Publications

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01 Jun 2014
News

Net Gains

Having established a strong market in the world's most populous country, the NBA is making a hard push for number two. "We've really been focused on teaching the game of basketball in India," says Tatum. "The sport is not necessarily... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell

22 Nov 2017
News

How to Build a Winning Culture on a Losing Team

season ticket sales and sponsorships, actually improved. O'Neil was recently named CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment or HBSE. A holding company that's comprised of several sports properties... View Details

February 2016 (Revised March 2016)
Case

America's Cup in 2013: Oracle Team USA vs. Emirates Team New Zealand (A)

By: Rory McDonald, Alan MacCormack and Vanessa Ampelas

Four teams across the world are furiously designing, building, testing, and learning to sail a boat that would be one-of-a-kind in order to win the 2013 America's Cup. Choosing the best development path was a challenge as the teams had less than three years to prepare,... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Competition; Innovation and Management; Sports; Sports Industry; New Zealand; United States

09 Nov 2022
News

Part Ownership of a Dream

way to participate in the once-exclusive sport of racing. That model also applies to Flightline, purchased for $1 million by a West Point consortium; by the time he won the Breeders’ Cup, that ownership had extended to four other... View Details

Keywords: horse racing; entpreneurship; leadership; finance; investing; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

31 Oct 2018
News

Pitching In for Female Leaders

her path through international sports and investment banking to becoming a leading advocate for women in sports and business. “I ran and led a leading football club in Turkey for over a decade. Then I joined... View Details

December 2019
Case

Small-Market Teams and Big Stars: The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo

By: Anita Elberse and Melcolm Ruffin

In October 2019, National Basketball Association (NBA) team the Milwaukee Bucks are about to tip off their first home game in the 2019–2020 NBA season. Peter Feigin, president of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jon Horst, the league’s youngest general manager, could look back... View Details

Keywords: Superstars; Talent and Talent Management; Sports; Strategy; Sports Industry

November 2016
Case

Bayern Munich in China

By: Karim Lakhani, Sascha L. Schmidt, Michael Norris and Kerry Herman

In 2015, German football club Bayern Munich is considering how to enter the Chinese market. Should it build its own infrastructure or rely on third-party partnerships to reach this massive football fan base? View Details

Keywords: Football; Soccer; Bundesliga; Digital Technology; Market Entry; Sports; Global Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Online Technology; Sports Industry; Germany; China

01 Sep 2017
News

The Biggest Industry You’ve Never Heard Of

acquired by Amazon for nearly $1 billion. The acquisition was viewed with amazement by those unfamiliar with the young and rapidly growing sector. But a year later esports achieved a milestone traditional US sports fans could understand.... View Details

Keywords: April White; illustration by Brian Stauffer; esports; Twitch; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

January 2016
Case

Die Mannschaft: How Germany Won the 2014 FIFA World Cup

By: Boris Groysberg, Sascha L. Schmidt, Arjun Thomke, Kerry Herman and Michael Norris

After years of ups and downs, Germany won its fourth World Cup Championship in 2014. This case examines the national team's recent history and the changes they made to set themselves up for success. View Details

Keywords: Football; Soccer; ＂World Cup,＂ Germany; Germany; Organizational Behavior; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Success; Sports; Sports Industry; Germany; Brazil

06 Oct 2016
News

Drone Racing League Signs ESPN Deal

(Sports Illustrated) (Sports Illustrated) Sports Illustrated recently profiled Nicholas Horbaczewski (MBA 2008), founder of the Drone Racing League—which just signed a ten-episode deal with ESPN. Drone racing works the way you might... View Details

01 Mar 2015
News

3-Minute Briefing: Angela Ruggiero (MBA 2014)

strong enough to make the cut. My dad said, “Look, you can choose to give up. Or the next time, you can be the best player so there’s no way they can cut you.” After that I had focus, determination, and something to prove. Less than 5 percent of View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Olympics; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

April 2005 (Revised May 2005)
Case

New England Patriots, The: Making the Team

Examines the organizational strategy of a professional football team that contributed to the team's sustained success. Considers several aspects of the team's "blueprint" with respect to players: recruitment, retention, task structure, training, culture, and... View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Groups and Teams; Sports; Compensation and Benefits; Sports Industry; New England

27 Oct 2022
News

John Middleton’s Big Swing

think it’s your passion as a fan that kind of fuels your ambition. It certainly fuels my ambition for this team.” A Philadelphia native and longtime sports fan, he told the Press of Atlantic City that he watched the Phillies beat the... View Details

January 2014 (Revised April 2025)
Supplement

The PGA Tour (F)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Cole Magrath

In 1994, the PGA Tour (the "Tour"), the dominant incumbent professional golf circuit, had created tremendous value for its players. In the 1974 season, players competed for $8 million in prize money; by the 1994 season, the total prize purse had increased to $56... View Details

Keywords: PGA Tour; Tim Finchem; Deane Beman; Golf; Professional Golf; Business Model; Value Creation; Adaptation; Sports; Business Strategy; Sports Industry; United States

January 2014 (Revised April 2025)
Supplement

The PGA Tour (E)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Cole Magrath

In 1994, the PGA Tour (the "Tour"), the dominant incumbent professional golf circuit, had created tremendous value for its players. In the 1974 season, players competed for $8 million in prize money; by the 1994 season, the total prize purse had increased to $56... View Details

Keywords: PGA Tour; Tim Finchem; Deane Beman; Golf; Professional Golf; Business Model; Value Creation; Adaptation; Sports; Business Strategy; Sports Industry; United States

March 2004 (Revised April 2004)
Background Note

Seeing What's on Red Auerbach's Mind

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and John T. Gourville

Analysis of an interview with Red Auerbach, HBR No. 87201. Alan M. Webber, who conducted the interview, probed for the lessons that Auerbach has learned from a long and productive career coaching and managing the Boston Celtics, a professional basketball team in the... View Details

Keywords: Markets; Research; Sports; Product Development; Communication Intention and Meaning; Sports Industry

July 1995 (Revised September 1997)
Case

Baseball Strike, The

Describes structural conditions in the American baseball industry in 1995. Although this case covers conditions leading to the 1994-95 strike, it is designed primarily for analysis of the structural tensions that arise between suppliers, buyers, and rivals as industry... View Details

Keywords: Industry Structures; Sports; Labor and Management Relations; Sports Industry; United States

01 Mar 2015
News

The Next Big Swing

MLB Advanced Media’s new Statcast system provides measures for every play, arming analysts like Tippett with a wealth of new data. (Courtesy of MLB.com) Tom Tippett’s love of sports data began at age seven, when his mom bought him a... View Details

Keywords: Andrew Clark; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services; Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services; Information

November 2013
Teaching Note

A.J. Washington: Retaining an NFL Star

By: Andrew Wasynczuk and Karen Huang

A.J. Washington explores the early phase of a contract negotiation between a professional football team and its star quarterback. This case illustrates the challenges associated with negotiation for human capital. Specifically, it explores the tension between... View Details

Keywords: Compensation; Human Capital; Negotiation; Sports; Compensation and Benefits; Sports Industry; United States