A few weeks ago at the CAA World Congress of Sport in Dana Point, California, a host of speakers were asked what they had their eye on for topics, and what will we be talking about a year from now. The answers for the most part were guarded and much of the same that is being discussed now: the NFL and the NBA, sports gambling, esports…not a whole lot of wow, but given the positions of those in the know on panels, not all that surprising.
What was a little surprising were some of the topics on the disruptive side that really weren’t discussed, many of which are rising with more and more frequency as we head towards a Women’s World Cup and an Olympics cycle. They may not yet be the mainstream money makers that senior executives are devoting huge amounts of time to…at least publicly…but they bear watching.
Now our colleague Corey Leff has been doing a great job in recent weeks with his newsletter John Wall Street, highlighting some of the business topics that are just beyond the next turn of the sports business page, and they are worth following. These are some disruptive ideas that we have highlighted in the past, and are worth taking a collective look as thought starters going forward.
“Mobilize Intention Into Action”
Brenda Andress, cofounder She Is
SPORTS BUSINESS AROUND THE FEMALE DEMO
I was careful not to call this “women’s sports” because frankly I think the term is limiting and maybe someday will go away; basketball is basketball; soccer is soccer; beach volleyball is beach volleyball. Yes there are classifications were women play and men play, and sometimes they will mix, just like there are classifications between 3 on 3 hoops and full court, or weight classes in boxing or indoor and box lacrosse of fifteens rugby and sevens; I don’t think saying “women’s basketball” vs “men’s basketball” will go away any time soon, but we are moving in a positive direction.
Some of those encouraging signs are reflected in brands like Nike, which has recommitted itself to catering styles, comfort and outdoor wear to be more effective for females, and slightly increased hiring practices among sports entities, especially basketball, to include women in positions of coaching and teaching with all genders. There is also a much more proactive stance in storytelling in the women’s space these days, whether that is with an established property like the WNBA or an emerging one like Overtime Sports, which is putting more effort into creating video around girls hoops these days. Why? Because they see an untapped market that is now really starting to collectively seize an opportunity.
Whether it is the rise of #METOO or the slow and steady realization that women control much of the buying power and deserve more of a market share, or a combination there of; or the fact that athletes, coaches and administrators are now creating a bigger share of voice through social media isn’t as important. Whats important is action, awareness, opportunity and excitement that continue to grow.
With a Women’s World Cup on the horizon this year even the elite sporting clubs of Europe, along with key media outlets, have seen an opportunity and are rising to the occasion with more dedicated storytelling and content. Most importantly though, the call to action, albeit being driven by women who are more of influence, is being seconded and championed by a gender agnostic base of supporters. It is not completely to where it will be as this plays out, but it is rising. While there are still many instances of preaching to the converted; women’s sports conferences and meeting where just women or a majority of women are present (with males not in attendance frankly missing out), that is changing steadily. Success will only come with inclusion on both sides, especially since in sports men still hold the larger share of voice in ultimate decision making. Getting all to the table is key, and blindness of gender is going to be very important as opportunities become available on and off the field of play in sports business.
One other area is generational that is also worth watching; As the level of competition young people who happen to be women becoming more and more interested and engaged in the business side of sport; be that in everything from marketing to analytics to gaming. As the level of competition increases across sports that young women play becomes more heightened, there are thousands of athletes who may not be able to advance on to college as they may have done several years ago when the pool of talent as a bit more shallow. However as these young women, and their parents and siblings, have found enjoyment on the field of play, they realize that they may be able to continue on in jobs off the field, ones that were only open in the past to boys. The same goes for programs, both undergraduate and graduate, where sports business classes are held and clubs created both in high school and college. We are starting to see more young girls enroll in programs which may have been to “geeky” or “male dominated” in the past, and they are learning and excelling from the grassroots of business on up. It is generational, but it is rising. What’s need more here to be watchful of? Mentorship, by both men and women in the business. BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman has talked at length about the mentorship that David Stern provided her as she rose through the ranks at the WNBA and the NBA, and that type of mentorship is needed across all genders and walks of life. With that help comes a bigger field and more open opportunity; and with that the tide of sports business around a demo that is female keeps rising.
WATER
There is perhaps no more fluid (pun intended) category in sports right now than water. With this being Earth Week it becomes even more front and center as we see the traditional big bottlers getting more and more into niche spaces…energy water, isotonic water, mineral water, sugar free water …in the hopes of making a bigger splash in the consumer space.
However let’s go beyond just the bottles on the shelves and who is buying what. Water, as a commodity, is becoming more and more in play in the global landscape. Fresh drinking water in emerging nations, especially across Africa, is a continued crisis point, and as the world gets more populous the need for clean accessible water is rising, while the supply stays the same. This is where water and athlete activism is going to become a bigger deal in the coming years. This is where a different type of water ted to sport plays in, and we have seen companies like CannedWater4Kids (read their story here) and Water Boys work with athletes and communities big and small to make sure clean drinking water is available for all.
Also playing into water is the issue of recyclable plastic and all the unneeded trash that is being created by this massive bottled water explosion. Athletes and sports business brands in the space who take a next step at lowering and eradicating the use of plastic, as well as those who are taking the next step on the cause side to provide and create clean water for all, are going to be bigger movers going forward than ever before.
ROBOTICS AND STEM
We have been beating this drum for a while, but the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) or STEAM (factor in arts) is an area which is getting more and more attention form key players in the space like Microsoft and Amazon and Apple and Intel than it has in the past, and athletes, teams and leagues are slowly but steadily taking notice.
One reason is the continued use of analytics as a growing area of sport and business; another is even the area of gambling as it becomes more relevant and mainstream, a third is the rise of gaming, but most importantly a fourth is the need for a better symbiotic understanding of these worlds and how they can create more opportunities for young folks who also love being active and competitive in sports. Another key area is in the area of strategy and the expansion of all areas of positive mind games…like chess, or checkers or even games of skill like card games and darts…can have in this area. Engage the mind, understand the strategy, grow the games and make all work together.
At the heart of this is competitive robotics, and FIRST Robotics, which had its first half of World Championships last week in Houston and will have its second half in Detroit this week. FIRST, the brainchild of Segway funder Dean Kaman, combines almost all of the elements of competitive sports with that of science and storytelling. Watch the video from ABC News and our post on “March Mathness” and you will get the feel for why this is an area of interest and excitement.
The last reason why this area is going to be a hot area ties back to the first topic: young people who also happen to be women. STEM, like gaming, and frankly like most areas of sport, has been a male dominated game. That is steadily changing as more opportunities arise, and tying sport…and athletes who have an interest in the area…to tech and the brand that are going engagement makes a lot of sense.
ATHLETES, MENTAL HEALTH AND PREPAREDNESS
We wrote last summer about the proactive work athletes like Michael Phelps and Kevin Love have been doing in discussing mental health and the struggles amongst elite athletes in both adjusting to life in the mainstream and in being competitive. Those messages, whether they are related to issues like CTE or not, continue to grow, and as we have seen with recent tragedies in the Olympics world, not to mention team sports like football, are escalating. 
Dealing with the issue of mental health and preparedness is going to be a bigger part of sports business as we move toward another Olympics and as the stigma of such discussions subside. Most recently we have heard NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talk at length on the topic, and see more colleges and high schools look to create training sessions and wellness areas for athletes big and small. We have even seen leagues like Major League Soccer create partnerships on mindfulness with a company like Head Space,
all of which will lead to more mainstream acceptance not just of the value of mental preparedness, but of overall mental health both on and off the field. Where is the growth area other than on the community side? Big pharma. As this category becomes more mainstream watch for the dollars to start coming on the marketing side, both with sponsored programs and treatment options. That is a big hose of dollars yet to be opened.
AND LASTLY; CANNABIS AND CBT
This does tie into some of the other areas, and certainly can be part of mental health and overall wellness, but the business of Cannabis, especially for easing pain, and CBT oil and products, may be one of the most under the radar issues and opportunities around sports business in the coming years. The NHL, since Cannabis is legal in most of the Canadian provinces as well as in key states where teams are based, has been the most vocal and engaged in the issue thus far, and with state by state regulation it is unclear just now how many teams will look to enter into marketing agreements (the USL Las Vegas Lights were one the first) as there is still a bit of a mainstream stigma in the area with more education needed on the health and wellness side, but more and more athletes and companies around sport are investing in the area (here is a q and a with former NFL player Kyle Turley to read). Will federal regulation and consistency be needed to make this a large growth area? Who will be the first team to take a plunge and will big pharma dollars follow soon. That is all in the offing, but it is an area of growth and engagement that is going to keep spiraling up.
Now does this mean that other areas…the obesity crisis amongst sedentary youth; streaming services and consumption of live events; global growth of sponsorship and expansion of brands across continents in sports, the rise of niche audiences and the power of the engaged athlete as a brand for starters…will be any less significant? No.
These are just a few worth some additional thought and worth watching. We think you will be hearing more from them, and not just from us.
