NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER tops SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's annual list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business. His influence has "never been greater," as he presides over a league that this year will reach more than $8B in revenue. Franchise values are "soaring, revenue is skyrocketing, a new labor deal is expected any day and the game itself is as healthy as it’s ever been." It is an "uncanny mix of style and substance that Silver brings to the table." He has "improved player relations by decreasing the number of back-to-back games and lengthening the all-star break, all while encouraging players to speak out on social issues." The respect he has among players is "unique in sports because they feel Silver listens." On the business front, Silver has "no fear in expanding the league’s boundaries." Consider that the NBA this year became the first of the major U.S. stick-and-ball leagues to "allow advertising patches on game jerseys, beginning next season," with the 76ers and Kings "having deals in place and others expected." Silver also "understands the entrepreneurial bent of NBA owners and encouraged their investment in esports, as some of the league’s most prominent and forward-thinking owners are diving headlong into the nascent but promising world" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/5 issue).
|
50 MOST-INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN SPORTS BUSINESS
|
|
RANK
|
EXEC |
|
1
|
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver |
|
2
|
Disney Chair & CEO Bob Iger/ESPN President John Skipper |
|
3
|
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell |
|
4
|
WME-IMG co-CEOs Ari Emanuel/Patrick Whitesell |
|
5
|
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred |
|
6
|
NBC Sports Chair Mark Lazarus |
|
7
|
Turner Broadcasting President David Levy |
|
8
|
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones |
|
9
|
MLB President of Business & Media Bob Bowman |
|
10
|
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman |
|
11
|
CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus |
|
12
|
Patriots and Revolution Owner Robert Kraft |
|
13
|
Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks |
|
14
|
Nike Brand President Trevor Edwards/
Nike President, Chair & CEO Mark Parker |
|
15
|
Wasserman Chair & CEO and LA 2024 Chair Casey Wasserman |
|
16
|
Under Armour Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank |
|
17
|
AEG Chair Phil Anschutz |
|
18
|
Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob |
|
19
|
MLS Commissioner Don Garber |
|
20
|
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder, Chair & CEO Ted Leonsis |
|
21
|
Dalian Wanda Chair Wang Jianlin |
|
22
|
Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert |
|
23
|
NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France |
|
24
|
CAA Sports co-Heads Michael Levine/Howard Nuchow |
|
25
|
IOC President Thomas Bach |
|
26
|
NFL COO Tod Leiweke |
|
27
|
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan |
|
28
|
NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts |
|
29
|
Fanatics Exec Chair Michael Rubin |
|
30
|
Rams Owner Stan Kroenke |
|
31
|
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany |
|
32
|
Proskauer attorneys Joe Leccese/Bob Batterman |
|
33
|
A-B InBev VP/Marketing Strategy for Core Brands Jorn Socquet/
U.S. VP/Marketing Marcel Marcondes |
|
34
|
NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith |
|
35
|
Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas |
|
36
|
MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark |
|
37
|
USOC Chair Larry Probst |
|
38
|
Twitter COO Anthony Noto |
|
39
|
76ers and Devils co-Owners Josh Harris/David Blitzer |
|
40
|
NCAA President Mark Emmert |
|
41
|
Falcons and Atlanta United Owner Arthur Blank |
|
42
|
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick |
|
43
|
Covington & Burling attorneys Doug Gibson/Gregg Levy |
|
44
|
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi |
|
45
|
Raiders Owner Mark Davis |
|
46
|
Bruin Sports Capital Founder & CEO George Pyne |
|
47
|
Facebook Head of Global Sports Partnerships Dan Reed |
|
48
|
Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman |
|
49
|
HKS Architects Principal Designer Bryan Trubey |
|
50
|
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein |
TWITTER REAX: Sports PR consultant
Zack Smith: "Great top-50 list ... SBJ strives 4 diversity. To that: maybe specifically list those execs just beyond top-50?" The
American Gaming Association's feed: "Adam Silver, advocate of legalized regulated #sportsbetting, named most influential in sports business." Sports Agent Blog's
Chris Lesley: "Goodell 3rd most influential in sports according to SBJ. Emanuel/Whitesell 4th. I'd swap them around. ... A lot of (mainly int'l) omissions from the SBJ influential list: Scudamore, Raiola, Sexton, Ecclestone, Mendes, Infantino, Carter." Bragi Communications Lead
Jake Duhaime, a former NWHL exec: "There are no women in the Top 25. ... It's an industry problem. ... Personally, I don't think Ackerman belongs. I'd substitute Alex Morgan cuz she is only F athlete who can bring that lawsuit vs US Soccer."
