Dr. Lynn Lashbrook

It is no secret that the globalization of other sports besides the Olympics and World Cup Soccer has enjoyed a renaissance and growth through television and the Internet over the past thirty years. For decades every sport has had its own federation with many headquartered in Switzerland.  Several years ago when I visited Switzerland and met with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and asked specifically about the influence of the NHL and the growth of ice hockey, worldwide.

The comment then was they are very influential and important to the Federation.  As  I read the criticism by the IIHF of some NHL players not participating in the latest world championships  and the response by Brian Burke, GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it no secret why the NHL is look to opening next season in Europe. It’s also why the NBA has an office in China, why Major League Baseball has opened its season in Japan, and why the NFL continues to play in London every year.

Sports are a $750 billion dollar global business and money talks. If sports federations want to grow their sports globally they will need to better understand the business side. Simply put, the business of sports keeps on ticking and professional sports leagues are not amateurs!

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Eight years ago I had vision that though the power of the internet, people – no matter their location in the world – could get an education and find jobs in the business of sports. Sports Management Worldwide was that vision, and I couldn’t be prouder of those that have gained knowledge through our courses.

But, on Thursday, we look to reach even more future executives, agents, media members, and operations personnel. That’s because SMWW will be airing our first major television advertisement on ESPN during the first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Narrated by ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. I reach out to those that may not have heard about SMWW and offer them the chance to empower themselves and work toward their dream of working in sports. I hope you’ll be watching when it airs.

We’ll also be streaming out our own draft coverage over the internet.  Cecil Lammey from Footballguys.com and Russ Lande from GM Jr. will co-host the show which will streamed live on the worldwide web from GM Jr.’s offices.

In eight years, we’ve gone from a vision to reaching out through ESPN during the NFL Draft. Here’s to reaching a whole new level for Sports Management Worldwide.

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In light of his recent “transgressions,” a major company jumped off the Tiger Woods bandwagon this week, while two others announced they’ll stay with him.

It’s pretty clear that while Tiger may return to his sport and continue to be the No. 1 golfer in the world, it’s unlikely he’ll be the King of Endorsements, as he once was. That title is probably going to pass on to Peyton Manning.

Tiger can make an endorsement comeback, because his impact on the PGA Tour when he returns from his self-imposed exile will be huge. Television ratings for his comeback will be monstrous and whichever corporation is fortunate enough to be sponsoring that tournament will benefit in a big way.

Which goes to show you that sponsoring events, rather than individuals, has always been the safest bet. Tiger was considered a low-risk, safe spokesman — up on his pedestal, safe and secure from controversy.

But no longer.

Event sponsorship, on the other hand, is dependent on a collection of people and the drama of the event itself. And as Tiger has taught us, sometimes that person up on the pedestal has feet of clay. And if he falls, a lot of endorsement money is at risk.

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Well, not necessarily that the sports themselves are suddenly more popular than they have been. It’s that people, because of the economy, are finding themselves at home more often. They can’t afford to go out as often.

But they can afford those beautiful, big-screen, high-definition televisions! The growth of high-def TV has been astounding. And remember the days when a 27-inch television was considered big? Well, maybe you don’t but it wasn’t that long ago. Now, though, a 42-incher seems small.

And it’s as if those television sets were made for sports. There are still prime-time programs not showing in HD, but you can’t find a sports event that isn’t. And in a lot of cases, you now see the game better at home than you do in a stadium or arena. That’s great for the TV networks but not so good for the teams — who need full stadiums not only for the revenue but to make the TV show look better.

How does that translate to the business of sports? Quite simply, there is going to be more pressure than ever to sell tickets in those venues. Variable pricing, special promotions — and innovative ticket-selling methods we haven’t even thought of yet are all in our future.

And the time has never been better to get into the ticket-selling business. It’s going to become a huge part of pro and college franchises because no matter how many eyeballs are on TV screens, that stadium or arena must be full for everything to make sense.

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Talk about being good for the global reach of the game. Hideki Matsui put the “World” in World Series Wednesday night, becaming the first Japanese-born player to win the series’ MVP award.

They’ll be celebrating that for years over there. And really, it makes it even more imperative that MLB continue its excursions into a country that loves its baseball. And it shows once again why the future of American sports may well be outside this country’s borders.

Asia is an exciting market with a lot of available cash and someday I would expect baseball to add an Asian division — just as the NBA will someday at a division or conference in Europe and perhaps South America. There wouldn’t be an interlocking schedule in those sports, but expect one major trip abroad for all teams under that format. In many ways, such expansion is the only way to continue to expand revenue and branding opportunities for those leagues.

Congratulations, Yankees! And best wishes, MLB, for continued success in the global marketplace — which is very likely the future of major-league sports in America.

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