Recently in Michael Spero Category

70,000+ at the Final Four, are you serious?

By Michael Spero on April 6, 2009 11:04 PM | 5 Comments
Some of the seats looked closer to the moon than to center court at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan for this year's Final Four.  Record crowds, as in over 70,000 fans, turned out for the final games of the NCAA tournament.  Take a packed Allen Fieldhouse and multiply it by about 4.5.  The number should come close to the attendance for the games in Detroit.  This is just a little ridiculous, considering the revenue intake.  It actually seems to make sense.  Collegiate sports is a business, why not attempt to profit?  It is hard to fault the NCAA for wanting to bring in the dollars, especially during rough economic times.  Aside from the NCAA, schools should be allowed to bring in money as long as they handle the intake properly. 


Steve Wieberg and Steve Berkowitz recently brought up very interesting points in a USA Today article relating to the NCAA and out of control marketing.  The article mentioned advertising and promotion done by casinos, sales of stadium names, and apparel contracts.  

Gambling is often viewed as inappropriate in regards to college athletics.  Some schools now allow casinos to advertise within their gyms and stadiums.  Let's face it, we all know what gambling is and the possible consequences associated with it.  If a casino is willing to shell out the big bucks to sponsor a college or university, why not let them?  If Sony is willing to pay a school $10 million for the rights to a stadium name, why not allow for it?  Adidas and KU have an eight year, $26.67 million contract in place.  The money taken in from the marketing does not go just to football and men's basketball.  This money goes to the athletic department and helps fund scholarships, develop non-revenue sports, and graduate kids.  Essentially, it allows for schools as a whole to succeed. 


KU Replica Jersey 45 Royal 14852003

Some argue that media coverage, corporate sponsorship, and even video games are taking away from the "college" feel and making collegiate athletics seem too professional.  Commercialization can be dangerous, but revenue intake also allows for great opportunity.  The NCAA and colleges across the country need to make sure that the "student" is priority number one, when dealing with student-athletes.  To avoid the "professional" feel, make sure that education is priority #1 and do not pay collegiate athletes.  Some argue that they deserve to be paid.  Scholarships are the pay in this situation.  A football career may last four or five years, but an education lasts a lifetime.

Schools need to make sure they handle the opportunity associated with athletic revenue in a responsible manner.  By doing so, overall benefits exceed monetary returns.  70,000 fans might seem like a crazy number, but who knows, in ten years we might see 170,000 fans at the Final Four.  College sports are a business and profits are a goal.  As long as providing an education and teaching students is the main objective at colleges and money associated with athletics is handled in a responsible manner, the NCAA and universities should be allowed to attempt to maximize profits.

Forget AM and FM, its .com

By Michael Spero on March 8, 2009 11:09 PM | 7 Comments
We all knew that the Internet would change our lives.  Now it is beginning to change radio.  Kelly Urich, formerly with Mix 93.3, has joined the change.  The Kansas City Star recently published an article about Urich's transition from Mix to his personal station, kcradio.com. 

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Urich's still spends time in the studio, however, his new studio is located in his basement.  It must be pretty nice walking downstairs in the morning to an office that allows you to broadcast to listeners worldwide.  The listening audience for Urich is much smaller these days, but that does not mean he cannot realize profits at kcradio.com.  There is also the opportunity for growth.  Urich runs his own ship and has few employees, limiting expenses.  The Internet is where listeners tune in for broadcasts, and it is also a source for publicity.  He utilizes Facebook in an effort to make his product known.  Urich truly feels that Web radio is what lies ahead in this world, and I agree.

The Internet has been evolving and changing our lives for years.  You don't just send and receive e-mails anymore.  You can watch television, chat, book airfare, etc.  And now, you can even listen to the radio.  The Internet increases potential audience size and cuts costs in regards to workforce (for stations only available online).  As a result of this, you can be less "ad heavy".  

I do sports radio work for KJHK and have listeners from San Francisco to Boston.  Tuning into 90.7 FM (KJHK), the station can only be heard in Lawrence, Topeka, and parts of Kansas City.  If a station chooses to stream local broadcasts online, different ads can be used online (national marketing) and local ads can be heard on the AM or FM signal.  Trust me, there is a KU sports listening audience available outside the Lawrence/KC area.  This is also true for Duke, UCLA, and many other programs.


By properly marketing the product (Web radio stations/web streams), the sky is the limit.  As time goes on, Web radio will evolve and I see it heading in the right direction.  Stations should continue to operate on the AM and FM, but also really start focusing on the Internet.  Online subscriptions and/or pay-per-view can be considered (especially for sporting events).  Also, live events can be broadcast online.  People would likely pay to hear their favorite bands broadcast live over the internet.

Radio has come great lengths over the years, and now the evolution continues.  Kansas City's own Urich has made the move, and many more will follow.  There is great opportunity online.  By being only available online, radio stations can operate with far less expenses.  AM and FM stations, however, can also stream their broadcasts to the world and reach many more listeners.  Regardless of the approach (online or AM/FM stream), the Internet is going to play a huge role in radio's future and its development should be a huge priority for stations.

MLB Network, just what the doctor ordered

By Michael Spero on February 15, 2009 5:00 PM | 3 Comments
Sure, fans will flock to the desert and Sunshine State to catch a glimpse of their favorite teams preparing for the season ahead.  Opening Day will remind us all that summer is just around the corner.  And fans will always be intrigued by the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, but baseball is struggling.  Put dollar signs, television ratings, and sales promotions aside, baseball's reputation is the one taking the hit.

Now, I am a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due.  ESPN does an excellent job covering the world of sports.  The network keeps the average sports fan more than informed.  A guy may be out to dinner on a first date, struggling to remember her last name, but odds are he can tell you all about the steroid corruption surrounding baseball.  Flip on ESPN.  If they are talking about baseball, then they are talking about A-Rod.  The problem is, A-Rod is all you see and hear about.  There's so much negativity surrounding the game of baseball when you turn on the TV, it hurts.

 

Should you really pay for parking, tickets, and a beer if all the players on the field are cheating?  What has happened to America's pastime?  Thankfully, Major League Baseball recently introduced the MLB Network.  It could not have come at a better time.  In regards to baseball coverage, SportsCenter is limited by time.  That is why you hear about A-Rod and Bonds, and nothing else.  The MLB Network is both a strategic business move by MLB and just what the doctor ordered, in an effort to repair the game's name.  Roughly 50 million homes experienced the massive cable launch on January 1st of this year.


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Business wise, MLB now delivers its product to more people, better promotes the game, has more control over broadcasts, and creates the opportunity for revenue intake.  The network will do 26 games throughout the course of the upcoming season.  The shows, however, are what will help restore baseball's image in the minds of the people.

 

One of my more recent baseball memories is seeing a #25 Giants jersey at a game in San Francisco.  On the back, the letters above the numbers did not spell "BONDS", but "BALCO".  BALCO is a California lab company involved with the Barry Bonds steroid scandal.  Regardless of whether or not Bonds is guilty, the main issue is still the impression people have of baseball. The actions of a few have hurt the game loved by millions.  Let the league and government handle steroid use.  Allow the MLB network to remind us why baseball is great.

 

The MLB network will not just air the news, scores, and games of today, but will cover baseball's history and greatest moments.  Shows like "Inside the Moments" and "All-Time Games" will remind us that there is much more good than bad when talking about baseball.  Young fans will have the opportunity to learn about Ruth and DiMaggio.  Emphasis can be put on the legacies of Clemente and Ripken Jr.  The game is taking steps to move forward and correct its mistakes, and the MLB network is right there lending a helping hand.

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MLB made a business move with the implementation of its own network.  That move, combined with timing and the current state of baseball, will help restore America's pastime and a truly incredible sport. 

 

Essayist Gerald Early may have said it best, "When they come to study our American civilization 2,000 years from now, we'll be known for three things: the Constitution, baseball and jazz music. They're the three most beautiful things Americans have ever produced."

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