Erik Poldroo

Multiple baseball teams set records for single game ticket sales revenue during the 2024 playoffs. That achievement is the byproduct of strong demand for Major League Baseball (MLB)’s postseason product and a savvy –albeit debatable– ticket sales strategy intended to recapture revenue leakage. Clubs recognize that “fans are agnostic to where they get their tickets and have started making pricing decisions for both the primary market, which they obviously control in full, and large portions of the secondary market, which is a mix of the organization and other sellers,” one BI executive said. That is why the two have moved more in concert with one another this fall than typically seen. But while the blending of ticketing markets is enabling teams to maximize gate receipts, it is also contributing to a potentially troublesome trend across sports: loyal fans are getting priced out. “The short-term gain that comes with overcharging your core fans is juxtaposed with the long-term problem that creates with fandom in general,” the club exec said. #sports #sportsbiz #ticketing #ticketsales #strategy cc: JohnWallStreet Shripal Shah Ryan Dastrup, PhD Randall Friedman Jacie Brandes https://lnkd.in/ejrBAAfu

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Soccer fandom is evolving at an incredible pace. Understanding the fan or consumer is complex….. There are a million ways to measure fandom so we (@forsoccer) took a crack at creating some of our own fan profiles that better represent modern fandom. Download the United States of Soccer report on Forsoccer.com #soccermedia #sportsmedia #sportsbusiness #soccermarketing #sportsmarketing #grassrootssoccer

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It was a great conversation diving into the innovative work you're doing at BettorTakes. Excited to see how your platform continues to evolve and provide value in the sports betting landscape. For anyone interested in the intersection of sports tech and betting, be sure to check out the episode! #sportsbusiness #sportstech #sportstechnology #sportsbetting #betting #sports #technology

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Some thoughts in our Quarterly Newsletter on the continued relevance of the Summer Olympics from a fan interest perspective, even prior to the recently concluded, superlative-filled Paris Games! 99% of sports/disciplines see a marked increase in interest during the Games and for 78% of the participating sports/disciplines, the Summer Games represent the pinnacle of interest in their sport! General Sports Worldwide #FanData #OlympicInsights #Paris2024 International Olympic Committee – IOC

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$200 million per year… 6x growth compared to the last WNBA Deal…. More details included in this article…. Reexamine after 3 years into the 11 year deal for the WNBA… all positive signs as Toronto WNBA Team enters the league in 2 years. Check out the full details

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Non-Drafted Free Agency (NDFA) period begins for MLB today. What is it, and how can teams use it to improve their organizations via depth and finding hidden gems? #ndfa #mlbdraft #playerevaluation #scouting #baseball

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And consider that each of those 2.2 million shots have over 90 data points combining player talent & historical ability, the exact type of shot (location, distance, off catch/dribble) and the precise location of the defense!

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The debate continues - should women's sports carve out its own path, or leverage the legacy framework and partnerships of their male counterparts? There's no better example of this predicament then the fact that WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) has the majority of its rights wrapped in with the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s next major rights tenders, and is seeing incredible momentum in interest in the sport and league fresh off the drafting of the next big star Caitlin Clark. NBA's commissioner say it is categorically the right approach - others would disagree, and would suggest that the WNBA should be allowed more flexibility in their approach to monetising rights in a new era of sports media consumption. What's the best approach for a league like the WNBA? https://lnkd.in/d_JN2v35

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Wrapping up the list of solutions, 7 spots left. DM Me or Tag Someone Who needs to see this below 👇🏽 #SportsTech #SportsBusiness #AISports #SportsBiz #SportsCaseStudy #SportsNews #FanEngagement #SportsAnalytics

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The U.S. sports betting market continues to grow as more Americans wager more money on live events. The AGA reported YTD commercial sports betting revenue reached $8.36bn through August (+30.4% YoY). However, the related advertising dollars are not flowing as easily as they once did with FanDuel and DraftKings Inc. entrenched as the regulated market leaders in all 30 legal mobile betting jurisdictions and the pace of states adding new OSB or online casino legislation having slowed to a crawl. Logic would suggest that reality will begin to impact sports rights owners and holders over time–if the trend doesn’t change. One “shouldn't assume that just because available ad dollars have dropped off this year, spending will stay at this level or drop off further in the future," Chris Grove (co-founding partner, Acies Investments) said. "There are numerous reasons why marketing spend could turn back upward.” But there is a new class of gaming companies –social sweepstakes casinos (think: VGW Play, Stake.us) and sportsbooks (think: Fliff Inc)– capable of helping sports properties and their media partners replace lost revenues in the interim. These entities are growing faster, operating in more states, and can be more profitable than regulated counterparts (though, none are nearly as profitable as FanDuel or DraftKings). For context, Virtual Gaming Worlds reported in September that it increased annual net profits by 30% YoY to $335mm on record revenues of $4.15bn. Sweepstakes are games of chance where no purchase is necessary to win. In a social sweepstakes sportsbook or casino players can also buy virtual coins that can be wagered and redeemed for real cash prizes. #sweepstakes #gaming #sportsbetting #sportsbiz #marketing #advertising #trends https://lnkd.in/egRbEuQp

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Are you and your sales team really taking on the big challenges to drive revenue? Or, are they taking the easy, safe way out? Check out how skiing double black diamonds aligns with making the tough sales call in this week's Secrets' of The Ultimate Toolkit Revealed.

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Have you heard about the NFL’s new "dynamic kickoff" rule? 🏈 It’s one of the most significant changes to kickoffs in recent years, and it's designed to keep players safer while adding more excitement to the game. Here’s how it works: The NFL has introduced a "landing zone," which is the area between the goal line and the 20-yard line. Now, any kickoff that lands in this zone must be returned. No more letting the ball bounce into the end zone for an easy touchback. If the ball hits the landing zone, it's game on. Plus, any kicks that fall short of this zone or go out of bounds will be placed at the 40-yard line, giving the receiving team a big field advantage. This rule definitely creates more action, but, it’s also reducing the high-speed collisions that make kickoffs one of the most dangerous plays in football. In the past, players on the kicking team had a full sprint head start before the ball was even fielded, leading to some brutal hits. With this new rule, both the kicking and receiving teams are restricted in how soon they can move after the ball is kicked, which should help reduce injuries. In the preseason, this new rule has already led to more kick returns, more big plays, and better starting field position for receiving teams… But personally, I think this is a great step forward for the safety benefits. While the game will always be about big plays and excitement, the safety of our athletes has to come first. I’m optimistic that this change will help protect players from unnecessary injuries while still keeping the thrill of the game alive. What are your thoughts on the new rule? #NFL #Football #AthleteSafety #PlayersHealth

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It's interesting to look at the business of pro sports teams... The Atlanta Braves are publicly traded (𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸): 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: 🏟 • tickets • advertising • concessions • merchandising • parking/passes The "sports team" itself is the tip of the spear for monetization. Expanding product channels not only 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘱-𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 but also deepens fan engagement. 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: 💰 • sponsorships • special events • online merchandise • national media rights • in-person experiences • local media rights (radio/tv) • entertainment (documentaries) • real estate development projects • licensing (sports betting, products, etc) The Atlanta Braves parent company (NASDAQ: BATRA) is valued at a market capitalization of $2.56 billion and an enterprise value of $3.01 billion. Warren Buffett is a shareholder of the Braves. 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗴𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

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