Brand NFL Gets Stronger, Despite The Clouds On The Horizon…

August 1, 2010 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Granted there is a labor dispute in the distance and the Jets still have issues in the New York marketplace with PSL’s, but it is hard to argue that even in a challenged economy the brand of the NFL remains strong and gets stronger. It can be argued that the opening of training camp has come close to eclipsing the reporting of “Pitchers and Catchers” as the day that fans look forward to the most…the NFL Draft has easily become a media and brand spectacle like no other…fantasy football play is the dominant game of choice, almost four to one over baseball, because of its simplicity and appeal to the casual fan…and the one  game a week schedule gives the NFL a chance to build week on week like no other sport.  Even those who argued that parity diluted the game have fallen short of their argument, as witnessed by the record numbers who tuned in for last year’s Super Bowl, featuring two of the smallest markets (Indianapolis and New Orleans) in professional sports.

Finding The Happy Medium For Twitter…Howard yes, Johnson no…

November 3, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

The twitter debate with regard to athletes and celebrities rages on as to what is acceptable and helpful and what is detrimental and contrived, and what at the end of the day is actually the best mix for use in the social networking space. Much like other media that have launched…sports radio, blogs, websites…the initial pushback is due more to the unknown as opposed to the medium itself. Sports remains a very traditional, very routine business, especially for those who are amongst its veterans in communications on the team side. The season has its patterns, and many times there is a reticence to differ from that pattern or try new things or embrace new technology, hence the pushback.

Sharing Content…Why It Works, Why It May Not…

August 26, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

Recently there has been more and more talk amongst media outlets of sharing content, especially for sports. Media Post laid out an extensive plan with many of the top newspapers looking to share editorial over the next few months , which will certainly give outlets that have already cut back on travel the advantage of having some fresh, albeit less local, content. It fills pages, and probably exposes some writers and columnists to a larger audience than before, and may actually create some double duty for beat writers who may have to file one story for the local team and one with additional quotes for the road team. From the aspect of saving additional jobs and keeping content fresh for those papers, it works. Where it doesn’t work will again be in the loss of point of view or quality writing, or additional access for writers who may get to know an athlete, a coach or a team just that much more when he or she is with those athletes every day. Although in this time many professional teams have a skeleton crew traveling with them for long trips anyway it may not make that much of a difference, but for times when there is extra access needed…or blog notes or a breaking story…the lack of a road presence may not play well with a shared content idea. Still it is a calculated risk papers will take. However into that void comes opportunity. Locally, any number of sites are popping up to fill the gap in local coverage. In the Hudson Valley Region of New York, writer Rich Thomaselli has launched the Hudson Valley Sports Report to give more coverage to local sports now not being covered by newspapers that had cut back. Enterprising publicists will also be able to track which stories and which writers are getting more play on a regional level, and can increase the breath and scope of their clients’ coverage by pitching a columnist who can potentially have a piece syndicated to many markets as opposed to just one. The gap will also create opportunities for enterprising bloggers who get access to expand their following as well. Now will any of this make money or drive traffic? Unknown. It will cut costs and use economies of scale for newspapers who continue to go through lean times as they adapt to a new business model, but whether the shared sites, or even these low cost alternatives can become a profit center remains to be seen. The fact is that media coverge of the past is fading into memory and the current day coverage remains in flux in an economy that remains sketchy. Figuring out which media outlets will grow, and then merchandising that coverage, will be the biggest challenge.