Rich Luker, Exec Dir of the ESPN/Chilton Sports Poll,
presented the results of their year-long survey of Americans'
attitudes toward sports.  Over the course of 1994, 13,000 adults
(avg. 250/week) were surveyed by phone.  The margin of error is
no greater than 5% for any results.
     THE LEAGUES:  Interest in all four leagues is up at the end
of the year, as compared to January '94.  NHL from 28% to 40%;
NBA from 48% to 59%; MLB from 48% to 57%; and the NFL from 63% to
76%.  Luker noted one break-down that should be of interest for
the NBA:  The league faces a drop in fan support at the beginning
of its season.  While interest was at 64% in November when the
NBA season kicked off, it dropped to 59% in December.  Without
research from other years for  comparison, Luker could not say
whether this was a statistical "blip" or an emerging seasonal
pattern.
     BASEBALL:  As for baseball, by December over 50% cared if
the sport comes back, compared to 44% in September when the
players went out.  Asked how long the strike would go, the number
that said "through '95" rose steadily through the Fall peaking at
47% in November.  But by December, the number was down to 41%.
Similarly, the number of those who said they would boycott
baseball peaked at 43% in November, dropping to 37% in December.
However, of those boycotters, the number who said they would sit
out the entire '95 season rose consistently to a top level of 92%
in December.
     SOCCER:  The survey identified a 30% core of Americans
interested in soccer, but Luker questioned whether the soccer
community will be able to maintain interest into '96 when MLS is
scheduled to kick off.
     SPONSORS:  The most mentioned sponsors:  Nike 27%, Anheuser-
Busch 26%, GM 11%, Miller 8%, Reebok 7%, Starter 6%, Coke 6%,
Champion 6%.  Nike showed strength among college football and
basketball, while GM drew the most response from its golf
presence (THE DAILY).

     American Isuzu Motors has extended it agreement with NBC
Sports and the Celebrity Golf Association to continue as the
title sponsor of the Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship.  The
event will be held July 7-9 in Lake Tahoe.  This is Isuzu's third
year of sponsorship.  Past participants in the tournament include
John Elway, Mario Lemeiux, Dan Quayle, Charles Barkley, Dan
Marino and Lawrence Taylor.  Celebrity golfers qualify for the
$400,000 in prize money by having a USGA-certified handicap of 10
or under (NBC/Isuzu).

     Coors Brewing Co. set a new sales record for the 10th
straight year in 1994.  20.3M barrels of malt beverages were sold
during the year ending Dec. 25, up 2.7% over last year (DETROIT
FREE PRESS, 1/17)....PepsiCo is launching a multimillion dollar
"attempt" to break Coca-Cola's "dominance of international cola
markets."  A series of TV ads in 30 countries will take a
"humorous swipe at its rival."  The ads will test the laws of
comparative advertising in some countries, including the UK where
attempts to knock competitors' products have been governed by
"stringent legislation" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 1/19).

     Cotter & Co., parent of True Value hardware, has a new 3-
year promotional deal with the NFL.  The deal, which George
Lazarus in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE estimates to be about $25M, allows
True Value to become the official hardware store sponsor of the
NFL.  As part of the package, True Value will have access to team
logos for products and premiums.  True Value confirms that it
still is negotiating with MLB for a promotion.  Meanwhile, True
Value dropped its sponsorship of bowling (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/19).

     Three studies conducted by American Sports Data Inc. (ASD),
a Westchester, N.Y. firm specializing in sports and leisure, show
that women "are extremely under-rated as a marketing target in
the world of sports."  The studies found that Women represent a
high percentage of sports viewers, participants and potential
consumers.
     RESULTS:  A study of 2,410 Americans on sports viewership
revealed that two out of every five network viewers of pro
football, basketball, and baseball are women.  Women viewership
increased in most sports, even "decidedly male" sports like
boxing.  However, since 1990, women have lost "some interest" in
professional tennis, auto racing, and wrestling.  Research also
shows women have an extremely high awareness of sporting goods
brands, underscoring "their importance as potential product
buyers."  Women are "just as likely as men to recognize ... male
oriented" brands such as Converse, and Wilson.  ASD President
Harvey Lauer said the research shows that "women are the key
sporting goods shoppers for children."  Harvey said the marketing
implications of the study show networks should strive for a more
balanced mix of gender-specific advertising, and manufacturers
need a "sharper technical focus on sporting goods and equipment
made to accommodate the needs of women" (American Sports
Data/Sports Media Index Report).


    
 
      
 SPORT
      
TOTAL 
        VIEWERSHIP
      
% 
        FEMALE
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Basketball
      
 
        
57,808,000
      
      
 
        
43.1
      
    
    
 
      
Major 
        League Baseball
      
 
        
67,851,000
      
      
 
        
42.9
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Football
      
 
        
91,535,000
      
      
 
        
41.4
      
    
    
 
      
College 
        Football
      
 
        
65,715,000
      
      
 
        
39.7
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Tennis
      
 
        
23,641,000
      
      
 
        
39.0
      
    
    
 
      
College 
        Basketball
      
 
        
49,254,000
      
      
 
        
38.8
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Boxing
      
 
        
25,503,000
      
      
 
        
38.1
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Soccer
      
 
        
6,264,000
      
      
 
        
36.8
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Hockey
      
 
        
19,341,000
      
      
 
        
34.9
      
    
    
 
      
Outdoor 
        Shows
      
 
        
24,682,000
      
      
 
        
34.4
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Golf
      
 
        
33,067,000
      
      
 
        
31.5
      
    
    
 
      
Fishing 
        Shows
      
 
        
18,486,000
      
      
 
        
31.0
      
    
    
 
      
Pro 
        Wrestling
      
 
        
16,563,000
      
      
 
        
28.1
      
    
    
 
      
Auto 
        Racing
      
 
        
25,715,000
      
      
 
        
27.8
      
    
  

        
        Print | Tags: Converse, Wilson Sporting Goods
    

     If the Super Bowl is a blowout by halftime, ABC could be
looking at "massive 'give backs,'" according to Neal Travis of
the N.Y. POST.  Officially, there is no guaranteed rating for the
Super Bowl, but according to a source at ABC: "We would obviously
want to stay on side with the kind of advertiser who is willing
to spend $1 million for 30 seconds of air time. ... Advertisers
in the second half, who will have paid exactly the same as those
in the first, will feel entitled to some relief, like free make-
good commercials at later dates" (N.Y. POST, 1/19)....In this
morning's USA TODAY, Bruce Horovitz & Dottie Enrico note: "To
sports marketers, next week's Super Bowl looks like a dud, as do
most of its players."  While 49ers Steve Young and Deion Sanders
are expected to pick up a few more endorsements, the Chargers
"have little to offer in the way of sure-shot pitchmen."  Dave
Burns of Burns Sports Celebrity Service notes that jockeying by
sponsors for the game's potential stars is at an "all-time low."
Chargers QB Stan Humphries and linebacker Junior Seau "are not
expected to garner much sponsor interest," even if the Chargers
win.  Nova Lanktree of Lanktree Sports Celebrity Service, on
Steve Young: "He's like Al Gore -- competent, attractive but a
little inaccessible for advertisers" (USA TODAY, 1/19).
     MIAMI VICE:  The NFL and NFLP took out a full-page ad in USA
TODAY warning consumers of fake Super Bowl merchandise (USA
TODAY, 1/19)....NFL Communications Dir Greg Aiello issued a
warning to any players who associate themselves in any
promotional activity with a Super Bowl cruise next week that will
feature gambling, a nude limbo contest, a pool full of gelatin
and 200 naked show girls.  The cruise, being organized by "nude
bar magnate" Michael Peter, claims that 50 current and former
football stars will participate (MIAMI HERALD, 1/19).

     The 17th International Sport Summit closed business after a
second successful day.  Wednesday's keynoters were USOC Interim
Exec Dir JOHN KRIMSKY, 1995 Special Olympics Organizing Committee
President TIM SHRIVER, White Sox Vice Chair EDDIE EINHORN, and
ESPN/Chilton Sports Poll Exec Dir RICHARD LUKER.  Topics
discussed at the afternoon sessions included:  Tennis at the
Crossroads, Sports Finance, and How Agencies Can Help Market to
Sponsors.  Highlights follow:
     JOHN KRIMSKY said that, through the efforts of the USOC, 90%
of U.S. Olympic athletes train without cost.  While Krimsky said
that Americans "have become stockholders in their Olympic team,"
he added:  "If there are no sponsors, there are no games as we
know them."
     TIM SHRIVER said the Special Olympics World Games "will be
the largest sports event in the world in 1995."  Shriver:  "We
want to be the L.A. of the Special Olympics movement."
     EDDIE EINHORN:  "Sports in this country have grown too fast
-- and not given most time to grow with it.  Now we're catching
up."  While admitting that baseball has made big mistakes in the
past, Einhorn declared the sport  "healthy" and predicted that
The Baseball Network would survive.
     TOM HYLAND, a partner at Coopers & Lybrand, discussed the
economics of sports and the relationship between profitability
and franchise value.  He noted that media contracts are the key
factor differentiating the franchise values among the leagues,
while stadium and venue situations are the key in differentiating
franchise values among the various teams within each league.  As
for profit vs. value, he said, "There is not much relationship."
According to Hyland, teams are sold on the basis of revenues, not
profit.   DAVE CHECKETTS, President of MSG and the Knicks,
outlined a simple model of the sports economy:  Live events drive
the broadcast business, which in turn, helps drive the properties
business.  Asked about the source of future revenues, Checketts
cited the international market, but noted that it will be a
greater opportunity for TV and licensing than for live events --
although some live events will be staged overseas to help boost
those other entities.
     RICH McNERNEY, ATP Dir of Marketing/America, noted that
participation is down in tennis, but said that a combined
approach of a "strong professional game" and grassroots programs
aimed at kids can help bring the sport back.
     HARLAN STONE, Senior VP of Marketing and Sales at Advantage
International, presented his ways an agency can help a sponsor
develop a successful program, including:  No ad hoc decisions;
encourage clients to include research in any program; think long-
term; disclose any conflicts; know about the client's business; a
"C idea" with "A+ execution" is better than the other way around;
get the client to understand that sports is a "no rules" business
and that their regular rules and practices may not apply.
     DOUGLAS PIRNIE, Dir of Marketing at IMG, stressed that,
despite what they might say, the client's first priority is to
"sell more stuff."  While noting that there is "no rate card" in
the sports business, Pirnie did say that IMG uses a system to
evaluate sponsorships before the client enters into any deal.
     ALEX NIEROTH, Managing Dir/Exec VP of Clarion Performance
Properties, noted the increasing influence of corporations in the
sports world.  But with the trend towards downsizing in corporate
America, many companies are looking outside their ranks to
agencies to develop sports sponsorships.  What can agencies bring
to the table?  Identification of sponsorship opportunities,
expertise in the field, objectivity, the strategies and tactics
to get results from a particular concept, as well as creativity,
event execution and P.R. capabilities (THE DAILY).

     Ski resorts from "Canada to Connecticut are suffering warm
weather meltdowns that have left many of New England's best
slopes speckled with green grass," according to a report in the
BOSTON GLOBE.  As of early this week, 35 of the 69 ski areas in
the New England Ski Areas Council were listed as closed.  Areas
that remained open this week "were mostly those that had invested
heavily in snowmaking equipment" (Ackerman & Arnold, BOSTON
GLOBE, 1/18).
     SNOWBOARD REPORT: Michael Farber reports on snowboarding in
the current issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.  Snowboarding is "the
new craze at America's winter playgrounds," and the National
Sporting Goods Association estimates that by the year 2000, there
will be close to four million snowboarders.  Farber writes that
not "only has a new sport and culture emerged, but also a new
industry" (Michael Farber, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 1/23 issue).

     Ogden Corp. announced that its Entertainment Services
division has been awarded a 5-year contract to provide food and
beverage and merchandise services for Wrigley Field.  Ogden will
also manage the Cubs' mail order business and mall stores outside
the park (Ogden).