Strategic Research Institute held its 4th annual forum
on Sports Marketing & Sponsorship at The Downtown Athletic
Club in N.Y. last Thursday and Friday. Among some
highlights from the event: On a Thursday panel titled, "How
Women's Sports Are Effectively Reaching Mainstream
Consumers," Women's Sports Foundation Exec Dir Donna Lopiano
said, "Everyone is trying to get into women's sports now
before it gets too expensive. ... This is the time to get
your place in women's sports and establish a long-term,
cost-effective partnership. Now is the time to make sure
you are creating the beneficial relationships that will
serve you down the line." More Lopiano, on TV coverage of
women's sports: "I'm mad at Fox. They have this extensive
regional reach and they have got to step up to the plate and
support this. The other networks have recognized this"....
Corel WTA Tour COO Liz Garger said that even though title
sponsor Corel is ending its relationship with the Tour, "The
First Serve Program," a grassroots initiative which stresses
education and offers Corel computer software to schools,
will continue. Garger said that a new title sponsor or an
associate sponsor will back the program (THE DAILY).
TV TALK: Sports business journalists on Friday were
asked to forecast MLB's next TV package, after its five-
year, $1.7B deal expires following the 2000 season. The
Baltimore Sun's Jon Morgan: "The rights fees will go up, but
they have a lot of work to do because the demographics are
just not there." The Washington Post's Thomas Heath: "Fees
will go up marginally, but much of it depends on how
basketball goes with the lockout and when Michael Jordan
retires." The N.Y. Times' Richard Sandomir: "They will get
higher rights fees, more than marginally. Disney paid so
much more for hockey, how could networks justify not
spending for MLB?" SportsBusiness Journal Exec Editor John
Genzale: "Baseball will have to make a move towards revenue
sharing and a salary cap before a new deal can be reached."
Forbes' Michael Ozanian: "MLB will see a 15% increase, per
team, per year. The ratings don't matter relative to other
sports, it's relative to other programming" (THE DAILY).
QOD! Marketing Associates Exec VP Harry Campbell, whose
clients include Sprint, on the company's $24M per year deal
with the NFL which includes coaches wearing Sprint-
identified headsets on NFL sidelines: "We watch the game in
a different way than you do. We yell, 'Show the coach!
Show the coach! Sideline shot!" (THE DAILY).
