Berlin Added to 2014 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Calendar

Global SX Events Inc. and UCI have announced the 2014 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup calendar with Berlin joining the series.

The leading BMX series in the world is continously growing and for 2014, pilule five events on three different continents are scheduled. 

Berlin in Germany will host its first series event in Mellowpark, a well-known spot for action sports of all kinds, on June 13-14, 2014.

“We are pleased to add Berlin and Mellowpark to the BMX SX calendar.” says Johan Lindstrom “Mellowpark is truly a unique location with a lot of integrity and it will definitely bring a different vibe to the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup” continues Lindstrom.

The 2014 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup calendar:
18 – 19 April 2014 Round 1 Manchester, Great Britain
10- 11 May 2014 Round 2 Papendal, Netherlands
13 – 14 June 2014 Round 3 Berlin, Germany
6 – 7 September 2014 Round 4 Santiago Del Estero, Argentina
26 – 27 September 2014 Round 5 Chula Vista CA, USA

Jeff Vanderbeek Assumes Full Control of New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils majority owner Jeff Vanderbeek completed a refinancing of the team’s debt on Thursday, assuming full control of the National Hockey League franchise.

Vanderbeek, a former Lehman Brothers executive who purchased the team in 2004, made the announcement as NHL officials and locked out players were meeting in New York trying to thrash out a new collective bargaining agreement in an effort to keep the entire 2012-2013 season from being cancelled.

Players have been locked out since mid-September and the league has cancelled games through January 14, more than 50 percent of the regular season which was scheduled to start in October.

“Today’s announcement is good news for Devils fans though I fully recognize fans’ frustration with the work stoppage,” Vanderbeek said in a statement. “Our future is now secure and we can be confident of continued on-ice success.

“Our team has gone to the Stanley Cup Final five times in the last 17 years and following the most recent run to the Stanley Cup Final last year, we are excited about our future.”

“I am grateful to Mike Gilfillan and Brick City Hockey for our former partnership. Together we shared a passion that led to the building of the Prudential Center – truly a shining jewel of a facility and in my view one of the best arenas in the entire world. The Rock is a great legacy for which we will always be proud.”

The Devils said that the CIT Group acted as lead arranger of the refinancing with Vanderbeek also acquiring the stakes of his co-owners, Brick City Hockey and its related entities.

Former Sponsor Oakley Sues Rory McIlroy

Oakley, a former sponsor of World No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy has begun legal proceedings for breach of contract, according to an ESPN report.

McIlroy promoted golf clothes manufactured by Oakley, which also makes sunglasses.

McIlroy was signed with Oakley through Dec. 31.

According to a lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., Oakley tried to use its “right of first refusal” to match the Nike offer, but McIlroy and his agent, Conor Ridge, ignored the counteroffer, thereby breaching the Oakley-McIlroy contract, ESPN reported.

McIlroy announced this year that he would be leaving longtime equipment sponsor Titleist, but he has not commented on whether he has signed with Nike. That deal with Nike is reported to be $200 million.

ESPN’s report says Oakley claims the damage that has resulted from McIlroy’s refusal to renew “irreparable” and entitles the company to an injunction that would stop Nike and McIlroy from concluding or implementing their contract. Oakley also says it has spent $300,000 for a photo shoot on products McIlroy would have endorsed in 2013.

McIlroy’s management company, Horizon Sports Management, which he signed with in 2011 after bolting International Sports Management after four years, told ESPN.com: “McIlroy has fulfilled all of his obligations to Oakley, and the claims in the lawsuit are entirely baseless.”

Mehr Bundesliga weltweit: DFL startet Internetauftritt bundesliga.com mit eigener internationaler Re

Mit einem neuen Angebot im Internetbereich unterstützt die DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga ab sofort die internationalen Lizenznehmer der Bundesliga und damit die Vermarktung der Liga im Ausland: Kurz vor Beginn der Saison 2012/13 wird die englisch-sprachige Website www.bundesliga.com live geschaltet, ampoule die unabhängig vom deutschen Internetauftritt bundesliga.de mit einer selbstständigen internationalen Redaktion ein gänzlich eigenes und auf die Bedürfnisse der weltweiten Fans ausgerichtetes redaktionelles Konzept präsentiert. Damit können sich Fans und Partner des deutschen Profifußballs auf der ganzen Welt künftig noch besser aktuell und ausführlich über die Bundesliga und die 2. Bundesliga informieren.

“Bundesliga.com ist ein zeitgemäßes und länderspezifisches Angebot, ed | mit dem wir die Marke Bundesliga international weiter etablieren. So werden wir in wichtigen Zielmärkten im Ausland die Ansprache neuer Zielgruppen weiter vorantreiben. Dabei spielen wir auch Doppelpass mit unseren internationalen Lizenznehmern”, online sagt DFL-Geschäftsführer Tom Bender.

Der neue Internetauftritt umfasst unter anderem Berichte und Porträts zu Spielern und Clubs der Bundesliga, Liveticker wie auch Statistiken während und nach den Begegnungen, Spieltags-Fotogalerien und Videos sowie Spieler- und Experten-Interviews, insbesondere mit internationalen Stars. Darüber hinaus bietet bundesliga.com auch Informationen rund um die Fußball-Nation Deutschland.

Für Medienvertreter und Broadcaster gibt es auf bundesliga.com einen eignen, Passwort geschützten Bereich mit umfangreichen Materialien wie unter anderem Vorschaumappen, Spieltags-Reports und -Daten sowie DFL-Veröffentlichungen und Ansprechpartnern.

Zusätzlich zur so genannten “World-Version” von www.bundesliga.com in englischer Sprache plant die DFL, auch länderspezifische Websites für die Zielmärkte in Polen (voraussichtlich Ende September 2012) und in Japan (Dezember 2012) in der jeweiligen Landessprache zu starten.

Retired Players Support Korean Baseball Boycott

An association of retired baseball players released a statement supporting active players’ declaration to boycott the Korean Basbeball Organization’s (KBO) All-Star Game.

Current KBO players have decided to boycott the game because the body has decided not to add a tenth team to the league

Korean Broadcasting System sports commentator, Lee Yong-chul, said: “The fans want it and local governments are stepping up to help. Besides, running the league with an odd number of sides will certainly create huge problems. So, why not? The bottom line is they have to make a case for their decision”

The retired players’ group criticised the KBO board for their decision describing it as “irresponsible and anachronistic.”

The KBO’s reasons for not adding a tenth team are the lack of players available and concern for lowering the quality of pro baseball in Korea. {jcomments on}

Social Media – the present no longer the future- Iain Taker

Social Media – the present no longer the future
Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy.  Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.
Facebook has over 800 million users; despite this 8 Premiership teams have a higher average gate than number of registered fans on Facebook.   Twitter is even less utilised with just five Premiership teams providing updates to their (Twitter) followers in excess of their stadia’s capacity.  To put it in perspective, the followers of the five top most followed clubs combined on Twitter number only slightly more than those following just Wayne Rooney.  Manchester United does not have a presence on Twitter – despite having a reported global fan base of in excess of 350 million.
Traditionally, clubs have been very slow to embrace/realise the potential that social media can deliver for them at a very low cost.  The revenues available from a successful and comprehensive social media strategy are vastly under-estimated by most.
Strategy
The clubs’ strategy has been an over-reliance on digital media as a solitary driver, such as the club’s website, to drivers that include social media, where practicable and possible, in conjunction with the digital media content.  Content for the fans should be provided (where possible) in forms that maximise the number of views (and associated interaction) from both existing and potential fans.
The social media aspects of any such digital media strategy must ensure that the content is updated regularly, interesting and relevant.  Clubs have almost entirely neglected the potential of having connectivity at their stadia  If clubs were to consider making their line-ups (e.g. like the Football League app), pre- match interviews and offers available on social media platforms, there might well be a captive audience quite literally on their doorstep.
To be effective any such social media strategy should have two central aspects which should be carefully interlinked – namely fan interaction and revenue generation.
Revenue generation linked to fan interaction
The potential additional benefits available from social media should be a strong driver for a club or player to embrace the opportunities for increased revenue that social media can bring. The cost of updating and interacting with fans through social media platforms is a fraction of the cost incurred in reaching the same audience through ‘traditional’ media such as newspaper and television advert.  By employing a specialist firm to handle the social media aspect of the marketing strategy the club (or player) will have access to expert understanding and contacts which will ensure a professional approach at all times.  By truly understanding the marketplace and values that should be attached to content the specialists can enable clubs to engage successful with both fans and sponsors.
A significant benefit of social media is the global opportunity it presents.  It enables clubs or players the chance to reach fans, both current and potential, across geographical borders for relatively low marginal cost, however this aspect has been relatively underestimated by a number of clubs and players.  The platforms are sophisticated enough to enable specific targeted advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) or to enable the club to provide adverts and links to existing offerings such as the official online shop on the club’s website.  A tweet could have the direct link imbedded along with an advert highlighting the arrival of the latest products.  A simple example is when announcing the club’s latest signing; the club could send a tweet with a link to a page which has the club’s shirt with the name and number of the new signing ready to purchase so the fan can select the relevant size and enter the necessary financial and delivery details. Such a sale could result in income of £50+ for the club within 2 minutes of the fan clicking on the tweet.
Clubs can easily provide fans with the information they want for little or no cost (subject to existing restrictions) – e.g. breaking news about their team before they can obtain it from other media sources.  Fans will be attracted by the ability to get regular (and reliable) news about the club so will return to these pages.  With the increased use of streaming for content (e.g. player interviews, friendly games etc.) the number of fans and the time they spend on the social media platforms will increase which in turn make the pages more attractive to potential sponsors.
Conclusion
Too few English teams have fully embraced the potential of social media dealing with it (if at all) as an add-on rather than an integral part of their business strategy.  The potential benefits available through social media should not be underestimated and are likely to increase over the next few seasons with the increased use of smartphones and interactive televisions.  The monetization of social media is an aspect that will appeal to many marketing and business men within a club but this aspect should be finely balanced with the need to develop club brand loyalty.  By making a fan feel a more integral part of the club, they are likely to stay more ‘loyal’ and in turn increase the revenues of the club through their response to the club’s direct marketing (e.g. purchase of team shirt) and indirect marketing (increasing the appeal of the club to potential sponsors).   Where successfully handled a social media strategy can be a very lucrative opportunity to develop brand loyalty and revenue streams.  Think social media is unlikely to be that important? Some thought the same when the Internet first came around…

Iain Taker is an associate at Kemp Little LLP, specialising in commercial contracts, social media and sports law, and a registered lawyer under the FA Football Agency Regulations.

Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy.  Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.  Facebook has over 800 million users; despite this 8 Premiership teams have a higher average gate than number of registered fans on Facebook.   Twitter is even less utilised with just five Premiership teams providing updates to their (Twitter) followers in excess of their stadia’s capacity. To put it in perspective, the followers of the five top most followed clubs combined on Twitter number only slightly more than those following just Wayne Rooney.  Manchester United does not have a presence on Twitter – despite having a reported global fan base of in excess of 350 million.Traditionally, clubs have been very slow to embrace/realise the potential that social media can deliver for them at a very low cost.  The revenues available from a successful and comprehensive social media strategy are vastly under-estimated by most.  Strategy The clubs’ strategy has been an over-reliance on digital media as a solitary driver, such as the club’s website, to drivers that include social media, where practicable and possible, in conjunction with the digital media content.  Content for the fans should be provided (where possible) in forms that maximise the number of views (and associated interaction) from both existing and potential fans.  The social media aspects of any such digital media strategy must ensure that the content is updated regularly, interesting and relevant.  Clubs have almost entirely neglected the potential of having connectivity at their stadia  If clubs were to consider making their line-ups (e.g. like the Football League app), pre- match interviews and offers available on social media platforms, there might well be a captive audience quite literally on their doorstep.  To be effective any such social media strategy should have two central aspects which should be carefully interlinked – namely fan interaction and revenue generation.Revenue generation linked to fan interactionThe potential additional benefits available from social media should be a strong driver for a club or player to embrace the opportunities for increased revenue that social media can bring. The cost of updating and interacting with fans through social media platforms is a fraction of the cost incurred in reaching the same audience through ‘traditional’ media such as newspaper and television advert.  By employing a specialist firm to handle the social media aspect of the marketing strategy the club (or player) will have access to expert understanding and contacts which will ensure a professional approach at all times.  By truly understanding the marketplace and values that should be attached to content the specialists can enable clubs to engage successful with both fans and sponsors. A significant benefit of social media is the global opportunity it presents.  It enables clubs or players the chance to reach fans, both current and potential, across geographical borders for relatively low marginal cost, however this aspect has been relatively underestimated by a number of clubs and players.  The platforms are sophisticated enough to enable specific targeted advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) or to enable the club to provide adverts and links to existing offerings such as the official online shop on the club’s website.  A tweet could have the direct link imbedded along with an advert highlighting the arrival of the latest products.  A simple example is when announcing the club’s latest signing; the club could send a tweet with a link to a page which has the club’s shirt with the name and number of the new signing ready to purchase so the fan can select the relevant size and enter the necessary financial and delivery details. Such a sale could result in income of £50+ for the club within 2 minutes of the fan clicking on the tweet.Clubs can easily provide fans with the information they want for little or no cost (subject to existing restrictions) – e.g. breaking news about their team before they can obtain it from other media sources.  Fans will be attracted by the ability to get regular (and reliable) news about the club so will return to these pages.  With the increased use of streaming for content (e.g. player interviews, friendly games etc.) the number of fans and the time they spend on the social media platforms will increase which in turn make the pages more attractive to potential sponsors. ConclusionToo few English teams have fully embraced the potential of social media dealing with it (if at all) as an add-on rather than an integral part of their business strategy.  The potential benefits available through social media should not be underestimated and are likely to increase over the next few seasons with the increased use of smartphones and interactive televisions.  The monetization of social media is an aspect that will appeal to many marketing and business men within a club but this aspect should be finely balanced with the need to develop club brand loyalty.  By making a fan feel a more integral part of the club, they are likely to stay more ‘loyal’ and in turn increase the revenues of the club through their response to the club’s direct marketing (e.g. purchase of team shirt) and indirect marketing (increasing the appeal of the club to potential sponsors).   Where successfully handled a social media strategy can be a very lucrative opportunity to develop brand loyalty and revenue streams.  Think social media is unlikely to be that important? Some thought the same when the Internet first came around…Social Media – the present no longer the future

Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy.  Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.  

Facebook has over 800 million users; despite this 8 Premiership teams have a higher average gate than number of registered fans on Facebook.   Twitter is even less utilised with just five Premiership teams providing updates to their (Twitter) followers in excess of their stadia’s capacity.  To put it in perspective, the followers of the five top most followed clubs combined on Twitter number only slightly more than those following just Wayne Rooney.  Manchester United does not have a presence on Twitter – despite having a reported global fan base of in excess of 350 million.

Traditionally, clubs have been very slow to embrace/realise the potential that social media can deliver for them at a very low cost.  The revenues available from a successful and comprehensive social media strategy are vastly under-estimated by most.  

Strategy 

The clubs’ strategy has been an over-reliance on digital media as a solitary driver, such as the club’s website, to drivers that include social media, where practicable and possible, in conjunction with the digital media content.  Content for the fans should be provided (where possible) in forms that maximise the number of views (and associated interaction) from both existing and potential fans.  

The social media aspects of any such digital media strategy must ensure that the content is updated regularly, interesting and relevant.  Clubs have almost entirely neglected the potential of having connectivity at their stadia  If clubs were to consider making their line-ups (e.g. like the Football League app), pre- match interviews and offers available on social media platforms, there might well be a captive audience quite literally on their doorstep.  

To be effective any such social media strategy should have two central aspects which should be carefully interlinked – namely fan interaction and revenue generation.

Revenue generation linked to fan interaction

The potential additional benefits available from social media should be a strong driver for a club or player to embrace the opportunities for increased revenue that social media can bring. The cost of updating and interacting with fans through social media platforms is a fraction of the cost incurred in reaching the same audience through ‘traditional’ media such as newspaper and television advert.  By employing a specialist firm to handle the social media aspect of the marketing strategy the club (or player) will have access to expert understanding and contacts which will ensure a professional approach at all times.  By truly understanding the marketplace and values that should be attached to content the specialists can enable clubs to engage successful with both fans and sponsors. 

A significant benefit of social media is the global opportunity it presents.  It enables clubs or players the chance to reach fans, both current and potential, across geographical borders for relatively low marginal cost, however this aspect has been relatively underestimated by a number of clubs and players.  The platforms are sophisticated enough to enable specific targeted advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) or to enable the club to provide adverts and links to existing offerings such as the official online shop on the club’s website.  A tweet could have the direct link imbedded along with an advert highlighting the arrival of the latest products.  A simple example is when announcing the club’s latest signing; the club could send a tweet with a link to a page which has the club’s shirt with the name and number of the new signing ready to purchase so the fan can select the relevant size and enter the necessary financial and delivery details. Such a sale could result in income of £50+ for the club within 2 minutes of the fan clicking on the tweet.

Clubs can easily provide fans with the information they want for little or no cost (subject to existing restrictions) – e.g. breaking news about their team before they can obtain it from other media sources.  Fans will be attracted by the ability to get regular (and reliable) news about the club so will return to these pages.  With the increased use of streaming for content (e.g. player interviews, friendly games etc.) the number of fans and the time they spend on the social media platforms will increase which in turn make the pages more attractive to potential sponsors. 

Conclusion

Too few English teams have fully embraced the potential of social media dealing with it (if at all) as an add-on rather than an integral part of their business strategy.  The potential benefits available through social media should not be underestimated and are likely to increase over the next few seasons with the increased use of smartphones and interactive televisions.  The monetization of social media is an aspect that will appeal to many marketing and business men within a club but this aspect should be finely balanced with the need to develop club brand loyalty.  By making a fan feel a more integral part of the club, they are likely to stay more ‘loyal’ and in turn increase the revenues of the club through their response to the club’s direct marketing (e.g. purchase of team shirt) and indirect marketing (increasing the appeal of the club to potential sponsors).   Where successfully handled a social media strategy can be a very lucrative opportunity to develop brand loyalty and revenue streams.  Think social media is unlikely to be that important? Some thought the same when the Internet first came around…

 

Iain Taker is an associate at Kemp Little LLP, specialising in commercial contracts, social media and sports law, and a registered lawyer under the FA Football Agency Regulations.  

Social Media – the present no longer the future
Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy.  Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.  
Facebook has over 800 million users; despite this 8 Premiership teams have a higher average gate than number of registered fans on Facebook.   Twitter is even less utilised with just five Premiership teams providing updates to their (Twitter) followers in excess of their stadia’s capacity.  To put it in perspective, the followers of the five top most followed clubs combined on Twitter number only slightly more than those following just Wayne Rooney.  Manchester United does not have a presence on Twitter – despite having a reported global fan base of in excess of 350 million.
Traditionally, clubs have been very slow to embrace/realise the potential that social media can deliver for them at a very low cost.  The revenues available from a successful and comprehensive social media strategy are vastly under-estimated by most.  
Strategy 
The clubs’ strategy has been an over-reliance on digital media as a solitary driver, such as the club’s website, to drivers that include social media, where practicable and possible, in conjunction with the digital media content.  Content for the fans should be provided (where possible) in forms that maximise the number of views (and associated interaction) from both existing and potential fans.  
The social media aspects of any such digital media strategy must ensure that the content is updated regularly, interesting and relevant.  Clubs have almost entirely neglected the potential of having connectivity at their stadia  If clubs were to consider making their line-ups (e.g. like the Football League app), pre- match interviews and offers available on social media platforms, there might well be a captive audience quite literally on their doorstep.  
To be effective any such social media strategy should have two central aspects which should be carefully interlinked – namely fan interaction and revenue generation.
Revenue generation linked to fan interaction
The potential additional benefits available from social media should be a strong driver for a club or player to embrace the opportunities for increased revenue that social media can bring. The cost of updating and interacting with fans through social media platforms is a fraction of the cost incurred in reaching the same audience through ‘traditional’ media such as newspaper and television advert.  By employing a specialist firm to handle the social media aspect of the marketing strategy the club (or player) will have access to expert understanding and contacts which will ensure a professional approach at all times.  By truly understanding the marketplace and values that should be attached to content the specialists can enable clubs to engage successful with both fans and sponsors. 
A significant benefit of social media is the global opportunity it presents.  It enables clubs or players the chance to reach fans, both current and potential, across geographical borders for relatively low marginal cost, however this aspect has been relatively underestimated by a number of clubs and players.  The platforms are sophisticated enough to enable specific targeted advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) or to enable the club to provide adverts and links to existing offerings such as the official online shop on the club’s website.  A tweet could have the direct link imbedded along with an advert highlighting the arrival of the latest products.  A simple example is when announcing the club’s latest signing; the club could send a tweet with a link to a page which has the club’s shirt with the name and number of the new signing ready to purchase so the fan can select the relevant size and enter the necessary financial and delivery details. Such a sale could result in income of £50+ for the club within 2 minutes of the fan clicking on the tweet.
Clubs can easily provide fans with the information they want for little or no cost (subject to existing restrictions) – e.g. breaking news about their team before they can obtain it from other media sources.  Fans will be attracted by the ability to get regular (and reliable) news about the club so will return to these pages.  With the increased use of streaming for content (e.g. player interviews, friendly games etc.) the number of fans and the time they spend on the social media platforms will increase which in turn make the pages more attractive to potential sponsors. 
Conclusion
Too few English teams have fully embraced the potential of social media dealing with it (if at all) as an add-on rather than an integral part of their business strategy.  The potential benefits available through social media should not be underestimated and are likely to increase over the next few seasons with the increased use of smartphones and interactive televisions.  The monetization of social media is an aspect that will appeal to many marketing and business men within a club but this aspect should be finely balanced with the need to develop club brand loyalty.  By making a fan feel a more integral part of the club, they are likely to stay more ‘loyal’ and in turn increase the revenues of the club through their response to the club’s direct marketing (e.g. purchase of team shirt) and indirect marketing (increasing the appeal of the club to potential sponsors).   Where successfully handled a social media strategy can be a very lucrative opportunity to develop brand loyalty and revenue streams.  Think social media is unlikely to be that important? Some thought the same when the Internet first came around…
Iain Taker is an associate at Kemp Little LLP, specialising in commercial contracts, social media and sports law, and a registered lawyer under the FA Football Agency Regulations.  Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy.  Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.  By Iain Taker

By Iain Taker

Social media should no longer be seen as a fad or a part of the future but as an integral part of a club’s (or player’s) digital strategy. Few clubs have yet to fully embrace platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to anywhere near their full potential.  

Facebook has over 800 million users; despite this 8 Premiership teams have a higher average gate than number of registered fans on Facebook. Twitter is even less utilised with just five Premiership teams providing updates to their (Twitter) followers in excess of their stadia’s capacity.  To put it in perspective, the followers of the five top most followed clubs combined on Twitter number only slightly more than those following just Wayne Rooney. Manchester United does not have a presence on Twitter – despite having a reported global fan base of in excess of 350 million.

Traditionally, clubs have been very slow to embrace/realise the potential that social media can deliver for them at a very low cost. The revenues available from a successful and comprehensive social media strategy are vastly under-estimated by most.  

Strategy 

The clubs’ strategy has been an over-reliance on digital media as a solitary driver, such as the club’s website, to drivers that include social media, where practicable and possible, in conjunction with the digital media content. Content for the fans should be provided (where possible) in forms that maximise the number of views (and associated interaction) from both existing and potential fans.  

The social media aspects of any such digital media strategy must ensure that the content is updated regularly, interesting and relevant. Clubs have almost entirely neglected the potential of having connectivity at their stadia  If clubs were to consider making their line-ups (e.g. like the Football League app), pre- match interviews and offers available on social media platforms, there might well be a captive audience quite literally on their doorstep.  

To be effective any such social media strategy should have two central aspects which should be carefully interlinked – namely fan interaction and revenue generation.

Revenue generation linked to fan interaction

The potential additional benefits available from social media should be a strong driver for a club or player to embrace the opportunities for increased revenue that social media can bring. The cost of updating and interacting with fans through social media platforms is a fraction of the cost incurred in reaching the same audience through ‘traditional’ media such as newspaper and television advert. By employing a specialist firm to handle the social media aspect of the marketing strategy the club (or player) will have access to expert understanding and contacts which will ensure a professional approach at all times. By truly understanding the marketplace and values that should be attached to content the specialists can enable clubs to engage successful with both fans and sponsors. 

A significant benefit of social media is the global opportunity it presents. It enables clubs or players the chance to reach fans, both current and potential, across geographical borders for relatively low marginal cost, however this aspect has been relatively underestimated by a number of clubs and players. The platforms are sophisticated enough to enable specific targeted advertisement (e.g. on Facebook) or to enable the club to provide adverts and links to existing offerings such as the official online shop on the club’s website. A tweet could have the direct link imbedded along with an advert highlighting the arrival of the latest products. A simple example is when announcing the club’s latest signing; the club could send a tweet with a link to a page which has the club’s shirt with the name and number of the new signing ready to purchase so the fan can select the relevant size and enter the necessary financial and delivery details. Such a sale could result in income of £50+ for the club within 2 minutes of the fan clicking on the tweet.

Clubs can easily provide fans with the information they want for little or no cost (subject to existing restrictions) – e.g. breaking news about their team before they can obtain it from other media sources. Fans will be attracted by the ability to get regular (and reliable) news about the club so will return to these pages. With the increased use of streaming for content (e.g. player interviews, friendly games etc.) the number of fans and the time they spend on the social media platforms will increase which in turn make the pages more attractive to potential sponsors. 

Conclusion

Too few English teams have fully embraced the potential of social media dealing with it (if at all) as an add-on rather than an integral part of their business strategy. The potential benefits available through social media should not be underestimated and are likely to increase over the next few seasons with the increased use of smartphones and interactive televisions. The monetization of social media is an aspect that will appeal to many marketing and business men within a club but this aspect should be finely balanced with the need to develop club brand loyalty. By making a fan feel a more integral part of the club, they are likely to stay more ‘loyal’ and in turn increase the revenues of the club through their response to the club’s direct marketing (e.g. purchase of team shirt) and indirect marketing (increasing the appeal of the club to potential sponsors). Where successfully handled a social media strategy can be a very lucrative opportunity to develop brand loyalty and revenue streams. Think social media is unlikely to be that important? Some thought the same when the Internet first came around…

Iain Taker is an associate at Kemp Little LLP, specialising in commercial contracts, social media and sports law, and a registered lawyer under the FA Football Agency Regulations.  

Iain Taker’s isportconnect-profile-widget

{jcomments on}

 

 

Ilitch Back in for USD360m Takeover of NBA’s Pistons

Forbes sources state that US billionaire Mike Ilitch, who walked away from buying the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Detroit Pistons a few months, is back in contention for a buyout after the exclusive negotiating period for Tom Gores to takeover the side ended last week with no deal.

It had been previously reported that the speculated US$420m deal with Gores was being held up by how much of the purchase price would be paid upfront though sources now believe that the billionaire became increasingly concerned with the team’s evaporating revenue.

The Detroit News reported that owner Karen Davidson said the other day that there is another prospective bidder, thought to be Ilitch, for the team should she and Gores fail to come to terms.

Ilitch is now looking to buy the team and the Palace of Auburn Hills for right around $360m, a full $60m less than the deal with Gores was being pegged at.

IPL’s Kochi Franchise Signs Lotto as First Official Sponsor

Team Kochi, a franchise of cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) has signed its first sponsor in Italian sports apparel brand Lotto according to Kochi Cricket Pvt Ltd chairman Mukesh Patel.

In an interview with SportzPower Patel claimed that the franchise were in negotiations with a number of advertisers with regards to shirt sponsorship stating: “We are in negotiations with several corporates.”

The chairman also confirmed that the franchise, currently without a logo, is set to unveil their team identity soon having gone through presentations from various agencies, adding: “We will unveil our new logo in the next few days.”

Queried as to where will the franchise play its home matches Patel said that it was up to the BCCI to decide, at the same time affirming that the matches will be played in Kochi, “That is what we have been told till now,” he said adding, “That is BCCI’s discretion, we haven’t got anything in writing from them (BCCI).”

Haye Agrees to 50/50 Revenue Split for Klitschko Bout

WBA World Heavyweight Champion David Haye’s trainer, Adam Booth says the ball is firmly in Wladimir Klitschko’s court after Haye agreed to a 50-50 split of revenues. 

In a bid to unify his titles, Haye has offered the deal Klitshcko a ‘has wanted from day one’ according to Booth. Klitschko set a deadline of January 4 to agree terms for the unification clash, and Booth claims all previous stumbling blocks have been removed. 

“We are now perfectly positioned to get together and make this fight with Wladimir Klitschko,” said Booth. 

“We have sorted out all the old problems and disagreements and are ready to sign the deal both (Klitschko’s manager) Bernd Boente and I discussed on Sky Sports’ Ringside show in November. 

“Despite the fact we know we bring more UK television money to the table, David and I are happy to split the entire pot 50:50 and grant Wladimir the deal he has wanted since day one. 

“We have offered them 50:50 on everything – just as they requested – and now see no reason why this tremendous fight can’t happen. The path is clear.” 

Haye added that he sees no reason why Klitschko should not agree to a unification fight in 2011. 

“We have now ticked every box they have asked us to tick and I just hope Wladimir is as eager to fight as he tells everyone he is,” said Haye. 

“We have removed every possible excuse and have shown we are serious about making this fight become a reality. I’ll smoke him out if I have to. 

“I only pray Wladimir is as serious as we are, because this fight needs to happen for the good of the sport.”

Duchaussoy Elected as FFF President on Permanent Basis

Fernand Duchaussoy has been elected as the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) on a permanent basis after taking up the role in a caretaker capacity in July.

An FFF statement revealed that the move was approved at a general assembly meeting on Saturday 18 December. Duchaussoy took over from Jean-Pierre Escalettes on a temporary basis after his resignation following France’s World Cup debacle.

Duchaussoy’s mandate expires in June next year, when he can stand for re-election.