Kentucky Derby Delay Sees Louisville Holding Out for September
For just the second time in its 145-year history, and first since 1945, the Kentucky Derby will not be held in May. Instead, it is now scheduled for September 5. The shift in date, however, won’t change how important the first leg of the Triple Crown is to the city of Louisville, or how Louisville Tourism positions the event, which is the most important to the city’s economy. The other two legs of the Triple Crown- the Preakness Stakes and […]
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Coronavirus’ Impact on Sports
Sports Industry Coronavirus Primer
In an effort to help make sense of how Coronavirus is impacting the US sports industry, we’ve put together this quick report of proprietary data from FOS reader surveys and additional research. All FOS survey data is based on a minimum of 250 responses from industry executives. The wait is about to get longer… On March 12th, the day following the NBA’s decision to suspend the season, 64.5% of our audience would have attended a sporting event the next day […]
With No Sports To Cover, Newspapers Either Retrench Or Get Creative
When Boston Globe sports editor Matt Pepin first heard that NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, he sensed in his gut the sports business was headed for a long, painful shutdown. Pepin immediately asked his staff for “creative” ways to cover a sports world with virtually no live sports. His team responded with ten pages of story ideas, ranging from personal recollections of covering Boston’s biggest events to in-depth features on the inner workings of teams and leagues […]
College Esports to Carry On in Now-Crowded Online Space
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference was set to become one of the first Division I NCAA Conferences to hold its esports championships concurrently with its men’s and women’s basketball championships this month in Atlantic City. But, as coronavirus-caused cancellations swept through the sports world, that feat never came to fruition as the basketball tournaments were shuttered. However, the esports championship will continue, as the beauty of esports is that, in a time where live events are no longer possible, the […]
PGA Tour Adopts Four-Step Social Media Strategy To Combat Loss Of Events
Still feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the PGA Tour has restructured its online presence to adjust to a world without professional golf. “We had 144 athletes playing across 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on a first-round type of thing,” Laura Neal, the Tour’s senior vice president of communications and media, said. “It’s just a constant turn – and you go from that to zero.” FOS REPORT: 54.5% of industry executives believe that it would be at least 60 […]
Featured Stories
Videos
Shot Callers: Kari Cohen, General Counsel, New York Red Bulls
While Kari Cohen only joined the New York Red Bulls in January as the club’s new general counsel, the accomplished sports executive sees a bright future ahead for soccer in the U.S. But while she is new to the sport, Cohen is not new to the field of sports law, most recently serving as the deputy general counsel at BSE Global. Cohen sat down with Front Office Sports Editor Ian Thomas to chat about what drew her to this role […]
Shot Callers: Riley Mahoney, Senior Merchandise Manager, MLS at adidas
With Major League Soccer beginning its 25th season, the league worked with its jersey provider adidas to design new jerseys for each of the league’s 26 clubs. Riley Mahoney, senior merchandise manager at adidas for MLS, joins Ian Thomas to discuss the new threads for the 2020 season and the thought that went into designing them. Edited highlights appear below: On the approach to the jerseys for this season (0:18) Mahoney: “Really this journey started back in 2018. It’s a […]
Shot Callers: Janet Duch, President, New York Guardians
The XFL’s New York Guardians entered their inaugural season with a tough task on their plate. In a market like New York City, it’s difficult for fledgeling professional sports teams to stand out from the competition. The organization’s president, Janet Duch, sits down with Ian Thomas in the latest episode of Shot Callers to discuss the team’s launch and give her own perspective on taking over a new franchise. Edited highlights appear below: On important aspects of creating the team’s […]
Podcasts
Office Hours: Rich Antoniello, Founder and CEO, Complex Networks
Rich Antionello, founder and CEO of Complex, discusses sports, media and the life of an entrepreneur.
Office Hours: VaynerSports’ Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk on Agency Life, Ups and Downs, and the Future of Sports
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Powered by RedCircle Welcome to a new episode of Office Hours: a podcast with Front Office Sports CEO Adam White and figures from the sports industry centered around three basic questions: “What’s on your mind today?”, “What are you excited about?”, and “Any big ideas or theories you want to share?” On today’s episode we’re joined by Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk, founders of VaynerMedia, a social-media focused digital agency, and VaynerSports, a full-service athletic representation agency. Gary Vaynerchuk […]
Office Hours: Yahoo Sports’ Geoff Reiss on Bowling, Finding Fans and NFL Media Rights
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Powered by RedCircle Welcome to a new episode of Office Hours: a podcast with Front Office Sports CEO Adam White and figures from the sports industry centered around three basic questions: “What’s on your mind today?”, “What are you excited about?”, and “Any big ideas or theories you want to share?” On today’s episode, we are joined by Geoff Reiss, General Manager of Yahoo Sports. Reiss’s extensive resume in the sports media space includes time with Newsweek, ESPN, the […]
Office Hours: Donn Davis on The Business of MMA
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Powered by RedCircle Welcome to a new episode of Office Hours: a podcast with Front Office Sports CEO Adam White and figures in the sports industry that’s centered around three basic questions: “What’s on your mind today?”, “What are you excited about?”, and “Any big ideas or theories you want to share?” On today’s episode, White is joined by Donn Davis, chairman and co-founder of the Professional Fighters League. A lifelong entrepreneur, Davis proved successful in technology, hospitality […]