The eighth annual SportsBusiness Daily/SportsBusiness Journal Reader Survey is in the books, and nearly 1,300 voters weighed in on more than 100 questions that spanned all facets of the industry. Readers saw concussions as the biggest threat to the NFL, but they also believe fighting should not be banned by the NHL. Meanwhile, the Yankees easily were identified as the team with the best uniforms and logos. Voting was conducted over three weeks starting Oct. 8, with polling via SportsBusinessDaily.com and SportsBusinessJournal.com. Only the top vote-getters are listed, and the results have been rounded. Our thanks here to Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, which again this year provided the technical and surveying support to make this effort possible. Of course, we also thank you. Whether you’re a first-time voter or an eight-time voter, these are your results, which you will see in THE DAILY over the next five days. Today, we present data on the general state of the industry and sponsorships.
Outlook for the sports business over the next five years
| Very optimistic | 47% |
| Somewhat optimistic | 43% |
| Neither optimistic nor pessimistic | 7% |
| Somewhat pessimistic | 3% |
| Very pessimistic | 0% |
Responses 1,304
Most powerful brand in sports
| ESPN | 33% |
| Nike | 33% |
| N.Y. Yankees | 16% |
Responses 1,299
Getty Images Most marketable athlete
| Peyton Manning | 18% |
| LeBron James | 15% |
| Tom Brady | 12% |
| Robert Giffin III | 10% |
| Derek Jeter | 10% |
Responses 1,277
Most influential person in sports business
| Roger Goodell | 40% |
| John Skipper | 16% |
| Bud Selig | 6% |
| Tim Leiweke | 5% |
| David Stern | 5% |
Responses 1,292
Getty Images Biggest threat to sports
| Rising ticket prices | 27% |
| Improvements to the in-home viewing experience hurting attendance | 24% |
| Inflated athlete salaries | 14% |
| Integrity of the game | 12% |
Responses 1,297
Getty Images Biggest sports business story of the year
| London Olympics | 22% |
| NCAA hits Penn State with severe penalties in the Jerry Sandusky case | 18% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers sold for $2.15 billion to Guggenheim Baseball Management | 14% |
| College football agrees to a playoff | 12% |
Responses 1,298
Most OVERPRICED major sports property
| NFL | 29% |
| NASCAR | 16% |
| MLB | 10% |
Responses 613
Most UNDERPRICED major sports property
| MLS | 17% |
| NHL | 15% |
| UFC | 7% |
| No opinion | 18% |
Responses 613
MOST VALUABLE property assets in a typical sports sponsorship package
| Exclusivity | 44% |
| Intellectual property (team/league marks, etc.) | 40% |
| Branded content | 23% |
| Hospitality/tickets | 19% |
| Athlete rights and appearances | 17% |
| Advertising inventory | 17% |
| Rights to property's business in the category | 12% |
| Signage | 9% |
Note: Readers could make two selections.
Responses 622
LEAST VALUABLE property assets in a typical sports sponsorship package
| Signage | 30% |
| Hospitality/tickets | 29% |
| Athlete rights and appearances | 25% |
| Rights to property's business in the category | 22% |
| Branded content | 17% |
| Advertising inventory | 16% |
| Exclusivity | 13% |
| Intellectual property (team/league marks, etc.) | 10% |
Note: Readers could make two selections.
Responses 612
Getty Images Corporate sponsor you would most want aligned with your property
| Nike | 39% |
| Apple | 26% |
| Coca-Cola | 22% |
| Anheuser-Busch | 19% |
| American Express | 12% |
| Visa | 12% |
Note: Readers could make up to three selections.
Responses 618
Property a corporate sponsor would most want to identify with
| NFL | 53% |
| MLB | 9% |
| PGA Tour | 8% |
Responses 624
Don Muret / Staff Compared to before the recession, how important is hospitality/tickets in a sponsorship package?
| More important | 34% |
| Less important | 25% |
| About the same | 35% |
| No opinion | 6% |
Responses 619
