New York Times Advertising’s Post

Innovation at its finest. The Athletic's new strategic partnership with eBay is a move that taps into the growing sports memorabilia market - think trading cards, exclusive collectibles, and one-of-one memorabilia. By combining eBay’s vast commerce platform with The Athletic’s sports coverage, the two are diversifying revenue streams AND engaging a new cohort of sports fans. This is how you leverage new markets to drive growth. 👏 #Innovation #StrategicPartnership #eCommerceInnovation #MarketExpansion #SportsInnovation

By now everyone’s heard of Michael Rubin - but how well do you know Fanatics and the future of fandom? WHY IT MATTERS: Because Fanatics is succeeding through what dozens of legacy brands are fighting today — expansion into none-core competencies - chasing the multi-verse of incredibly valuable fandom across different mediums, channels and business models. Today, Fanatics is the biggest manufacturer and distributor of sports fan apparel in the US with an estimated revenue north of $8 billion. But more interestingly, it’s intent on dominating everything sports touches - an increasingly wide universe of entertainment, art, live experiences, gaming, fashion, live streaming, music, gambling, collecting (valued at $31 billion alone), and more. How is Fanatics expanding to touch all parts of sports fans’ lives? Well, it recently acquired the largest trading card company, Topps. It’s also moved into online sports betting, launched a live shopping app, and acquired auction and sales sites for trading cards and sports memorabilia. While some see it as unfocused and immature, others see it as a natural progression based on the passion points of its core users. Fanatics could create podcasts and YouTube livestreams, like DraftKings, or acquire a television network, like Bally. It could make investments in ticketing, allowing a fan in Boston to buy Red Sox seats—and a Rafael Devers jersey—and accumulate enough points to add in a free bet on the home team. Fast Company writes, “The previous night, in the kind of flex he specializes in, Rubin had invited his friends Odell Beckham Jr. and Derek Jeter to a studio at Fanatics HQ in New York to open boxes of Topps cards—a “break,” as industry insiders call it. Halfway through the livestream, he’d FaceTimed a different buddy, Tom Brady, who showed off a pile of jerseys from various points in his career. “It’s really all one customer base,” Rubin told me in Texas. “Look around the room. We know everyone here is into trading cards, but how many also buy licensed apparel? And how many bet on sports?” He caught himself. “Well, it’s not legal in Texas yet, so how many bet on sports illegally? Probably a lot. Again: It’s one customer base, and we can reach them all.” Full read ---> https://lnkd.in/eVsj5d6C

Discovering new revenue streams is like finding buried treasure in the sports world! Embrace an omni-channel strategy and digital tools to connect with fans on a deeper level while growing your business. Read more #ETInsights #Sports #FanEngagement #InnovateToGrow #OmniChannels #Strategy Ravi Kukreja

New Post: Will Fanatics Upend the World of Sports Collectibles? - On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, thousands of people filed into a dated convention center near O’Hare Airport to participate in the very American pastime of buying and selling sports trading cards.The Chicago Sports Spectacular, one of the country’s biggest and oldest card shows, is like a rummage sale from the days before eBay, but with way more money involved. The 400 or so collectibles dealers set up well-worn cardboard boxes packed with cards of various players past and present from various sports, their prices handwritten on Post-it notes: $45 for a Luka Doncic card, $100 for Zion Williamson and so on.To get inside, collectors paid a $15 cash-only admission fee, then spent hours lugging briefcases and wheelies through the maze of tables stacked high with cards. They rifled through boxes and piles of merchandise looking for rare finds like signed Mickey Mantle baseballs and Michael Jordan rookie-year cards as they tried to cross items off their wish lists.The eclectic — some could argue eccentric — dealers kibitzed about business trends and marveled about how quickly kids’ interests were changing as groups of boys sat on the floor showing off their favorite cards.These very analog shows have been the backbone of the multibillion-dollar hobby, as people involved call it, for decades. But this musty corner of the sports retail world may soon be completely upended.Fanatics, which already dominates the sports merchandise world through its deals with professional leagues and its sales of replica jerseys, has entered the fray with big money, sharp elbows and Hollywood gloss, signing stars like Tom Brady and LeBron James to exclusive deals. Its aim is to entirely revamp the sports collectibles universe.Two years ago, Fanatics reached a deal to become the exclusive trading card partner of Major League Baseball and the baseball players’ union. It then bought Topps, the iconic trading card maker, for roughly $500 million, becoming a kingpin in an industry worth an estimated $44 billion, according to Verified Market Research, a data firm.“This is an industry that’s lived in the shadows for all intents and purposes, and now we’re bringing a degree of prominence and relevance to it, and making it cool, fun and exciting,” Mike Mahan, who leads Fanatics’ Collectibles, the company’s trading card division, and has been traveling to shows like the one outside Chicago, said in an interview. “We want this to be something that everyone’s excited to be a part of, whether you’re a collector, whether an athlete, whether you’re a shop owner.”Fanatics’ entry has unnerved many in the trading card universe. But Chris Keller, a longtime collector and shopkeeper in Elgin, Ill., who has attended the Chicago show for the past decade, said he had long thought the memorabilia world was ripe for disrupting.“I said someday, somebody, an entity, a person, Mark Cuban, Elon

🛑 Don’t get stuck in your industry lane! So much to learn if you keep your head up. Magnetic talent and diversification. Those are the two things I pulled from this article. ✌🏼

Why does the NCAA Tournament mean so much? In the US, March Madness is a "Sell OUT" for ticket buyers AND advertisers! #digitalmarketing #creativeadvertising #mobileadvertising #artificialintelligence #contentmarketing #advertisingandmarketing #publicrelations #viralmarketing

M&A activity for sports media websites has been strong for as long as the internet has been around. Over time, the prices for these assets have gone up considerably due to things such as betting, fan growth, diversified revenue streams, etc... My bet? They’ll only continue to get bigger as sports continue to expand globally. Here are 10 of the biggest deals done throughout the history of the industry: #sportsbusiness #sportsindustry #sportsmedia

🚀 Exciting times in the US sports betting market! With states rapidly legalizing sports gambling and the market expected to be worth over $40 billion by 2030, the growth potential is enormous. As brands navigate this booming landscape, the focus shifts to innovation and cost-efficient user acquisition strategies. At GamerPro, we're ahead of the curve, offering a unique funnel that transforms mobile gamers into first-time depositors. Our model cuts through traditional high costs associated with customer acquisition by tapping into the massive, engaged audience of mobile gaming. This approach promises lower costs and aligns perfectly with personalization and enhanced user experience market trends. As the market evolves, the need for tailored, culturally aware strategies becomes clear. Let's explore how we can collaborate to leverage these dynamics for your brand's growth. Contact us to see how we can transform challenges into opportunities together. https://lnkd.in/dj9f6PwH #SportsBetting #Innovation #UserAcquisition #GamingIndustry #Partnerships

Visualizing the Growth of U.S. Sports Betting https://ift.tt/8qZp352 See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Visualizing the Growth of U.S. Sports Betting This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. The global sports betting industry has grown exponentially over the last few years, with a significant share of that growth coming from the United States. This graphic shows annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) from sports betting in the U.S., with data coming from the American Gaming Association. What is GGR? GGR is the total amount of money wagered minus winnings. For example, if a player wagers $1,000,000 at a casino and wins $900,000, GGR would be $100,000. Sports Betting Still a Young Industry Sports betting in the U.S. was first legalized in May 2018, after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. PASPA had effectively outlawed sports betting nationwide. Since 2018, gross gaming revenue has jumped from $400 million to $11 billion in 2023. Year Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) Label 2018 0.4 $0.4B 2019 0.9 $0.9B 2020 1.5 $1.5B 2021 4.3 $4.3B 2022 7.5 $7.5B 2023 11.0 $11.0B Betting is particularly big in Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania due to early legalization, robust regulatory frameworks, and strong sports cultures. Nevada, boosted by Las Vegas, generated over $5 billion in commercial gaming revenue (including other casino revenue streams) over the first four months of 2024, while New Jersey and Pennsylvania each generated over $2 billion. According to the American Gaming Association, 38 states (and DC) have legalized sports betting to date. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out this graphic, which shows the top NFL teams by revenue. The post Visualizing the Growth of U.S. Sports Betting appeared first on Visual Capitalist. INFO via Visual Capitalist https://ift.tt/CXnSlci July 5, 2024 at 07:03AM

The betting aspect of the sports business is something that intrigues me most about the growth of professional leagues, the revenues of the AGA, and our economy in general. Currently, some form of sports betting has been legalized in 38 states. In addition to that, betting on games has become a generally accepted function of popular sports culture and media. Additionally, tons of networks have adapted to the growth of the betting sector (ie, ESPN, Barstool Sports, and pro organizations). The marketing of sports betting seems to persuade some consumers that sports betting can be a "long-term investment" and the access to data intrigues these consumers to make certain betting decisions. The past Superbowl has brought the industry to new heights and its growth seems limitless in the short amount of time it has been legalized. Where will it go from here? Curious to hear my network's opinions.