During a panel on Day 1 of the ’16 CAA World Congress of Sports, Proskauer’s Joe Leccese asked several team owners whether virtual reality and other advances in home viewing will eat into the live-game experience. Sounders Majority Owner Joe Roth, a veteran Hollywood producer, said, “I’m not smart enough to figure that out, but I hope not. When I see our fans walking the mile down to the stadium (from tavern meeting points), I see we’ve made an impact in the city culturally and made each connection authentically, so I don’t think they’re going to give that up easily.” Orlando City Founder & President Phil Rawlins said, “Soccer’s different. It’s the only sport where fans are a part of the game. The impact the Seattle and Orlando crowds make, there’s something tribal about the game. Tech won’t take that away and take away the connectivity at tailgate or the game. Soccer provides that in a way other sports don’t.”
Quick hits:
* Roth, on what keeps him up at night: “China. Since the president of China (Xi Jinping) has decided soccer’s going to be a big deal and host a World Cup, the English Premier League has suffered, (losing players to China), and I lost my second-best player, (Obafemi Martins), because they’re paying double or triple the salaries. The exportation of talent to China scares me.”
* Chiefs and FC Dallas Chair & CEO Clark Hunt, on whether daily fantasy will get past its legal hurdles: “Fantasy has been a big part of the NFL’s popularity over the past decade. It’s important from an interest standpoint. I think states are going to adopt regulations and daily fantasy will go on to be a successful industry.”
* 76ers and Devils investor Michael Rubin, the founder of Fanatics, on the proliferation of counterfeit merchandise online and through social media: “(Counterfeiters) are getting a big share of the online market. Over time it’s our responsibility to eliminate it and make sure fans aren’t being defrauded by sophisticated, multi-billion dollar businesses.”
* Roth, on whether the Rams need to win to compete in the competitive Southern California sports market: “We don’t like anything that’s not first place. If you’re not top-tier, people aren’t interested. It’s the most fickle fan base.”
