In the year since Tiger Woods turned pro, he has
"unleashed a tidal wave" of more than $650M "washing over
the golf world," according to Ron Sirak of the AP, who
writes that ticket sales "shot up, TV ratings jumped,
interest in the game increased, sales for his main sponsor
[Nike] took off and the spirits of tournament directors
soared." Sirak reports the influx of new money put into
golf is "conservatively" totaled at $653.5M, according to
tournament officials, TV and corporate execs and analysts.
Sirak: "And that is not even adding in increases in print
and TV advertising, the effect of which will be felt down
the road." CBS Sports VP/Programming Rob Correa, on Woods'
impact: "He got them into the tent. ... He has gotten them
to sample the sport and they like what they see" (AP, 8/26).
NUMBER CRUNCHING: Ticket sales at tournaments in which
Woods played this year were up as much as 35%, according to
tournament directors, and concession and souvenir sales were
up as much as 28%. Based on an average ticket price of
$22.50, an average concession expenditure of $9 per person
and a $15 souvenir purchase, Woods "conservatively" has had
a $1.13M effect on the ten events he "impacted the most."
But Nike, "whose golf division was a mere afterthought until
it signed Woods," gained the most. Sales of its golf
apparel and footwear increased 100% to $120M in the fiscal
year ended May 31. The company projects golf apparel and
footwear sales for the current fiscal year to top $200M, as
Nike's Woods-inspired "Sport TW" line will hit stores with
apparel in December/footwear in March (AP, 8/25).
TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT: In Akron, Arnie Rosenberg writes
that Woods' appearance at the NEC World Series of Golf
helped the event sell out for the first time. Tournament
officials said Saturday's attendance set a "one-day record"
at 30,000-40,000, and the four-day total was "well over"
100,000. The event is also expected to raise more than $1M
for the second straight year (BEACON JOURNAL, 8/26).
