Highlight Reel: A Glass Floor, but No Glass Ceiling for the NBA's Innovation ๐
Plus, Netball Super League lands hybrid TV deal with Sky and BBC and there's a surprise lift in pet food sales in Spain...
Welcome to Sports Pundit, the sports business newsletter delivering insights from across the industry.
In todayโs email;
NBA Announce New Innovation for All-Star Weekend ๐
Netball Lands a Super Deal with BBC and Sky ๐
Surging Pet Food Sales due to LaLigaโs Surprise Story ๐
Thanks to Rory for being the latest guest to come on the podcast. And thanks to everyone who has listened to the episode, as well as those who have been so kind as to provide feedback.
Congratulations to Dhruv, who now leads the Rugby Predictor Game supported by Veo. A week off this week, but then weโll be back at it again! I currently sit 8th and am open to any tips or advice ๐
Andy ๐ ๐
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GLASS ACT
A Glass Floor, but No Glass Ceiling for NBA's Innovation at All-Star Weekend ๐
Earlier this week it was announced that part of the NBAโs All-Star Weekend festivities in Indianapolis will feature a cutting-edge, full video LED court set up at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The remarkable court, designed by the German company ASB GlassFloor, boasts state-of-the-art technology and has previously been utilised in events sanctioned by FIBA, the international governing body for basketball.
Though the All-Star Game itself on Sunday (Feb 18th) will maintain its traditional wooden court setup, this innovative court will host the entire All-Star Saturday Night lineup, including the skills competition, 3-point contest, and slam dunk competition, as well as the shooting matchup between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. It will also play host to tonightโs (Feb 16th) celebrity game.
For George Pyne (CEO, Bruin Capital), the move from the NBA to trial this technology on such a big stage is emblematic of the way that they have approached innovation, and the All-Star Weekend, more broadly.
What he said:
โ[The LED court is] a shining example of how this event has evolved in recent years. No longer is the focus solely on an exhibition game showcasing 24 of the league's star players. The quality of the game divides opinion, and in todayโs age itโs easier than ever to see these standout athletes during the regular season via broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.ย
ย
Instead of โplayer discoveryโ, All-Star Weekend is now renowned for โinnovation discoveryโ โ serving as an incubator/sandbox/lab for new technologies that can evolve the fan experience. Last year, for example, commissioner Adam Silver unveiled a new NBA app feature allowing viewers to scan an avatar of themselves into a live game. The league has strategically created its own version of CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) and is welcoming the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) into the decision-making process.
ย
As All-Star Weekend reinvents itself, and valuable airtime is used in new fashion, the KPIs that determine whether this annual event is a success or not are also evolving. Once, TV ratings alone were the defining metric. While ratings remain important, social media engagement, sponsor satisfaction and thematic media coverage are also key measures of success.It remains to be seen whether LED glass courts will be applied in a regular season competition. Right now, I can envisage the tech being used to air game highlights during breaks, make 3-point and dunking contests more exciting, improve the virality of halftime shows, or even further differentiate the NBAโs in-season tournament. The possibilities are endless.โ
The Sports Pundit Social Club (SPSC) was designed to enable you as readers to hang out with one another without the heavy cost that often goes with traditional sports industry events.
To see upcoming events in Feb and reserve your place follow the link below ๐
HIGHLIGHTS
The Women's Super League has issued a tender for a ยฃ20m-a-year TV deal that would mean every WSL match could be broadcast live from next season โฝ๏ธ
Barstool Sports announce DraftKings sports betting deal minutes after the Super Bowl ends ๐ฐ
The City of London is in contention to host a third Hundred team, a decision which would be contentious in the North East and South West ๐
Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Roma pushed to cut Italian soccer top flight to 18 clubs but Serie A clubs vote to keep 20-team league โฝ๏ธ
Oxford United unveil plans to build first all-electric stadium in UK ๐๏ธ
ESPN and College Football Playoff agree on six-year extension worth $7.8 billion ๐
SKY ISNโT THE LIMIT
Netball Super League Scores Hybrid Broadcast Deal Sky and BBC๐
The Netball Super League have announced a new rights deal which will see its games broadcast across both Sky and, crucially, the BBC.
This is a first-of-its-kind deal for netball and the BBC, who will show one live match per round during the regular season via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, as well as on demand.
This follows a similar structure to the deal struck by the Womenโs Super League in 2021, also between Sky and the BBC, who broadcast 35 and 22 fixtures per year respectively.
The question is, is the growth and success of this hybrid rights model pioneered within womenโs football now inspiring other sports with the same ambitions? Nnenna Oyeka (Sales Development, YouGov) sure thinks so.
What she said:
โHuge news for Netball fans as the season returns this weekend!
The Netball Super League has secured landmark broadcast deals with both BBC and Sky, where we will see one live match per round on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and Sky Sports show all games from the Season Opener along with the Semi Final Play Offs and Grand Final, with one game from each regular round shown on Sky Sports' YouTube.
These partnerships not only amplify the visibility of women's sport, but also align with the growth seen in the Women's Super League (WSL) streaming rights, reflecting the increasing demand for elite-level women's sport content. A significant step forward in promoting inclusivity and expanding the reach of women's sports globally!โ
P.S. This was a topic covered in depth on the Sports Pundit Podcast with Julia Wall-Clarke, as well as in this subsequent article on โWhy The Hexagon Cup's Free-to-Air Deal with ITV is so Importantโ ๐บ
P.P.S. TNT Sports just landed the rights the (menโs) Emirates FA Cup from 2024/25 but has emphasised that selected matches from every round will still be available free-to-air.
FURTHER READING
Pet Food Power: How Gironaโs Remarkable Season Impacts Shirt Sponsor Gosbi By Henry Flynn, Forbes ๐
The Secret Commercial Channel Being Used by All the Smartest Sports Bodies by Leo MacLehose, FANZO ๐ป
The IMG You Knew No Longer Exists By Roger Mitchell, Albachiara ๐๏ธ
What Would a Football Club Gain From a Partnership with Viral IP like Peppa Pig? By Federico Mari ๐ท
What Stock Would Warren Buffet Buy if he Started Over in 2024? By Shaan Puri and Sam Parr, My First Million Podcast ๐ธ
Live from Bikini Bottom By Rebecca Derrick, The SportAZ Newsletter ๐
Meanwhile... Roblox Growth Continues By Carlo de Marchis, A Guy With A Scarf ๐ค
THE PODCAST
Want to hear more from my conversation with Rory?
We discuss working at the Icons Series and meeting Harry Kane, developing a passion for sustainability, differentiating from giants like Nike and Adidas, the opportunities inside Roblox and video games, balancing sustainability with commercialityย and much, much more.
Listen to the full podcast via the link below - and Iโd love to hear what you think!๐
The Sports Pundit Social Club (SPSC) was designed to enable you to hang out with other readers (i.e. exceptional folk from across the industry) without the heavy cost that often goes with traditional sports industry events.
To see upcoming events in Feb in places like London, Manchester, New York, and LA, and to reserve your place, follow this link below ๐
JOIN ME!
Sports Pundit (Andy Marston) is excited to be part of What The Footieโs Athlete Investor Summit on Friday 22nd March.
The event will feature panels and fireside chats from speakers including recent Sports Pundit Podcast guest Matt Gentry, as well as:
โDame Jessica Ennis-Hill: Olympic Gold Medallist & Co-Founder of Jennis
โChris Smalling: Professional Footballer, Athlete Investor & Investor in the Players Fund
โEric Dier: Athlete Investor & International Footballer
โFergus and Ruari Bell: Managing Partners of the Players Fund
โStuart Duguid: Co-Founder & CEO at EVOLVE Agency and Hana Kuma & Agent to Naomi Osaka
โToby Wakefield: Brand Director for Jesse Lingard & MD of Jlingz Esports
JOB BOARD
Marketing Manager, International Cricket - England & Wales Cricket Board (London, UK)
Senior Strategic Project Manager - England Rugby (London, UK)
Sales Manager - Tottenham Hotspur (London, UK)
Partnerships Manager - Liverpool FC (Liverpool, UK)
Fan Experience Manager - Alpine F1 (Enstone, UK)
Apply via MLS Talent
Senior Partnerships Manager - Sports (UK)
Director - Sponsorship Strategy - Sports (UK)
Do you have a job youโd like to promote to the amazing readers of this newsletter? Email me ๐ฉ
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