Publications

November 2009 (Revised September 2010)
Supplement

Discovering Hidden Gems: The Story of Daryl Morey, Shane Battier, and the Houston Rockets (B)

By: Frances X. Frei and Matthew Todd Perlberg

Supplement to the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Sports; Talent and Talent Management; Sports Industry

April 1990 (Revised March 1992)
Case

Oakland A's: Baseball's Great Transformation

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger

The Oakland A's baseball team underwent a major turnaround during the 1980s, both on the field and in the business office. One of the most significant improvements came in the area of customer service. The A's management believed that if they took care of their fans,... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Sports; Sports Industry; California

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

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

01 Dec 2013
News

Faster, Bigger, Stronger: Supersizing the NFL

demographics of America shift," he explains. With a relatively short season compared to other sports leagues, the NFL has scored by developing the off-season draft and scouting combine into days-long, high-powered media events. This could... View Details

Keywords: Finance; Management; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

June 2019
Teaching Note

The National Hockey League

By: Robert F. Higgins and John Masko

Teaching Note for HBS No. 819-036. View Details

Keywords: Sports; Media; Multinational Firms and Management; Expansion; Strategy; Sports Industry; United States; Canada

October 2013
Article

Ferguson's Formula

By: Anita Elberse and Sir Alex Ferguson

When Alex Ferguson took over as manager of the English football team Manchester United, the club was in dire straits: It hadn't won a league title in nearly 20 years and faced a very real threat of being relegated to a lower division. In 26 seasons under Ferguson,... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Business or Company Management; Management Style; Success; Sports; Sports Industry; England

Find at Harvard

August 2005 (Revised September 2006)
Case

The NFL

By: John R. Wells and Travis Haglock

From 10-cent tickets to $17 billion television contracts, examines how a game became a multibillion dollar industry. Looks at the birth and growth of the NFL, how the NFL responded to competitive challenges, how the NFL maximized revenues, revenue sharing, the salary... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Groups and Teams; Sports; Corporate Finance; Sports Industry; 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

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

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

Research Summary

Overview

The overarching goal of my research is to produce works that are influential and informative to both academics and practitioners in the field of operations management. To accomplish this, I collaborate with industry partners who provide knowledge about their field,... 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