The NFL won the SBA for Event of the Year for the '19 draft, which drew 600,000 people to Lower Broadway in Nashville for the three-day affair. The free-to-attend festivities served as a massive platform for 41 different brands, the NFL, and football itself. “At its core, the NFL Draft has always been a place for football fans to chase hope: hope for the future, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a draft pick that leads the team to a Super Bowl win,” said Eric Finkelstein, NFL Senior Dir of Event Operations, in his acceptance speech. “Even if you strip away the big stages and parties, you can’t strip away the hope. Whether we are celebrating with the scene on Lower Broadway or virtually, like the event’s 2020 called for, the Draft is ultimately about the promise of the future.” It was the NFL’s second win in the category, after the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.
SPONSOR OF THE YEAR: Visa won the award for Sports Sponsor of the Year. The award was accepted by Tuesday Uhland, Visa’s VP/Communications for Global Sponsorship, Brand and Product. “We know that sports can serve as an agent for change, for inclusivity and gender equality, both of which are top priority for Visa. We’re committed to leveraging our sports partnerships to advocate for issues that we so deeply believe in, a promise rooted in our company’s values, but also within us as individuals.” Last year, Visa expanded its support of women’s soccer with a five-year deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation, through which it sponsored the USWNT at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and became presenting sponsor of the SheBelieves Cup. “We challenge others who have this same global voice to speak up, to explore and invest in impactful work,” said Uhland. Visa also sponsors the NFL, FIFA and the Olympic Games. Visa has twice before been nominated for the SBA for best sponsor, winning in 2010.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR: The Premier Lacrosse League won the Sports Business Awards category for breakthrough of the year, a validation of the concept that star Paul Rabil and his brother, Mike, had when they founded the challenger property. The PLL had its inaugural season in '19 and the league has disrupted the entire lacrosse industry, with a spate of players from other leagues leaving to join the upstart property. The PLL, which had to move to a bubble concept for the ’20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, has a media-rights deal with NBC Sports and has lined up sponsors including Adidas, Gatorade and Progressive. Paul accepted the award.
