By Thomas Calhoun Golf began and had always been an old man, country club game, and nothing more. But in 1996, a kid came along and changed golf from a game to a sport. A kid named Tiger Woods. Tiger brought youth, style, and athleticism to golf, and people all over the world took notice. […]

Picture the North American major sports leagues in the 1990s: The players were mostly people of color, but the coaches, managers, and team owners were almost all white.  A snapshot today looks mostly the same. Despite a handful of initiatives meant to increase diversity in the leadership of sports organizations, coaching, and management roles have […]

By Morgan Alessi As the year came to a close and January quickly rolls by, we reflect on the past 12 months. 2021 brought many victories, obstacles, and moments from athlete mental health awareness to mega broadcastings deals and industry-shifting partnerships, all have shaped the sports industry as we know it.  Some of the most […]

By Lucas Prestamo 2021 was supposed to be the year that everything returned to “normal,” where people could gather without masks, meet in-person rather than virtually, and recapture the way of life people were accustomed to. In 2021, the rise of several new digital trends and technologies challenged the norms and values of followers who […]

“Imagine watching a broadcast that’s tailored just to you. Instead of getting the standard play-by-play, you can opt to listen to analysis from your favorite commentator. You can switch to your preferred camera angles and see stats for each player overlaid atop the broadcast and updated in real-time. The virtual advertisements that appear throughout the […]

As time has gone on, all major sports have trended in a certain direction. In the beginning, players were not individually marketed, and every dollar that was made for sports came from the team. The players were controlled by their teams, giving players very little freedom. An example of this comes with Major League Baseball […]

Skateboarding originated in California before the action sport took the world by storm becoming a global culture and billion-dollar industry. A hobby in the 1950s made popular by surfers who wanted to keep busy when the swell had dropped, quickly created an industry consisting of some of the world’s most well-known brands including Vans, Converse, […]

While niche sports and activities may not have the biggest followings compared to the “core four” of US professional sports, they often have an audience of devout and engaged fans. CrossFit presents a great case study for an engaged following that is truly a community with an international presence. The sport has grown over the […]

There are many controversial issues that face almost every sport that is played. In terms of gender, race, nationality, sexuality, and the many other factors that make humans unique, there are inequities that separate people within the world of sport. One of the biggest controversies in sport is the lack of diversity. There are many […]

The multibillion-dollar category of recovery has changed how athletes maintain their health and wellness throughout their careers. The biggest names in sport spend millions of dollars a year on recovery routines to reach peak performance and prevent injury. Tom Brady’s diet program alone is estimated to be around $16,000 per year, while LeBron James spends […]

Tennis is considered one of the most popular sports in the world and has a diversified global audience. Much like the world of motorsports, sponsorship deals represent the lifeblood for tennis players given the structure of the professional ranks and lack of consistent salary. These inherent challenges have made the sport a continuous case study […]

When people think about fighting, they think of Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Ronda Rousey, and Conor McGregor. Those are the athletes who have been synonymous with the sport for decades. People see all of the glory, money, and fame that is brought upon these athletes because of their physical and mental prowess in the ring. […]

More and more companies around the world have put a much larger emphasis on their initiatives, values, and support of non-profit organizations. When a brand initiates a sustainable marketing strategy, marketers notice a direct increase in customer loyalty, internal culture, and sales. Consumers prefer to give back when they shop and 81% of millennials expressed […]

Companies and brands are always looking forward to the future to get ahead of the next trend or phenomenon. Shrewd marketers are researching new ways to connect with fans and identifying (at least, attempting to identify) channels and mediums where fans are more likely to engage with their content. The hunt for the next big […]

The sports betting and gambling industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States. It is estimated that by 2024, the sports betting and gambling industry’s market size will reach $8 billion. While not all states in the United States have legalized sports betting and gambling at the point of this article, it […]

One of the most controversial topics that sports face is gender inequality. There is not just inequality in participation and opportunity, but also with pay. That comes mainly in professional sports, wherein in almost all cases, men make more money than women.  Male athletes in basketball, golf, soccer, baseball and tennis make anywhere from 15% […]

In 2019, Netflix released a docuseries produced by Box-to-Box Films titled, “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”. This now four-season series pulls back the curtain on one of the world’s greatest racing competitions and “is credited with driving a 99% year-over-year increase in social media engagements in 2020 for Formula 1 across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and […]

Motorsports has a deep history within the United States and the actual racing used to be enough entertainment to keep fans engaged with the sport. Now though, all organizations within sports are pressed with attracting eyeballs through a combination of experiential marketing, team or athlete performance, and social media creativity. IndyCar is no different when […]

In the past decade, video games have become increasingly popular especially among the millennial and generation Z demographics. The rise of video games has extended past being a hobby as many have made careers in gaming. Esports (electronic gaming) has become a multi-billion-dollar industry where professional gamers compete in teams across multiple video games, such […]

Surfing is a sport that has a very particular fanbase. As a smaller level sport, it is not going to have the number of widespread fans as one of the major sports. However, there is a growing audience. That can be seen through many outlets, but the Olympics may be the best example of that. […]

Competing at the highest level of sport is every athletes’ dream. They train their entire lives to live up to not only their own standards but those of fans, coaches, teammates, and more. Game time has its obvious pressures, but many viewers often forget the struggles athletes endure on the journey to get there. Simone […]

Over the past couple of years, cryptocurrency and NFTs have begun making their way into the headlines, particularly in the sport sponsorship space. Although cryptocurrencies and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have existed for several years, the two terms have achieved significant popularity and growth in the 2020s and there are seemingly no signs these new trends […]

In 2020, U.S Lacrosse reported that lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport among the youth demographic. The rapid growth of lacrosse has been attributed to multiple factors including the proliferation of school sports teams and club leagues. According to U.S. Lacrosse, lacrosse participation among all age groups increased by 32% between 2008 and 2018. The growth […]

The Olympics are the grandest international multi-sport event in the world. Every four years, the Summer Olympics are broadcasted across nations impacting millions of lives. This year, Tokyo received the honor of hosting the 2021 Summer Olympic Games, bringing together the best athletes to compete after a lifetime of training. To become an Olympian is […]

In the world of social media, a majority of athletes have built an organic following made up of fans that support their career, sport, team, or lifestyle. Athletes have taken over the social media space allowing them to create business opportunities outside of athletics. Most find themselves in high demand when it comes to brand […]

It’s been nearly two weeks since the fateful day when college athletics turned the page to a new chapter: the NIL era. On June 30th, an interim rule change adopted by the NCAA allowed all student-athletes to capitalize on their name, image, and likeness beginning July 1st. Some players, like Auburn QB Bo Nix and […]

The current eSports revenue model is completely dominated by partnership dollars. At $636.9 million, sponsorship revenue contributes more to the eSports ecosystem than media rights, ticket sales, publisher fees, streaming revenue, and other digital income sources combined. This puts a tremendous strain on eSports organizations to develop partnerships and activate them in ways that will […]

During a time when one’s personalized Instagram feed no longer displays the images of close friends and family. The social media audience craves to understand what is going on in the lives of people that interest them the most. Instead, we open the app only to be forced to observe the millions of targeted brand advertisements, […]

Over the past couple of weeks, people had the opportunity to watch motorsports races such as F1 Series in Monaco, the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s Sonoma 350. Watching drivers like Conor Daly, who led the most laps in the Indy500, and Corey LaJoie, who was in the top 5 with 25 laps remaining at the […]

There’s nearly a 50/50 gender split when it comes to sports participation, but only 4% of coverage is dedicated to women’s sports. The audience for women’s sports is massive and continues to grow, despite the lack of investment in consistent and high-quality coverage. A Nielsen study found that 84% of general sports enthusiasts of all […]

If I asked you to think of a popular racquet sport, tennis is almost certainly the first thing that would come to mind. For some of us, maybe squash or racquetball rings a bell, but tennis is by far the most popular racquet sport of our generation. After all, nearly 18 million play tennis in […]

The impact of the Coronavirus and pandemic cancelled sports for a long time, including the 2020 Summer Olympics. With the rebrand to the 2021 Summer Olympics, the games will finally be played, and everyone will be able to watch some of the best athletes in the world compete against each other for a gold medal. […]

As the world returns to normalcy following perhaps one of the most impactful events in recent history, we begin to see kids returning to sports and fans rushing back to stadiums. Sports are one of the most constructive outlets for any child growing up. It teaches valuable life lessons such as skill-building, teamwork, and humility. […]

Athletes are influencers of societal and cultural issues and have a unique power to enact change. Whether it be a specific cause, current issue, or culture in general, the opportunity to create a transformation and “do good” and in turn “look good” is tremendous. The public regards their favorite athletes as role models and looks […]

The balance between health and performance will always be a challenge for athletes at every level of competition. Athletes are constantly under pressure from coaches, fans, and organizational members to be in peak condition at all times. Many athletes turn to performance-enhancing drugs as a way to live up to these expectations. However, the long-term health […]

The concept of brand identity has long been at the forefront of modern marketing practice. The most successful brands in today’s market differentiate themselves from competitors by clearly identifying and holding to a set of established values. A company’s ability to maintain success and customer loyalty is often defined by how well it sticks to […]

Brands and companies have been partnering with athletes for as long as I can remember. A partnership is a way for the fans of these athletes to associate themselves with a product or a brand. This will hopefully generate more interaction with the brand’s website or even generate more sales. Typically, these partnership deals involve a […]

The concept of mindfulness has taken on a mind of its own. The trendy buzzword is getting a lot of buzz in the fields of psychology and education and most recently, the world of sports. The practice of mindfulness might just be what you need to gain the extra edge you seek. The difference between […]

When people think of professional athletes, many marvel at the ideas of superstars such as Lebron James, Tom Brady, and Serena Williams. However, as with any industry representation matters. When the opportunity arises for an Asian athlete to gain widespread mainstream attention and social media virality, those athletes must set an example for the billions […]

Gambling in eSports has gotten out of control and could get even worse without proper regulations. There are two forms of eSports betting: cash betting on professional eSports games and skin betting. The first gambling companies to enter into eSports already had a foothold in the traditional sports industry. After noticing the exponential rise in […]

Thought the past year couldn’t get any crazier? Well, I hate to break it to you, but people are now buying tweets online for prices over $1 million. Yep. You read that right. As of March 16, 2021, a tweet by SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO has been bid on to sell for over $1.1 […]

Podcasts have become a very powerful medium by which to convey information and let people get to know you. They are great ways to make a connection and cultivate a relationship with potential fans and followers. Podcasts are quickly gaining more power with increased popularity. Over 51% of U.S. consumers over 12 years old listen […]

In a “pre-COVID” world, real-life conversations were perhaps one of the best aspects of life that were taken for granted. With people remaining indoors and “in-person” activities put to a halt. Online services such as gaming, video streaming, and podcasting began to gain popularity. While podcasting began to rise among various celebrities, influencers, and athletes. […]

Youth sport is fundamentally bound by ethical issues that are multiplied as parents become increasingly involved in the athletic lives of their kids. The cost of youth sports is continuing to rise and is compounded by a significant number of hidden costs. This includes gas money, hotel charges, and restaurant fees that parents are supposed […]

Many of the Super Bowl’s most notorious annual advertisers opted out of a TV spot for this year’s game, keeping in line with an overall fan experience that felt anything but normal. Instead of traditional brand heavyweights like Coke, Pepsi, and the Anheuser-Busch giants dominating commercial airtime, some fresh faces chose to enter the picture […]

In the middle of March, the world of sports changed. We witnessed games being canceled, seasons being postponed, and fans being told they cannot return to stadiums. Many people were worried about how sports would return and what the future holds. Sports teams make most of their profit through three ways: fan attendance (ticket sales […]

Athletic opportunities take many forms. For some, sports involve a team, a field, or a ball. For others, sport is more solitary and potentially life-threatening. Participation in extreme sports is rising in popularity and spanning across a range of demographics. For extreme athletes, the roar of the crowd is replaced by the rush of adrenaline […]

During a time when almost every interaction is virtual, there is one platform that has made incredible strides to become the ideal media streaming service. Twitch has gradually begun making its climb to becoming one of the most used apps over the past couple of years. Many would assume that Twitch is just another “nerdy” […]

Athletes are increasingly monetizing their social media channels. Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has the most Instagram followers at 254 million, can make $1.5 million per Instagram post (GQ, 2019). While most athletes cannot compete with Ronaldo’s digital following, the ability to incorporate this lucrative supplemental revenue stream in addition to league contracts is […]