Jason Stephens’ Post

The proposed American investment in Springbok rugby by Ackerley Sports Group (ASG) is mired in controversy and uncertainty… While SA Rugby touts the deal as a strategic partnership to enhance the commercial value of South African rugby, concerns loom over ASG's ability to fund the investment, as they are reportedly still seeking financial partners. Local franchises have expressed apprehension, fearing the impact on the sport's integrity and the management of commercial rights The deal, which is not yet finalized, hinges on approval from SARU's member unions. Some argue that the integrity of the sport could be compromised, echoing broader concerns about private equity's role in sports. Others however, see it as a necessary step for financial sustainability and global competitiveness. The outcome will be a litmus test for balancing commercial interests with the sport's traditional values…

its pony (up) time #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

money is pouring into the WNBA #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

no never means never in the stadium game #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

Can rugby crack the US? 🤔 Mercado Libre founder Marcos Galperin says yes…and backed it up with the $7m purchase of Major League Rugby expansion franchise Miami Sharks in 2023 🚀 In a world of 9 & 10 figure franchise valuations, $7m for a team in a major US city on the crest of a pink sporting wave seems pretty appealing. The 2031 Rugby World Cup will be hosted in the US. It’s time to build a community that will sustain the legacy of this ephemeral but golden occasion. Establishing a renowned domestic league? That's a start. So what made this investment too good to pass? It's a love of rugby (which Marcos says has been more influential on his career than his education at Wharton & Stanford!) mixed with great business opportunity. Hardly surprising that the root of it takes us back to the beautifully capitalist/socialist US franchise league structure. The most established leagues and their open systems continue to struggle to prove their viability as business and entertainment products. MLR’s opportunity is now 🔥 Business of Sport (Links in comments👇) #Rugby #MiamiSharks #MarcosGalperin #MajorLeagueRugby #sportsindustry

Poor loathesome Bob Kraft #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement

This is an eye-opening report from Sportico. The biggest thing that caught my eye: "Of the top 50 clubs in Sportico’s rankings, MLS clubs account for 40%. The most by any single league in the world. More than double that of the Premier League. Five of the MLS clubs are in the top 20, and four have valuations exceeding $1B. No club has achieved in Sportico’s previous valuation rankings." This is hard for me to get my head around. The MLS clubs have high value, but the quality of soccer is still well below the European leagues. And big stars are not playing in the MLS in their prime years. Are the MLS teams able to keep a high value because they are not paying for "expensive" players? https://bbes.us/3V2wUmd #soccer #fussball #futbal #mls

⚽ 🍬 🏀 What does #football, #Everton & the #British #Basketball #League have in common? You guessed it...#777 Partners. And when 777 Partners are involved in sporting assets, history tells us that the end game is unlikely to be positive. 📢 Courtesy of Stuart Hodge, we now know that things are looking increasingly uncertain for the #BBL, after the #British #Basketball #Federation, the governing body of Basketball League Ltd (BBL), #terminated the current operational professional league licence. 📉 This comes after the BBF raised concerns over its financial position. Stuart is also reporting a major conflict of interest over the terms of the 777 arrangement, with a more lucrative offer from another investor turned down at the last minute, leaving 777 as the preferred partner. 🦁 777 also owns the London Lions in the BBL, which sold 777 a 45 per cent stake in the competition for £7 million (US$8.9 million) back in 2021. 🦈 My local club, the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks issued their own statement on Friday (14/06), informing fans of the club that BBL Club owners would be co-operating with the BBF to ensure there is a topflight men’s #professional league operating from September 2024 & would assist #British #Basketball & its stakeholders in the rebuilding and strengthening of the position for the sport. As #CEOs & #Senior #Leaders in #Sporting #Organisations, this story will make for challenging reading. There are a host of #governance, #regulatory, #legal & #finance issues to consider. All key skills for those in #leadership positions. ❓ How comfortable are you with your skillset? 📧 [email protected] & find out what VSI Executive Education can do to support your own leadership journey. There is a great piece in SportsPro about 777 & their #investment challenges below. https://lnkd.in/ejVFA3Ug

send money fast #sportsjournalism #sportsnews #sportsmedia #sportsmanagement #sportsbiz #sports #sportsevents #sportsentertainment #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry  #sportsmarketing #sportsfan #business #sportbusiness #sport #sportmanagement