Fragmentation In Niche Sports Proves To Be A Killer…

July 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Speaking with one voice, whether it is to a business partner, the media, or to fans is always important, especially in the alphabet soup of niche or second tier sports. With the limited dollars and eyeballs available for the casual fan, splitting the marketplace with alphabet soup of organizations usually leads to confusion and can ultimately drive partners on to a platform which is much more simple to understand. The latest example of split markets being a killer is in indoor soccer, which despite the huge success the outdoor game is seeing in the US, just fell further off the roadmap this week. Last year the Indoor game split into two “leagues,” both of which struggled for any kind of existence in far-off marketplaces, and despite the local success of teams like the Milwaukee Wave and the New Jersey Ironmen (who were in two different leagues by the way) the sport is on the verge of extinction. Another sport teetering but doing better with some unity is lacrosse, where the National Lacrosse League extended commissioner George Daniel this week, sending a positive message to all involved. Still, lacrosse, indoor and outdoor, needs to be presented as one platform to be an effective tool, but at least in their case the sport has a platform of success to build on. Indoor soccer has hurt itself with divergent forces for the indoor game, forces which told the sports world they were too fragmented to present a unified front, and in the end, all suffered. Would having one unified league have worked? Perhaps. But with the alphabet soup presented last winter to fans, media partners and business partners there was no chance of survival in an already tight marketplace. Hopefully the indoor game can be resurrected and lifted by the continued success of the outdoor product, but with too many cooks it will be next to impossible to deliver.

Wrestling To Find New Fans? Give em a million reasons to watch.

June 3, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

With all the added challenges presented by Mixed Martial Arts, the varied interests of first adopters, and the pull to so many forms of unscripted television, the WWE has constantly looked for ways to reinvigorate its brand, build stars and maintain interest in one of the world’s most successful entertainment brands liquid.  Now instead of spending millions in over the top marketing, empresario Vince McMahon has cut right to the chase, offering fans the chance to win some part of a million dollars for tuning in on upcoming Monday nights.  Now being a publicly traded company has issues for cash transactions, but the buzz created by McMahon’s announcement, and the viral way in which the information spread, got the brand exactly what it needed…mainstream talk, renewed interest in its core fans and the ability for anyone who turns in to get something for nothing.  Now how the “million” is given out and who the winners are, is a secondary issue.  But by using the “million” play, McMahon will help get eyeballs back to a Monday Night show which has seen slippage.  Eventhough it is not “sports,” the idea has clarity, consistency of message and will see an immediate ROI with a classic play.

Two Tales, Same Ball…MLS Thrives, MISL Crashes…

May 31, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

This week was a big week for soccer in the United States. No matter how you feel about England’s win with David Beckham over the U.S., the sport of soccer in America benefitted and is growing on the outdoor side expontentially with each passing week, as highlighted by the Houston Chronicle piece.  The industry bible, The Sports Business Journal, named MLS their League of the Year this week for their growth, sponsor activation, vision and proactive stance to promote the game on all levels.  The Philadelphia Inquirer had a good piece this week on the bright future for expansion into the area, and we touched on the lucrative and diverse jersey sponsors MLS has announced in recent weeks as well. Soon friendlies will begin to draw even more attention to the regular MLS matches , and a series of other iniatives, including a four on four Futbolito event and other grassroots efforts will reach out to futher address all of the passionate and fringe interests of the game.  MLS spends the dollars, finds and activates the sponsors, effectively uses the digital space and has embraced the Hispanic audience, while growing at the grassroots level.  All those pieces are what is needed to succeed as a viable property in the U.S. today.  The next step will be true growth of individual stars, which will be very exciting to see as well.  On the other side of the same ball, we saw the very disappointing dissolution of the Major Indoor Soccer League this week.  Like the AFL, the MISL has always had the potential to be an indoor offseason home for the soccer fan, with lots of upside for economies of scale, quick action, and grassroots player growth.  However the league, despite the longtime efforts of Commissioner Steve Ryan, could never get the teams to activate properly in their home markets, and without that committment to spend and match return with business and media partners, the reliance on tickets and “free” expsoure (publicity) doomed the concept.  For those who are just casual fans of the sport of soccer, MISL seemed to be a very American alternative…fast, exciting and high scoring (ala the AFL or indoor lacrosse).  But unless the teams make the financial committment to work together and find ways to grow, the soccer success in this country will remain outdoors.  Still, a great week for a great game.