Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Events and Attractions

USA Pro Challenge Organizers Remain Committed To Colorado For The Long Term

Despite "whispers in the amply rumor-milled cycling world," organizers of the 3-year-old USA Pro Challenge are "committed to Colorado for the long term," according to Jason Blevins of the DENVER POST. Healthy crowds -- organizers said that there "were more spectators than the previous two years of the race -- and climbing television ratings indicate the race is finding its footing, despite losing money." Still, the privately funded event is "laboring without a title sponsor and loses" $2-3M per year. Race CEO & Chair Shawn Hunter said, "It would certainly be great to have a title sponsor that would accelerate our break-even in profitability, and our investors deserve that, because they've invested tens of millions of dollars to bring stage racing back to Colorado. But we will get there without a title." Hunter said that he is "in negotiations with international companies that have an interest in cycling and other endurance sports." He expects that he "could announce the race's main sponsor in the next 12 months to 15 months" (DENVER POST, 8/26). In Denver, John Henderson notes besides the "local celebration, the race did little nationally." TV ratings "were awful," and fans downtown "overwhelmingly wanted a tightly packed peloton rather than riders flying one by one" (DENVER POST, 8/26). In Colorado Springs, Nathan Van Dyne notes while "crowd estimates and economic impact numbers vary widely, the popularity of the event is undeniable." The atmosphere "all week near the tops of climbs was akin to Friday nights in LoDo" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 8/26). Organizing committee co-Chair Eric Thompson said that the "'big topic of conversation' among race organizers and law enforcement officials was general shock over the thousands of fans who staked out spots not just in cities but at locations all along the route" (COLORADOAN, 8/25).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/08/26/Events-and-Attractions/USA-Pro-Challenge.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/08/26/Events-and-Attractions/USA-Pro-Challenge.aspx

CLOSE