The study looks to both academic and industry resources to provide information that is relevant and ethical and provides outstanding sponsorship expertise for sponsors, sponsees and agencies.

Here are a few notable statistics from the study:

• Sponsorship marketing budgets increased to 29.6% in 2011 from 22.3% in 2010
• Sponsorship industry size increased to 1.59B in 2011 from 1.55B in 2010
• Sponsorship activation increases purchase intent by 475%* however activation spending continues to fall below the minimum recommended 1:1 activation ratio**
• Festivals, Fairs and Annual Events are seeing the largest growth in sponsorship spending

The next edition of the CSLS will be the seventh version of its kind and the study has been in place since 2007.

Initial data for the CSLS is collected, analyzed and presented at the Sponsorship Marketing Council of Canada (SMCC) Conference in Toronto on April 25, 2013. The survey will remain live and additional findings will be presented at the 2013 Canadian Sponsorship Forum from May 24-26, 2013, held in conjunction with the MasterCard Memorial Cup in Saskatoon.

For more information about the CSLS, you can read the Canadian Sponsorship Landscape study.

Canadian Sponsorship Forum

As mentioned above, this information will be presented at the 2013 Canadian Sponsorship Forum this May. The ninth annual Forum is presented by TrojanOne and hosted by the 2013 Mastercard Saskatoon Memorial Cup. It brings together top marketing professionals, who will be responsible for sharing ideas and creating the future of sponsorship.

At the forum attendees will explore the latest research, analysis, trends and more, while connecting with the brightest minds in the sponsorship marketing community.

It is a networking, marketing and sponsorship event like no other and includes workshops, roundtable discussions, hot topic discussions, hands on training sessions, special interest panels and keynote presentations. The information is next to endless.

For more information about the Canadian Sponsorship Forum you can watch the following video.

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/22/sponsorship-marketing-budgets-increasing-in-canada/

The action is bound to be exciting like it is every year.

Upsets will happen, game winning shots will occur and no one will be able to predict the eventual winner of the tournament because as we all know, surprises always happen in the NCAA. This is why March Madness is one of the best tournaments in sports.

It was announced earlier this month that the Big East division would become a newly named division and have teams break away from it. For the time-being the media is calling it the old Big East.

The new Big East division will feature  the ‘Catholic 7′ schools that broke away from the old Big East earlier this month – Providence, Georgetown, St. John’s, Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall and DePaul – as well as three newly announced members Butler, Creighton and Xavier.

It was recently announced that Fox Sports has officially purchased the rights to coverage of the new Big East. An outstanding sports business move by Fox Sports.

The deal is a 12-year agreement and comes one day after ESPN purchased the rights to coverage of the old Big East.

The agreement grants Fox Sports rights to all conference-controlled men’s basketball games, select rights to women’s basketball, all Olympic sports and extensive rights for highlights and to produce ancillary programming.

Fox Sports 1 will be the primary outlet for the Big East coverage, broadcasting over 100 hours of Big East games including the Big East tournament.

With the agreement, Fox Sports now holds media rights associated with five major college conferences: Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA.

“We applaud all the Big East schools for taking responsibility for their own destiny and forming what is clearly one of the top college basketball leagues in the country,” said Randy Freer, Fox Sports co-president and COO.

“The quality of the competition is obvious. Five teams who will play in the renewed Big East next season are playing in this year’s NCAA tournament, and seven qualified for postseason play overall. We’re extremely proud and fortunate to offer college basketball of this caliber on FS1 next season and for many seasons to come.”

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/22/sports-business-fox-sports-buys-rights-to-new-big-east/

The stadium is set to open its doors for the start of the 2014 season and will house up to 68,500 fans, who, if technology continues on its current plane, will have access to a Wi-Fi network on some kind of device.

Until this point, it was not physically possible to open a Wi-Fi connection of this size to stadium attendees, but former Facebook employees Dan Williams and Kunal Malik look to change this.

Williams is now the senior IT director of the Niners and Mailk is the team’s CTO. The twosome envision the new stadium as a data center for its guests and are certain that they can give all 68,500 people an available Wi-Fi connection at one time.

Both Williams and Malik say it can and will be done when the new stadium opens, although some people may disagree.

“Can 70,000 people get on the network at once? The answer to that is no,” said John Brams, director of hospitality and venues at the Patriots’ network vendor, Enterasys.

“If everyone tried to do it all at once, that’s probably not going to happen.”

Just to give you an example of how limited Wi-Fi access has been in the past, the Patriots have never had more then 10,000 people simultaneously connect at one time and never more then 16,000 people over the course of one game. At last season’s Super Bowl in New Orleans Wi-Fi only reached the devices of 30,00 in-house fans at one time.

The task is a daunting one for Williams and Malik and it may not even be necessary, but the pair is confident that it is possible and they plan on making it a reality.

How do they plan on accomplishing this?

It has to do with the design of the stadium.

The Santa Clara Stadium design will be unique to football stadiums, according to Williams and the access points will be spread and distributed.

The 49ers are testing designs in Candlestick Park and experimenting with different access points in a lab. The movement of fans and the impact of weather on Wi-Fi performance are among the factors under analysis.

Wi-Fi will be available in the stands, suites, walkways and the rest of the stadium, but the team has not yet decided whether to make Wi-Fi available in outdoor areas such as concourses and parking lots.

If Williams and Malik can pull this off, they could be innovators in future designs of sports stadiums around the globe.

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/20/sports-technology-the-greatest-wi-fi-network-in-football/

The athletes provide a variety of different experiences to the public such as: coaching, social dinners and lunches, game watching and analysis, corporate speaking, client entertaining and events, celebrations including birthday parties and bar mitzvahs, flag football, golf outings, charity event hosting and auction items.

Athletes such as baseball’s R.A. Dickey and Keith Hernandez, football’s Eric Dickerson and Lawrence Taylor, basketball’s Zach Randolph and Caron Butler and hockey’s Clark Gillies and Mike Bossy grace the roster of Thuzio for event experiences.

Thuzio helps the public connect to professional athletes and other talent for unforgettable experiences. They make it easy to book online by providing pricing, handling all the communications, payments and logistics with the talent, and ensuring a great customer experience.

Thuzio also offers athletes a way of keeping their lives in check financially after their sports career is over.

Nearly 80 per cent of professional athletes end their pro career without any kind of fall back plan financially. They wind up jobless and fall into financial trouble which can lead to bankruptcy and divorce. Thuzio pays the athlete 80 percent of the fees collected and retains the rest.

The company was founded by former NFL running back Tiki Barber – of New York Giants fame – and Mark Gerson, the co-founder and Chairman of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), the largest expert network company in the world.

For more information about Thuzio check out this article Sports Networker’s COO, Trevor Turnbull wrote for Entrepreneur in February titled: Former NFL Running Back Tiki Barber Creates Online Marketplace for Athletes

You can also watch this great video about Thuzio to get more information about who they are, what they do and how it works.

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/19/thuzio-connects-athletes-with-the-public/

From movie theatres to hotels to fitness clubs, ScentAir’s brand is ever-expanding and they are ensuring that people everywhere get the smell they are interested in achieving no matter what the scenario.

ScentAir has decided to dive nose-first into the sports industry by providing the lovely smell of cotton candy to the noses of adoring St. Louis Rams fans and the Edward Jones Dome.

“One of the first things we wanted to do here was to look at all the ways we can improve the game-day experience for families,” says Brian Killingsworth, vice president of marketing and brand strategy for the Rams.

“We wanted to create a positive first impression for fans when they first walk into the stadium and we trigger their senses.”

How do the Rams go about acheiving this in such a large space? Is it an expensive process? The scent is pumped through the HVAC systems at the two main entrances of the building and that’s it. Quite simple.

Services range from $100 a month for a small storefront to thousands a month for a more complicated space. That price includes everything from the scent development and selection to delivery systems. Killingsworth said the return on investment was hard to measure, but believed the first year was successful and the process will continue.

With the added cotton candy smell floating throughout the building, concessions sales at Edward Jones Dome went up, which including cotton candy. ScentAir reaches the noses of more then four million people a year and are developing new scents everyday. You can follow them on Twitter @ScentAir

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/18/sports-technology-scentair-travels-into-edward-jones-dome/

Until today, nothing to my knowledge. However, that changed when Belvedere Vodka signed a sports sponsorship deal to become the official vodka of the PGA of America and the PGA Championship, the golf season’s final Major.

“The PGA of America is delighted that Belvedere Vodka will serve as the official vodka of the PGA of America and the PGA Championship,” said PGA of America chief business officer Kevin Carter.

Now before everyone freaks out and thinks that golf may turn into what occurred in the film Happy Gilmore, Belvedere Vodka thinks of itself as the gold standard in vodka and that golf represents the kind of clientele they would best be marketed to.

“The PGA of America and its professionals represent the gold standard in the game and business of golf. Through world-class events, such as the PGA Championship, and innovative programmes, they are true innovators in how they engage with their consumers,” said Belvedere Vodka president Charles Gibb.

“Whether it’s at the 19th hole of the golf club or the hospitality areas of the PGA Championship, Belvedere will now be enjoyed by all those who appreciate the finest vodka in the world.”

Belvedere will support the national body and the event until 2015 with a wide-ranging marketing campaign, featuring advertising, social and digital media activation, and point-of-sale promotions, set to run for the duration of the partnership.

The financial terms of the agreement were not released.

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/15/sports-sponsorship-vodka-and-golf/

Cuba, Japan, Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands have advanced into the next round and there is much more excitement to come.

Faces familiar to MLB fans such as Chien-Ming Wang, Andrelton Simmons, Roger Bernadina and Kazuo Matsui have made appearances on television sets and there will be many more noticeable players popping up on our boob tubes when the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic and Venezuela begin play this weekend.

One thing that is lacking from the WBC is the participation of the New York Mets.

Franchise player David Wright will compete for the Americans and minor leaguers Francisco Pena (Dominican Republic) and Randy Fontanez (Puerto Rico) will also take part, but that’s it.

The Mets actually have the least amount of Major League participants in the tourney along with the Angels, while teams like the Brewers (13), Twins (12) and Phillies (12) have the most.

Why is this?

Are the Mets asking their players not to participate? Is it a talent problem? Are the Mets players just not good enough to get an invite? Perhaps it’s a combination of many things.

Certainly players such as Johan Santana, Ike Davis or Jenrry Mejia could have played on WBC teams, but none of them are on-board. If Panama would have qualified for the 2013 tournament Ruben Tejada would also be on that list.

Santana was actually interested in pitching for his native Venezuela, but even before his surgically repaired shoulder started acting up, GM Sandy Alderson denied him permission citing concerns over Santana’s health after he ended last season on the disabled list with lower-back inflammation in addition to an ankle injury.

Current injury aside, wouldn’t Santana have benefited from the experience, getting into game-ready shape quicker and coming back to camp in good spirits having played with his countrymen?

Davis was mentioned as a possible replacement on the US squad for the injured Mark Teixeira, but the spot went to Eric Hosmer instead.

Davis’ numbers .227/.308/.462 with 32HR and 90RBI compared to Hosmer’s numbers from last season .232/.304/.359 with 14HR and 60RBI make that decision a questionable one. Did Alderson and the Mets have something to do with that decision as well? Davis recently said he wasn’t asked to fill in for Teixeira and the Mets left the decision up to him, but there may be more to that story than what we’re reading.

Mejia is also questionably absent from the Dominican roster.

The Republic’s pitching staff looks decent and there is no word if Mejia was offered a spot on the team, but wouldn’t he be an upgrade over 35 year old former top prospect Lorenzo Barcelo – who struggled in MLB with the White Sox organization – or even 30 year old career minor leaguer Angel Castro, who has never appeared in an MLB game?

You would think so, yet he’s not on the team representing his country.

The lack of Mets players participating in the WBC is something to ponder and reads suspiciously.

Is the team being too cautious in protecting their investments? If this is the case, what kind of dynamic could this create between players and the franchise coming into the 2013 season? Would players become resentful for not being allowed to participate in the WBC?

This is pure speculation on this writer’s behalf, but there may be more to read into than what is being displayed and this may actually have an affect on how the team’s upcoming season starts off, which is a worry because the Mets needs every win they can get.

Published by: Mets360

Published Link: http://mets360.com/?p=15237

On Sunday, Dillon Gee pitched three strong innings for the Mets in a 6-4 loss to Miami.

Gee looked a little amped up to begin the game, throwing several pitches high in the strike zone, but things calmed down for the righty and he worked through the three innings allowing three hits and a walk while striking out one.

Gee worked with potential starting catcher John Buck and the twosome looked comfortable after things calmed down.

It was the 26 year old’s first start since July 7. After pitching a wonderful game against the Cubs, he felt numbness in his right hand. It was discovered that he had a blood clot in his shoulder that required emergency surgery.

Mets360 projected in early February that Gee would see improvements in several categories this season which included innings pitched, earned run average, strikeouts and quality starts, despite coming back from surgery and Sunday’s performance was a good start.

Of course, with Gee’s innings pitched total rising, his strikeouts and quality starts should also rise, but the fact that the projection shows more innings and a better ERA means Mets360 sees improvement and that is a good sign for Gee in 2013.

The right-hander from Cleburne, Texas is projected to make the team’s starting rotation and pitch near the backend, but his versatile pitch selection and added seasoning could see him with a more valuable role if Johan Santana spends more time on the DL then anticipated or if Jonathon Niese or Matt Harvey struggle.

Could this be Gee’s best season? Why couldn’t it be?

He has more experience pitching against MLB hitters. He will be given the opportunity to succeed in the Mets’ rotation and he’ll be pitching to Buck, who has a reputation as a strong game caller. Plus, his injury is completely healed and not even in the pitcher’s mind.

“I try to just put that behind me,” Gee said of the blood clot in an MLB.com article by Anthony DiComo.

“I can’t go out there and pitch timid. I felt great all off-season, so in my mind there’s nothing to be worried about right now — just getting better, that’s it.”

It sounds like Gee is ready to jump right back into things and show the team why he is a valuable asset in the rotation. He sounds confident in the fact that he is fully healed and that should result in Mets fans getting a full-season taste of Gee in 2013.

Wherever Gee falls in the rotation, he should be a reliable pitcher for manager Terry Collins and could become more valuable then some may expect.

His start last weekend showed that his injury is something of the past, his numbers are projected to improve in several categories and he’s moving towards his prime as a pitcher as far as age is concerned.

This will be Gee’s best season in MLB and the Mets are going to be thankful to have him when the results show up in the box score and on the ball field.

Published by: Mets360

Published Link: http://mets360.com/?p=15223

Funded with money from, you guessed it, an oil company – The Getty Oil Company – ESPN has become one of sports and the world’s business superpowers on television, radio and alike.

With the worldwide boom in smartphones and tablets, social media sites are being visited more then ever before and ESPN is well aware of this, having created 13 different mobile applications to go along with their already popular content and fantasy websites. To say they are dominating the sports social media scene is an understatement.

A recent story about social media in the business section of USA Today showed the top ten websites that users spend their time on. Low and behold,  Facebook.com came in at number one with powerhouses Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL in the top five respectively.

But it was ESPN who came in at number ten, which is pretty impressive considering that of the top ten, it is the sole company representing one niche audience. Sports. There are tons of places to get your sports fix, yet ESPN not only remains competitive, but can out duel everyone and has managed to become one of the most visited websites in the world.

So how do they do this?

They increased their digital reach by 56% creating new, up to the minute sports applications such as their SportsCenter Feed and also improved their already popular applications, such as fantasy baseball and football, to provide a smooth running experience for their users.

The simple formula combined with big bucks led to the increase in digital reach and overall their visitors grew by an astounding 59%, second in yearly growth only to Pandora Media. 34.6 million mobile users visited ESPN through their applications, which is a ridiculous number. Combine that with the 38.7 million desktop visitors of their sites and you’ve got a successful online media presence.

ESPN is doing things right in the sports social media world and should only continute to see their stock rise. Maybe one day we’ll see them in the top spotof websites visited?

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/11/sports-social-media-espn-in-the-top-ten/

The new channel named STAR Sports 2 will officially launch on March 11, 2013. It will showcase live and non-live sporting events such as cricket, soccer, tennis, motor racing and golf.

In the first month of its launch, the channel will cover tournaments like Serie A and La Liga soccer, BPL action, Nascar racing and prime tennis from the Men’s ATP Tour as well as many others.

“Our vision is to expand the sports viewership in the country. STAR network has acquired some of the best sporting properties in every genre and is committed to taking sports broadcasting to a new level,” said Sanjay Gupta, COO of STAR India.

“These include broadcast rights to the BCCI national and domestic cricket for six years; broadcast rights of Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and English FA Cup and England international matches.”

The network also has the rights to International Cricket Council – an incredibly popular option for the fanbase they are marketing themselves towards -  F1, Australian Open and Wimbledon tennis and so much more.

The move makes a ton of sense for ESPN STAR, who did not disclose the price of the channel, but indsutry observers project it will fall into the premium pricing category. They currently charge 29 rupees  ($15.37USD) per month for its STAR Sports and ESPN channels and 30 rupees ($15.90USD) per month for STAR Cricket.

The broadcaster has launched an on-air campaign to promote the new channel.

STAR Sports 2 will be the sixth channel to be launched by ESPN STAR Sports in India after STAR Sports, STAR Cricket, STAR Cricket HD, ESPN and ESPN HD.

Published by: Sports Networker

Published Link: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/2013/03/08/sports-business-new-channel-launch-for-espn-star-sports/