Publications

Keywords: Robert S. Benchley; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

18 Jul 2014
News

Team Players

"We had 100 volunteers who worked almost around the clock," says Lehrer, who also helped host visits from HBS's Business of Sports Club and the annual Tech Trek. "There were lots of people answering questions from the same brand, so we... View Details

February 1999 (Revised July 2004)
Case

Life as a Minor League CEO Frank Burke and The Chattanooga Lookouts

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Kirk A. Goldman

A "slice of life" depiction of the range of issues and activities experienced by Frank Burke (HBS MBA 1987), the president of a minor league baseball team (the Chattanooga Lookouts). Raises questions of the applicability of MBA skills in this role and the "quotient of... View Details

Keywords: Happiness; Managerial Roles; Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Marketing; Cost Management; Cost vs Benefits; Operations; Sports; Business Education; Sports Industry; Tennessee

June 2019
Teaching Note

Michael Rubin and Fanatics (A) and (B)

By: Robert F. Higgins and John Masko

Teaching Note for HBS Nos. 819-077 and 819-082. View Details

Keywords: Fanatics; Licensed Merchandise; Sports; Internet and the Web; Vertical Integration; Expansion; Strategy; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; United States

April 2021 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Project Restart: Deciding the Future of English Football

By: Nour Kteily and Deepak Malhotra

In March 2020, the English Premier League football (soccer) season was suspended partway through due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later the season remained in limbo, with a looming deadline to decide whether to attempt to complete the season or curtail it—and... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Sports; Health Pandemics; Decision Making; Fairness; Values and Beliefs; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Motivation and Incentives; Outcome or Result; Perception; Negotiation; Sports Industry; United Kingdom

October 1996 (Revised April 1997)
Case

Team New Zealand (A)

By: Marco Iansiti and Alan D. MacCormack

The case describes the development process used by Team New Zealand to design their two yachts for the 1995 America's Cup. During development, the team makes extensive use of simulation and physical prototyping to improve the initial design concept. As they approach... View Details

Keywords: Product Design; Design; Product Development; Sports; Ship Transportation; Research and Development; Situation or Environment; Decisions; Sports Industry; New Zealand

01 Jun 2002
News

Up to the Challenge: Ken Baumgartner - Sticking with It

played a pivotal role in the negotiations between his hockey peers and the league's owners during a grueling, 104-day lockout. In 1999, he moved seamlessly from player to assistant coach with the Bruins and began to look for ways to transfer the leadership abilities he... View Details

Keywords: Amy Burton; hockey; education; family; career paths; personal priorities; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

28 Jun 2011
News

Bold Ascent

expand into other offerings, such as clothing and sleeping bags, in the months ahead. Before launching SlingFin, Baka started Mountain Hardwear with fellow SlingFin founder and 33-year industry veteran/gear guru Martin Zemitis. (Columbia... View Details

Keywords: hiking; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores

June 2021
Teaching Note

Michael Phelps: 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay'

By: Boris Groysberg, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Michael Norris

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 421-044. In 2020, Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals in various swimming events, was now retired. As he looked back on his 20+ year athletic career, he considered what had gone into making him the... View Details

Keywords: Mental Health; Talent and Talent Management; Training; Health; Success; Performance Improvement; Personal Development and Career; Family and Family Relationships; Sports; Competition; Sports Industry; United States; Baltimore; Arizona; Sydney; Athens; Beijing; London

December 2019 (Revised December 2021)
Supplement

Negotiating for Equal Pay: The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (B)

By: Christine Exley, John Beshears, Manuela Collis and Davis Heniford

Supplements the (A) case and describes the events following it View Details

Keywords: Equal Pay; Negotiation; Compensation and Benefits; Equality and Inequality; Gender; Prejudice and Bias; Ethics; Negotiation Tactics; Corporate Governance; Lawsuits and Litigation; Sports; Sports Industry; United States

05 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Can Putin Score Olympic Gold?

industry forecasters," says Greyser, who, with Vadim Kogan, analyzed the issue in the HBS working paper: NBC and the 2012 London Olympics: Unexpected Success. Achieving the same kind of success in Sochi may be more difficult. There are... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Sports; Sports

September 2015 (Revised June 2017)
Case

Futbol Club Barcelona

By: Anita Elberse

In June 2015, FC Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu sees his team lift the UEFA Champions League trophy, completing an impressive trophy haul in the 2014-2015 season. Unique for a club of its caliber, five of the starting eleven are products of FC Barcelona's youth... View Details

Keywords: Superstar; Talent; Talent Development And Retention; Talent Management; Marketing; Strategy; General Management; Nonprofit; Marketing Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Entertainment; Media; Competitive Advantage; Sports; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; Barcelona

Profile

Brian T. Bedol

years later, Bedol returned to the cable industry with a new venture, College Sports Television. CSTV was acquired by CBS in 2006 for $325 million. Ever the innovator, Bedol would not rest on his laurels. In... View Details

Marty Blue

business development, licensing, B2B marketing, product development and industry relations. Marty is currently an Independent board member (and Compensation Committee Chair) at Openbay which is simplifying automotive repair and service.... View Details

Keywords: Fitness & Sports;#68;#Transportation & Logistics;#20;#Ecommerce

September 2020
Case

Wladimir Klitschko: F.A.C.E. Your Challenges

By: Boris Groysberg, Michael Norris and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In 2020, Olympic goal medal winning boxer and former heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko had built himself a “second ring” to continue his career after retiring from professional boxing. He was a hotelier, boxing promoter, author, teacher, speaker, and had... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Business Education; Training; Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Sports; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; Ukraine; Germany

August 1988 (Revised November 1989)
Case

Reebok International Ltd.

By: John A. Quelch

Reebok executives are reviewing the company's advertising and promotion programs for the second half of 1988. These include sponsorship of the 1988 Summer Olympics and a rock concert tour organized by Amnesty International. In addition, Reebok is launching a new... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Music Entertainment; Advertising Campaigns; Sports; Advertising Industry; Advertising Industry; Advertising Industry

April 2020
Teaching Plan

Malcolm Turner at Vanderbilt

By: David G. Fubini, Amy Klopfenstein and James Barnett

This teaching plan serves as a supplement to the case “Malcolm Turner at Vanderbilt,” HBS 420-024. The case examines the early decisions of Vanderbilt University’s new athletic director, Malcolm Turner. A newcomer to college athletics, Turner made a series of... View Details

Keywords: Organizations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Sports; Planning; Strategic Planning; Education; Higher Education; Leadership; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Education Industry; Education Industry; Tennessee

February 2021 (Revised October 2024)
Case

Muhammad Ali: Changing The World

By: Robert Simons and Max Saffer

This case describes the rise of Cassius Clay, who later called himself Muhammad Ali, from the poor streets of Louisville, Kentucky to international fame. The case describes how Ali won a gold medal in the Olympics, three heavyweight boxing titles, and became a role... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Mission and Purpose; Personal Characteristics; Religion; Work-Life Balance; Family and Family Relationships; Success; Power and Influence; Personal Development and Career; Sports Industry

10 Feb 2016
News

Drone Racing League Launches

Keywords: Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries; Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries

2013
Working Paper

NBC and the 2012 London Olympics: Unexpected Success

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Vadim Kogan

"The 2010 Vancouver Winter Games lost $223 million, astonishing for a 17-day event. Next year's London Summer Games, which cost a record Olympic rights fee of $1.18 billion, are expected to lose at least as much..." wrote Richard Sandomir in The New York Times. "NBC... View Details

Keywords: Success; Profit; Sports; Failure; Television Entertainment; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Vancouver; Beijing; London; Brazil; Russia