platform into a dominant commercial and cultural force. And while plenty of casual players drive this thriving industry, a new class of professional gamers has also emerged on the Internet and in “eSports” leagues. During these competitions, dedicated players face off against each other in front of thousands of cheering fans, just like at regular sporting events.

Like video games themselves, eSports were once thought to hold limited appeal Continue reading →

Marketing, Product Development, Sports, Branding, Entertainment, Video Games, eSports, NBA

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Brands Spend Millions Marketing Super Bowl Ads Before the Game

February 7, 2017

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Unlike last year’s dominating display by Denver, Super Bowl LI provided viewers with plenty of drama as Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a historic comeback victory. And like the big game, there were winners and losers on the ad front as well. According to USA Today’s annual Ad Meter poll, the top rated spot of the evening belonged to Kia’s “Hero’s Journey.” In the clip, Melissa McCarthy tries her best to save the planet only to Continue reading →

Marketing, Social Media, Sports, Promotions, Entertainment, Television, Advertising, Super Bowl

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Drop in ESPN Viewership Has Disney Worried

December 9, 2016

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

While a major entertainment conglomerate like Disney has many sources of income, the iconic brand earns the bulk of its revenue from TV networks like ESPN and ABC. This year these channels have brought in nearly $24 billion, exceeding the company’s theme park earnings by 40 percent. But this enormous payout doesn’t tell the whole story about Disney’s TV holdings. For the past few years, subscriptions to its premium channels have dropped significantly, leading to a similar dip in the Continue reading →

Sports, Entertainment, Television, Disney, Product Distribution, ESPN, Cable, Cord Cutting

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Shrinking Olympic Audiences Have NBC Worrying

August 24, 2016

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In spite of a few setbacks like a green diving pool and the actions of a blue-haired nincompoop, the 2016 Rio Olympics packed in plenty of action and emotion over its two-week run. For all the unparalleled athleticism on display, however, the TV ratings reward for the games’ American broadcaster NBC was relatively lackluster. The network brought in an average audience of 25.4 million during its primetime coverage, an 18 percent drop from the London 2012 games. While NBC received Continue reading →

Sports, Television, Olympics, NBC, Broadcasting, Video Streaming

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

The Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials of 2016

February 8, 2016

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Aside from being an exciting night for Denver Broncos fans, Super Bowl 50 didn’t exactly provide viewers with much entertainment on the field. In fact, the 63 commercials that aired nationally during the big event may have generated more online conversation than the game. But the impact of this year’s ads can’t be attributed solely to some sloppy play on the gridiron. After all, many brands now hype their ads with the same gusto as the NFL’s pregame festivities.

For Continue reading →

Marketing, Sports, Branding, Advertising, Super Bowl, Football, Doritos, Hyundai, Heinz, Squarespace

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

FIFA’s Corruption Scandal

June 3, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

In an ideal world, FIFA, the global governing body of soccer, wouldn’t need to have its money management practices closely scrutinized. After all, FIFA is a nonprofit association whose primary function is to enforce the rules of the game and encourage its global expansion. In reality, however, the organization has been long accused of acting as a haven for corruption and corporate impropriety.

This much was confirmed in late May when Swiss police raided a luxury hotel in Zurich and Continue reading →

Marketing, Global, Ethics, Sports, Switzerland, Regulation, FIFA, Corruption

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

League of Legends’ Profitable World

February 28, 2015

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

This video shows how far some video game companies are willing to go in order to create a one-of-a-kind fan experience.

https://nyti.ms/1xytTH5

Questions:

Why would Riot Games sponsor game competitions at a financial loss to the company?

Are video games such as League of Legends fads or products here to stay?

From The New York Times

Product Development, Sports, Entertainment, Video Games

Videos

Bathroom Beacons Let You Know Where to Go

September 6, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Nobody likes to wait in line for the bathroom, but sometimes that’s just the way things are at big, busy venues like stadiums and airports. Entrepreneur Allen Klevens couldn’t accept this fact of life, however, and set out to fix it with his new product Tooshlights. These small beacons rest at the top of a bathroom stall door and glow red if the space is occupied or green if it’s free. Klevens hopes this clever stop-and-go system will drastically speed Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Sports, Innovation, Tooshlights

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price

Keeping the NFL Green in Sustainable Stadiums

August 14, 2014

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With preseason football already under way, it won’t be long now until the NFL season officially kicks into full gear. And although the intensity of the gridiron will undoubtedly remain the same, some fans might notice big changes around their local stadiums. That’s because after years of outcry to green up the game, a number of NFL teams have revamped their arenas with a variety of energy-saving and cost-cutting measures.

In San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, for instance, an 18,000-square-foot Continue reading →

Marketing, Sports, Branding, Sustainability, San Francisco, Philadelphia, NFL

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media