The 10th installment of the annual SportsBusiness Journal/Sports Business Daily Reader Survey was a monumental project in more ways than one. More than 1,000 votes were cast across a dozen categories of questions.
In honor of the survey’s anniversary, we included several questions that took a decade-long perspective on the sports business industry and its leaders. For example, readers were asked to identify the biggest challenge facing the sports industry in the decade ahead. The top choice: the live game experience keeping pace with the at-home experience.
Readers also voted on who would make their “Mount Rushmore of Sports Executives” and “Mount Rushmore of Team Owners” for the past decade. Who made the list? See inside.
As for other highlights:
■ The fallout from the NFL’s handling of domestic violence cases was apparent, especially with Commissioner Roger Goodell, who came in an unheard-of second in voting for least-effective commissioner. He managed only a fourth-place showing in votes for most-effective commissioner. In the history of the survey, the NFL commissioner has dominated questions about effectiveness. In addition, more than half of readers said they don’t think Goodell will still be commissioner five years from now.
■ On the other hand, the strength of the NFL itself was undeniable. For example, readers easily voted the league as the most desirable property for sponsors.
■ Adam Silver’s quick start as NBA commissioner set him at the top of voting for most-effective commissioner. The NBA also finished first in voting for the most innovative property.
■ Most readers don’t think it will be long before the new College Football Playoff expands from four to eight teams, with more than 40 percent expecting such a move in less than four years.
■ The price of tickets and the cost of food and beverages are the biggest gripes with attending a sporting event, well ahead of wireless connectivity.
■ More than two-thirds of readers say they have a Twitter account that they use at least weekly. In comparison, in 2009’s survey only 36 percent of voters said they used Twitter.
Those are only a few highlights from the nearly 100 questions readers voted on. Once again, Turnkey Sports & Entertainment handled the technical aspects of the project. Turnkey set up the online site where readers cast their votes and then tabulated the results. The survey was conducted Oct. 13-Nov. 2.
The results on the following pages show only the top vote-getters for each of the questions. For additional coverage of the survey this week, visit SportsBusinessDaily.com.
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