Watch any Major League Baseball game on TV. More often than not, when a view of the “crowd” pops onto the screen, you’ll see …
Business of Sports
The Major League Baseball Team That’s Made Fans—and an Entire Metro Area—Feel Like Suckers
What with soaring ticket prices and $7 beers, many sports fans complain that their local teams take advantage of them. But no one has it worse than baseball fans in South Florida.
Why Apparel Companies Compete To Outfit College Hoops Teams
The overall No. 1 seed Louisville Cardinals have been donning polarizing uniforms in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament this year. Young fans seem to love the new unis. The older ones, not so much. But Louisville and its athletics department didn’t have a say in the design, only the color scheme, say Louisville officials — because …
Dunk City & Dollars: Florida Gulf Coast Bandwagon Means Big Bucks
A nation of fans is currently fascinated with an entire team—Florida Gulf Coast, the first No. 15 seed to ever make it to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. And the impact goes well beyond soaring team apparel sales.
Fenway Park Drops Beer and Food Prices … And Red Sox Fans Get Angry?
Cheaper beer prices? Free food for kids? How insulting!
Stealth Celebrity Endorsement: No Money Changing Hands, Just Free Burritos
There’s no mystery as to why companies give away swag during the Oscars to people in the movie business. The possibility that a celebrity will Tweet about the product or perhaps be photographed with it more than offsets the cost …
Madness for Sale: Businesses Go for a Piece of NCAA ‘March Madness’ Basketball Tournament
There’s just no stopping the madness. From Hooters restaurants to businesses selling books for homeschooled children to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, everyone seems to be pursuing a marketing tie-in to March Madness, a.k.a. the NCAA basketball tournament.
March Madness Will Cost Businesses $134 Million. Why Aren’t Employers Concerned?
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament will cost U.S. companies an estimated $134 million in “lost wages” this week. But do employers care? Not really.
Hurray for $4 Beers! Baseball Teams Stop Ripping Off Fans with Jacked-Up Concessions
Is a $4 beer a bargain? It is at a professional baseball stadium, where the average cheapest beer was $6.10 for all Major League teams last season, and many venues charged around $9 for a “premium” draft.
Post-Lockout NHL: Higher Ticket Prices, Better Attendance
Maybe the NHL should shoot for a lockout-shortened hockey season every year?
Pay Less for Sporting Event Tickets—After You’ve Already Bought Them
You’ve probably never heard of “Purple Pricing.” But you’ll like that it gives you a chance to snag sports tickets below face value, without resorting to haggling, scalping, or timing the market right.
Should Sports Arenas Buy Back Tickets That Fans Don’t Want?
Given the number of empty seats on display during the typical pro sports event, arenas seem to be having a pretty tough time selling tickets. Still, one economist says arena box offices should consider a buy-back strategy so that they could sell the same ticket not just once, but multiple times.
