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We are hearing, in detail, from the NFL as the league shares it's perspective on the 2026 Draft which will be in Pittsburgh. My interview with Matt Shapiro, NFL VP of event strategy and integration.
The wheels are already in motion here in Pittsburgh, the host city for the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, we've heard from the Steelers, the city and the county only on for tonight, we hear from the NFL for the first time since Pittsburgh secured the 2026 draft. And our first question to the league, what secured the draft for the Steel City? They they really were able to share their vision clearly from our first conversation of how this event could be in Pittsburgh, how it would raise the bar for the draft, how it would help Pittsburgh overall, how would support the Steelers overall. So I think they articulated that vision really well and really clearly from the jump. While the Steel City will be the host, the draft is an NFL event just like the Super Bowl. But Shapiro tells me the league will collaborate, not dictate the game plan. That's still in development. And so at this stage, we don't know exactly where the the literal stage will be. We don't know exactly where every element will be. We know that we'll use elements of Point State Park, elements of kind of the parking lots of of Acrisure, perhaps the stadium itself. And that plan will evolve as the NFL juggles other major events in the countdown to 2026. While our our eyes will be on Pittsburgh, we also have to keep our focus on Green Bay in 2025 and, you know, New Orleans Super Bowl in 2024. So it's a lot of the same individuals who are working on all those. He says it's Pittsburgh, it's April, we get rain, sometimes snow, as you know, the rivers tend to flood from time to time. So do you have any contingency plans if weather does become an issue or maybe even flooding becomes an issue here? We know there were some really tough flooding this past spring. We had those conversations with the Steelers. Ultimately, we're all comfortable moving forward that we'll we'll have plans in place and that's frankly what the next two years are for. And just like the players being drafted, the league knows the true impact for Pittsburgh will be felt. After April of 2026, NFL events can sort of serve as these springboard moments and revitalization moments for cities who are looking to to kind of change things or evolve things. So, you know, we'll work closely with with the, you know, group overall, the Steelers local organizing committee and city to support that however you can. Now, Shapiro adds one of the factors that secure the 2026 draft for Pittsburgh. It's geographic location and proximity to so many NFL cities. But Shapiro says get ready to see fans of the Ravens, the Browns, the Bengals, Lions and many more flooding our black and gold streets in 2026.
Big Game Buzz: Concussions, CTE, and the Unraveling Mystery 🧠🌐 Ever wondered about the real story behind concussions in sports?
As Super Bowl fervor grips the nation, Dr. Donna Broshek invites you to question the headlines. "It’s not just football," she says. From the gridiron to everyday activities, concussions can happen anywhere. 🌍💬
Join the conversation, rethink assumptions, and gain a deeper perspective on the relationship between head injuries and potential long-term consequences.
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Today, the spotlight is on Ben Smith, our Head of Sports. Many of you know him for his inspiring "Mr. Smith's Weekly Words of Wisdom" in our weekly sports news. Today, we’ll get to know the man behind the wisdom and guidance. Let's dive into Ben's journey and insights:https://lnkd.in/dS3VnCTh
Last Monday, at his annual Super Bowl press conference, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the league’s experiments with streaming broadcasts. Specifically, he was asked why “a lot of fans were upset” about the exclusive broadcast of its Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock last month (which I wrote about in “Peacock's NFL Wild Card DTC Lessons for CNN & ESPN”). Goodell responded that the NFL still has “over 90% of our games on free television” but:
“...our fans are on these platforms. Our fans want to access them. The technology is extraordinary. You can do things on some of these platforms that you can't do on a linear platform. So, for us it's part of the future. I don't know where it goes from here but we're going to continue to reach our fans where they are with the best possible production, the best possible technology.”
His answer implied the premise of the question was wrong. Enough fans have cut the cord that the test was necessary. If fans were unhappy—and, some fans were indeed unhappy—then why did the game reach 23 million viewers on Peacock, NFL+ and on NBC affiliates in Kansas City and Miami? And, why did it reach 27.6 million viewers overall on a platform that has struggled to climb past 30 million subscribers?
It is all progress, both incremental and speculative. The wholesale model which has delivered 90% of the NFL’s audience, to date, is now perceived to be facing an “extinction-level event”. But, the lesson from the NFL’s past season is the wholesale model is nowhere near disappearing. Goodell said in the same response that we will not see a streaming-only Super Bowl “in my lifetime”. The only certainty is that fans still exist, the challenge lies in reaching them and subscriptions may not be the ultimate solution.
****Key Takeaway***
For all the worrisome talk of “extinction events” in media, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s mindset is that NFL fandom is evolving and not disappearing. But, Goodell seems to worry most about the future of subscription models in sports media.
[Link to the full essay in the comments below]
#nfl#superbowl#peacock#sportsmediahttps://lnkd.in/e_HyVWnj
On September 10th, 'Tuned In' will come to life as a one-day event in New York City with the biggest newsmakers in sports media.
The daylong event will feature intimate discussions with leaders within the sports media space—ranging from athletes and on-air talent, to media moguls and league executives who are instrumental in shaping the future of how fans view sports.
Join us Sept. 10 at the Times Center » gofos.co/3yIqNLG
Thanks to Erik Bacharach at Sports Business Journal for including me in these fun articles this week! Lots of really great ideas from many industry leaders in each article.
Will be curious to see how many of the 2024 predictions come true....
#sportsbusiness#leadership
The possibility of the NFL taking equity in ESPN is intriguing for a lot of reasons, but it's no simple corporate transaction. In this week's Sports Business Journal, I dig into exactly why it's so complicated. One reason: the NFLPA contract.
Any deal that lowers the NFL's short-term media revenue will be looked upon very skeptically by the players union. That and more here:
https://lnkd.in/eJdtnhPv
The possibility of the NFL taking equity in ESPN is intriguing for a lot of reasons, but it's no simple corporate transaction. In this week's Sports Business Journal, I dig into exactly why it's so complicated. One reason: the NFLPA contract.
Any deal that lowers the NFL's short-term media revenue will be looked upon very skeptically by the players union. That and more here:
https://lnkd.in/eJdtnhPv
(Product Leader looking for my next challenge | 2019 OC Laureate | Brand + Culture enthusiast | Startup Strategy | Grew brands w/ little to no 💰 | Prev: Google Maps, Gen110, vitaminwater, Paciolan)
The impact of incremental revenue cannot be understated in the event space.
Usage of inventory features like Seat level pricing (SLP) and platinum have been integral to this incremental revenue strategy. Especially in non-traditional events like international tournaments, celebrity matches, concerts, etc.
Newer features like SLP and platinum are an entirely new way to price inventory than they’re used to. It took some convincing internally with client partners and clients to initially adopt. Clients trusted their client partners and our product team to deliver.
The results speak for themselves 👏🏼
Congrats to our partners at Texas A&M for their incredible success in generating incremental revenue with nontraditional events. We are proud to be a part of it! https://bit.ly/4csAJXm
Sportscaster/Studio Pre & Post-Game Host/Play-By-Play Announcer/Motivational Speaker/Crisis-Communications Consultant
2moExciting Times In The Steel City!!!! 🏈 🏈 🏈