Driven by a "revolution" in European TV, the
commercialization of sports "is spreading across Europe,"
according to John Tagliabue in a business cover-story in the
N.Y. TIMES. As broadcasting monopolies "crumble," European
sports are "being borne aloft by an explosion" of cable and
digital TV, and show "no signs of stopping at the English
Channel." Plans are afoot to "transform franchises into
leisure businesses," with restaurants, pubs, vacation clubs
and TV stations, and European teams "are turning to the stock
market for capital." Tagliabue concludes "much of the change
still affects only soccer," but "lesser sports," such as
rugby, cricket and Formula One racing, "are caught up in the
change as well" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/10).
HELLO, BUENOS AIRES: AD AGE reports that since sports
team sponsorships were introduced into Argentina in '83,
advertising for soccer teams "has grown" from $820,000 to
$12M, with 17 out of the country's 20 pro teams having
"official sponsorship." Local beer company Quilmes paid $3M
to put its logo on the shirts of Boca Juniors and spent $1.7M
to sponsor Boca's "main rival, River" (AD AGE, 9/9).