With most championship titles in North America comes the talk of how this one will help elevate the game to new heights or change the perspective of fans and bring more watching x sport than ever before. The LA Kings titles, and the way they have run their business, has put hockey more front and center with celebs who may have never seen a hockey stick before; Pittsburgh winning a Stanley Cup elevates a downtrodden city; the Eagles, Red Sox and Cubs break the curse etc etc. All true.
However, for a team to use the stage of a championship to grow global business and be prepared and ahead, or at least on, the disruptive curve that is coming in sports and entertainment, is unusual, since most teams are focused mostly on the here and now.
The Washington Capitals and Monumental Sports and their owner Ted Leonsis , ones who thrive on unusual and positive disruption and have for decades, may be that organization that can really elevate change. Here are some reasons why the Caps title may and can be great news not just for hockey, but for all of sports business.
Global business and influence: Many organizations talk about being global brands, but Monumental has acted on it. Their position in the Nation’s Capital really puts them in a unique place that they have taken advantage of with world leaders, athletes, and brands to grow, slowly and within the confines of what they can do with territorial restrictions, their brand to new markets. They have used partnerships like Etihad Airways to take hockey as a lifestyle brand to places like London and the Middle East, and have in turn courted, successfully, global business leaders who had a place to be in Washington. That influence, which goes way beyond the ice, can now be amplified with the shiny trophy the organization now possesses.
Also keep in mind Leonsis remains one of the most vocal leaders in how cities, and even arenas as a centerpiece, can be the hub for urban renewal and helping people improve their lives. He was the mover behind DC’s push to get the Olympics, saying that an inner city Olympics would change the way people engage, live and work together. It failed as a bid, but the message was clear; cities are more important as engagement points than ever before; not just in the U.S. but globally. Taking that trophy and its positive messages as a rallying cry for civic improvement will be key for a next step in a bigger project.
Media: From his days at AOL to all that has been done on the content side over the years with Monumental Entertainment and Snag Films, the organization has been a first mover in realizing that you need to create, monetize and grow your organization through content that is relevant to your fans and those in the community. Digital, TV, radio, streaming, have been a part of the Monumental DNA from day one. Many times it has been disruptive and has gotten quizzical looks form the status quo, but many of the elements tried have now been copied by other teams and leagues. The organization now has a platform to storytell about what they have done, and what they will do, like never before. Winning and bringing that Cup home is the ultimate story.
Gaming: Again the organization was first adopter not just in esports but in interactive gaming of all kinds as a tool for a new audience and for fan engagement. Monumental has gone all in with finding effective ways to bring brands and personalities to their gaming efforts not just in one game but in an overall platform across multiple games. As teams and leagues still try to figure out where esports in general fits into the system and can help be a vehicle for a new audience, Monumental has the perfect tool to do so. Won’t be long before the Cup somehow pops up with Team Liquid or District Gaming promotions and can help be that beautiful way to connect back to what are now called “mainstream” sports.
We should also factor the ongoing gambling debate and evolution into this. Monumental, and Leonsis, has been at the forefront of the gambling debate, and although a title certainly doesn’t need to give the issue an even louder call to action, it doesn’t hurt in being a rallying cry for continued push towards effective and lucrative legalized gambling. The organization has made investments in the fantasy and integrity sides of the gaming and gambling business, and having a title brings more light to the issues and agendas that are being pushed forward.
Civic Influence: We touched on the work in inner cities, but in our turbulent times, having a championship with literally the biggest trophy in American sports can become a draw to enhance all that the Caps do not just in their local community; that is a given for any team; but in the global and national community. There is no more important city of influence where leaders actually live and work; from Embassy Row to the Capitol; than Washington. That trophy can be a draw to bring people of divergent interests and backgrounds together for the next year to talk about topics well beyond sport. Monumental has quietly used their events to do so in the past, now they can push forward with a positive agenda and a rallying point even more. Can sport influence social change? How better to do so than to bring the Cup to the leaders and there is no more important time than now to do so.
Now are many of these topics, and more, things that every owner talks about, and many are doing away from the day to day running of a team? Yes. However few organizations have been doing them for years if not decades, some with great success, some with reboots after trial and error. Also, none have been doing them in such a potential seat of influence as Washington. New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco heck even London, all important places of influence, but none are as unique as Washington, and no owner has probably best positioned his organizations culture for disruptive and effective change as Ted Leonsis and Monumental.
They have been winning in business across multiple teams, leagues and properties for years. No they have the hardware to amplify that strategy even more. Great people well deserved, and what it can mean for the business of sports and entertainment can be even more game changing going forward. To be ultimately successful you have to have both steak and sizzle; Monumental now has both.
Congrats Caps and all our friends; enjoy the Cup.
