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Volume 2, Chapter 1 The allocation of rewards in athletic contests -individual sports. Individual sports. Individual athletes operate outside league structure Organized around professional tour of events, matches, races in disparate geographic locations
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Volume 2, Chapter 1The allocation of rewards in athletic contests-individual sports
Individual sports • Individual athletes operate outside league structure • Organized around professional tour of events, matches, races in disparate geographic locations • Usually include governing bodies, event owners/operators, athletes, agents • Governing body establish playing and eligibility rules, sanction events, administration • similar to league office in team sports • Generate revenue from media rights, sponsorships, tickets, athlete fees • PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, ATP Tour, WTA Tour, NASCAR… • Require strong leader to improve sport, maximize profit
Individual athletes • Independent contractors • Income from prize money, endorsements, appearance fee • Not unionized, do not deal with owners and governing bodies in singular fashion • Average individual athletes earn less money than average team sport athletes • Responsible for many of their own expenses • Travel, lodging, coaching, equipment, training facilities…
Event owners • Gate receipts significant revenue for event owners • Important to secure commitment from marquee athletes • In Tennis, IMG and Octagon agencies control ~80% events, represent ~75% athletes
PGA Tour – history/membership • Professional Golfers Association of America • Formed in 1968 as nonprofit organization • Regulate, promote, improve business of professional tournament golf • Players must satisfy reasonable performance criteria, 258 members in 2004 • Organize PGA Tour, Champions Tour (age > 50 years), Nationwide Tour
PGA Tour purses • Tournament purses: ~3.5 M -9 M • 4 major championships purses: ~8 M • Champions Tour: purses 1.6 M -2.6 M • Nationwide Tour: purses 450 K – 775 K
Typical PGA Tour tournament set up • PGA Tour contract with a local sponsor, usually nonprofit organization that donate net receipts to charity • Local sponsor arrange golf course, staffing (may up to 1000-1500 people for 80000-160000 spectators) • Local sponsor responsible for paying tournament prize money (tournament purse) • PGA Tour’s major responsibility: arrange and receive right fee for broadcast deal
PGA Tour – media contract • Networks unwilling to broadcast PGA Tour unless local sponsors/PGA ensure substantial portion of TV advertising in late 70s to early 80s • Strategies by former Commissioner Deane Beman • PGA Tour and local sponsor sold advertisers and network package of tournaments, rather than single • Reduce risk for advertisers and networks • Networks often are asked by advertisers to compensate if programming fail to reach anticipated audiences • Use title sponsors to purchase large portion of network advertising, underwrite most/all tournament purse • Conflicting Events Rule, Media Rights Rule
Conflicting Events RuleMedia Rights Rule • Conflicting Events Rule: Limit but not prohibit members from competing at non-PGA tournament • No member shall participate any other golf event on a date when PGA Tour co-sponsored regular event is scheduled • Media Rights Rule: Players assign their media rights to PGA Tour • In return for benefits of membership in PGA tour, including TV coverage • Players agree to limit their appearance on other live or recorded TV golf programs without prior approval of PGA Tour commissioner. Wholly instructional golf program and personal appearance are exempted
PGA Tour not involved • PGA Tour does not run any of the four major championships (the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship), or the Ryder Cup • The PGA of America, runs the PGA Championship • also co-organizes the Ryder Cup with the PGA European Tour • The R&A runs The Open Championship, The Open, British Open) • the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico • only "major" held outside the USA • Augusta National Golf Club runsthe Masters Tournament
Association of Tennis Professionals • Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) • Tournaments with considerable variation in prize purses: 332 K to 3.7 M in 2007 • ATP 1000, ATP 500, ATP 250 • ATP World Tour Finals (changed from Masters Cup since 2009) : 8 highest-ranked players from preceding year, singles and doubles, purse 5.07 M in 2011 • ATP Champions Tour (older players) • ATP Challenger Tour • 1951 ranked players in 2011 • 4 Grand Slams, organized by International Tennis Federation • Purse ~ 8 M
NASCAR • National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) • a family-owned and -operated business venture • sanctions and governs > 1500 races at >100 tracks in 39 states • founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. Current CEO, Brian France, his grandson • 2nd highest TV ratings in professional sports in US • Sprint Cup (highest level), 36 races in 10 months • Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, iRacing.com Series, several regional series
WTA – a troubled model • Women’s tennis has story lines and name recognition • In 2003, no title sponsor, not own its tournaments, not control TV rights • World Tennis Association officially disappeared several years ago • Title sponsor: Corel Sanex none • No title sponsor renewed deal since Virginal Slims pulled out in 1994 • Players stronger affiliation to country, agents, coaches than governing body • Poor media relations staff • IMG and Octagon control flow of information
WTA – a troubled model • WTA hired IMG to find title sponsor • Find Sanex, a European personal products company, not even distribute its brands in US, as title sponsor for 2000 • suggestion in 2003: sell a series of regional sponsorships in ATP model • Most tournaments owned by same agencies that represent players • IMG and Octagon control 75% players, 80% tournaments, control several seats on WTA board • Conflict of interest between agencies and tennis • Individual tournaments sell TV rights • No consistent network appearance
WTA - now • Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, administered and governed by WTA Tour, Inc. • Members: players, recognized Tour Tournaments worldwide, International Tennis Federation (ITF) • Tournament categories: Grand Slam Events, Sony Ericsson Championships, Tier Tournaments • Sony Ericsson Championships: Season-ending championships in November, prize money 3M • 1 mandatory play Tier I Tournament: Sony Ericsson Open - Miami, Florida, USA, prize money 3.45M • Tier I tournaments, minimum prize money 1.34M • Tier II tournaments, minimum prize money 0.6M • Tier III tournaments, minimum prize money 175K • Tier IV tournaments, minimum prize money 145K
WTA - now • Use Player Commitment Formula to regulate good players of the minimum number of participation in tournaments • If a Tournament’s Player Commitment Formula is not met, the affected Tournament shall be compensated (by a percentage of forfeiture to the player) • Apply for a new Tournament to WTA Tours by the owner • Geographical practicality and balance • Television exposure and whether there exists a finalized television commitment or a substantial prospect for same • Facilities • Marketing consideration
WTA - now • Tournament ownership rights: • a week on the Calendar • Level of player participation determined by the WTA Tour (Player Commitment) • exclusive right to organize, promote and exploit the Tournament, to retain any and all proceeds • negotiated benefits package, which may preclude Title Sponsorship of any Tournament in one product category for the Tour Sponsor • advertise and promote the Tournament’s association with the Tour, advertise and promote the participants entered in the Tournament
WTA - now • Tournaments pay WTA Tour fees • funding Tour Operations and Player Services • deducted from each Tournament’s minimum prize money • WTA Tour pay Tournaments from commercial benefits, from 68.7K to 3.5K • website • http://www.wtatennis.com • Results, players, schedule • Live games/videos, App, ringtone, wallpaper, screen saver • http://www.wtatennis.com/page/Calendar
Order of prize in individual sports • Prize money: difference (1st-2nd) >> difference (57th-58th) • Difference in performance may be same (e.g. 1 stroke) • PGA: Usually ~18% total prize money to 1st place, 10.8% to 2nd, 6.8% to 3rd • Difference between 22nd and 23rd: ~0.1% total prize • Similar in tennis
Road races • Participation usually open • Unlike restricted entry in tennis, golf • Prize distribution: 1st: 1; 2nd: 0.5, 3rd: ~0.38 • Only top finishers will be paid • Usually top 5-16 • Performance-related bonuses
Economic point of view:rank-order tournaments • Prizes are fixed in advance, independent of absolute performance • Except road races • Winner receives first prize not for being good, but for being better than 2nd • 1st prize money not affected by the difference between 1st and 2nd • Level of effort depends on size of prize • The larger the prize spread, the higher the effort exerted • Prize structure designed to induce maximal effect • Increase interest of sports fans • Average prize money must be high enough to attract athlete participation
Economic point of view:rank-order tournaments • Athletes adjust behavior/effort in response to his ranking in the tournament • Small or large lead/behind • Risky or safe strategies • Supported in the literature: golf, tennis, bowling, distance running, football… • Sorting function: a pyramidal structure of events • Equivalent to multi-round elimination tournament • Ensure only most able competitors make it to final round/contest • Function of minor tournaments: identify able athletes, avoid contamination of the elite • Prize to 1st round loser in GS > champ in minor tournament
Economic point of view:rank-order tournaments • Top events limit number of entries • Effort the largest effect on changing probability of winning when contestants of similar ability • If ability differs, both contestants restricted their efforts • In road races: organizers support traveling/hotel for seletected top runners • ‘Super contest’ that links together each tournaments • PGA Championship, ATP World Tour Finals, World Marathon Majors • Addition motivation to perform well in individual tournaments over a season • Very high prize
Exception in order of prize: NASCAR • Difference in prize money smaller than that in PGA • Drivers may prevent competitors from succeeding • If incentive for winning is too high, drives may take risk • Tragedy, accident • Give drivers incentive to remain on track for entire race, rather than risk crashing in order to achieve more prize money
World Wrestling Entertainment • Formerly World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, established in 1987 • Initial public offering (IPO) in 1999 • Began trade stock on New York Stock Exchange in 2000 • Integrated media and entertainment company, engaged in development, production, marketing of TV programming, pay-per-view programming, live events, licensing and sale of branded consumer products featuring WWE brand • Key economic drivers: live event attendance, pay-per-view buys, TV ratings
Creative development/production • Create 2 separate and distinct brands: Raw, SmackDown! • Distinct storylines, separate live event tours • Acquisition of assets/wrestlers from World Championship Wrestling and other competing companies • Creative team, headed by Vincent McMahon, develop soap opera-like storylines • Same techniques used by many successful TV series • Compelling and complex characters, combine social satire, action adventure, drama, athleticism, humor • Exaggerated version of real life situations, good vs evil, settling the score • Storyline played in ring, weekly/monthly TV show/event
Creative development/production • Develop character for each performer • Define and emphasize through various accessories: costumes, entrance music… • Success lies in continuing popularity of performers • Exclusive contracts with ~150 performers in 2002 • Long-term contracts with established performers • Continue to recruit talent, participate in extensive developmental training program • Promising candidates often ‘loaned’ to regional promoters to hone skills by working in front of live audience and appearing on local TV programs • Popular performers incorporated into TV/pay-per-view to fully develop their characters
WWE – live events and programming • Each event highly theatrical production • Involve significant degree of audience participation, special effects including lighting, powerful entrance music, pyrotechnics (煙火) • 327 live events in 193 north American cities in 2003, ~30 international events planned • $39 per ticket • Promote live events on TV, radio, print, internet • Independent producer of TV programming • 7 shows, 9 hrs/week for 52 weeks/year, broadcast in >130 countries and 12 different languages • 12 domestic pay-per-view, some also international • Audience aged 12-34
WWE - revenue 2003 • Live events, TV/pay-per-view 295.4M • 72.2M from live events, domestic TV rights fee 38.8M, international TV rights fee 19.7M, advertising 72.9M, pay-per-view 91.1M • Sold advertising time to food/beverage, video game, toy, movie, telecommunication • Package sponsorships: TV, internet, print, arena signage, on-air announcements, special appearance by performers, produce commercial featuring performers • Branded merchandise 78.9M • Toys, video games, apparel • Use internet to promote brand, create community experience, market/distribute products
WWE - analysis • Softening in key drivers in 2002, continue in 2003 • Net revenue 438.2M in 2001, 409.6M in 2002, 374.3M in 2003 • 2002 vs 2001: 7%, 12.2M in live/TV, 18.8 M in branded merchandise • 2003 vs 2002: 9%, 28.1M in live/TV, 7.2 M in branded merchandise • TV ratings, attendance at live events, pay-per-view buys all decreased • Audience for sports entertainment contracted and/or moved to other forms of entertainment
Professional boxing • Many parties influence/direnct boxer’s career • Manager: represent boxer in all business negotiations, including selection and negotiation contract of promoter, selecting trainer, approving opponents; in exchange for percentage of boxer’s purse for each bout (usually 1/3 for manager and trainer) • Manager usually pay training expenses and rent in boxer’s early career • Promoter: agree to provide certain number of bouts and compensation, in exchange for exclusive promotional rights to the boxer • Boxing commission of the state: regulate each bout held in the state, health/safety procedure, select judges • Boxer’s goal: rank as contender, fight/win world champ
Professional boxing - promoter • Assume financial risk for promotion of each match • Guarantee each fighter a certain purse • Pay all expenses of promotion • Earn the difference between total revenues and total expenses for promotion of a bout • Direct conflict of interest with boxers • Revenue sources • Live gate receipt, or site fee paid to promoter (usually major fights take place in casino, casino responsible for ticket sale) • Domestic/foreign TV rights: most important • Sale of advertising rights, video, fight programs
Professional boxing – sanctioning organizations • Only involved with championship and title-elimination matches • International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council • Each designate a world champ in each weight division, and top 10-20 contenders per division • Sanction ‘championship bout’, attract TV and live attendance • Sanction fee usually 3% each boxer’s purse • No matter how talented a boxer may be, can only be guaranteed a fair opportunity at success if all parties fulfill their roles in honest and faithful manner