Publications

02 Aug 2006
Research & Ideas

Investor Protection: The Czech Experience

When TV Nova launched in 1992 as the first new television channel in post-communist Czechoslovakia, few might have imagined the joint-venture drama unfolding behind the scenes. Distinguished for bringing Baywatch, soccer matches, and sexy weather forecasters to the... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

06 Mar 2006
Research & Ideas

Winners and Losers at the Olympics

There's much more at stake in the Olympics than medals. Giant corporations are eager to tie huge marketing and advertising campaigns to the Olympic rings and ideals. NBC spent more than $600 million to win the broadcast rights for the Winter Games that just ended in... View Details

Keywords: Re: Stephen A. Greyser; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

April 2025
Case

Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics (A)

By: Linda A. Hill, James I. Cash and Lydia Begag

Joe Mazzulla's leadership journey with the Boston Celtics began in 2016 when he served as an assistant coach for their NBA G-League affiliate. In 2019, he was promoted to a "behind-the-bench" assistant coaching role with the Celtics, before being asked to become the... View Details

October 2016 (Revised January 2017)
Background Note

The U.S. Health Club Industry, 2005–2016

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

In 2015, the U.S. health-club industry generated revenues of $25.8 billion, up from $14.8 billion in 2004. Members of health clubs accounted for 17% of the population, up from 14%. The number of clubs had grown from 26,830 in 2004 to 36,180. In the process, the list of... View Details

March 2011 (Revised August 2012)
Case

Caesars Entertainment: CodeGreen

By: George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Tiffany A. Clay

The case describes the development of Caesar's sustainability initiative program, the effect of the initiative on employee engagement and motivation, and on customer satisfaction. View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Employees; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Motivation and Incentives; Accommodations Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

April 2008
Background Note

Broadband and Video Games: Playing and Winning Together

By: Stephen P. Bradley and Nancy Bartlett

This note examines the relationship between video gaming devices (console, handhelds, mobile and PC) and gaming software development. The impact of broadband, wireless technologies and other innovations are also presented. View Details

Keywords: Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Innovation and Invention; Relationships; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

March 1989
Case

Philips In-Car Entertainment (A)

By: F. Warren McFarlan and H. Jeff Smith

Keywords: Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

Find at Harvard

November 2004 (Revised November 2004)
Supplement

Martha Stewart (B)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Christopher Bruner

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

November 2003 (Revised July 2006)
Case

STAR 2003

By: Thomas R. Piper

A shift in strategy from broadcasting standardized programs throughout its footprint to localized programming necessitates a review of STAR's organizational structure. Growing complexity and a need for local responsiveness point toward adoption of a country-based... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Organizational Structure; Management Teams; Decision Choices and Conditions; Organizational Design; Complexity; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

July 2003 (Revised October 2003)
Case

Ottawa Voyageurs, The

By: Thomas J. DeLong, Scott Baldwin, Chris Strong, Andrew Feng, Eliza Moody and David Ager

Manuel Tertuliano, head coach of a professional soccer club, must make some difficult decisions about the compensation of six of his players. Specifically, he must decide how to allocate $850,000 among these six players in a way that will benefit his team, which has... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Compensation and Benefits; Performance; Motivation and Incentives; Sports; Groups and Teams; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Canada

October 1997 (Revised June 2001)
Case

Disney (C): The Mouse in Times Square

By: Michael A. Wheeler, Thomas Dretler and Georgia Levenson

Disney's first foray into an urban environment, is the restoration and development of the landmark New Amsterdam Theater in New York's Times Square. Disney must negotiate with the city, state, and various nonprofit organizations focused on the redevelopment of Times... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Types; Urban Development; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

October 1997 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Appalachian Mountain Club: Transforming Governance

By: Walter J. Salmon and Jaan Elias

Starting in 1988, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) began a controversial transformation in management and governance. For its first 112 years, the AMC's structure had resembled that of a country club--volunteer leaders directed the club's operations and its small,... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Transformation; Corporate Governance; Employee Relationship Management; Recruitment; Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Labor and Management Relations; Nonprofit Organizations; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

17 Nov 2020
In Practice

How Retailers Can Thrive in a Shopping Season Like No Other

the last day! We will continue to see a decoupling between the way orders are fulfilled and the way customers engage with brands. On the customer side, retailers and brands will have to work hard to recreate engagement with their... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Retail

April 2025
Case

Netflix in 2024

By: Jan Rivkin and David Allen

In 2024, Netflix appeared to emerge victorious from the “streaming wars” that it had waged in recent years with the likes of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Apple, and Amazon. What had allowed Netflix not only to succeed in the streaming wars but also to thrive for... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Organizational Culture; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

June 2018
Supplement

Valuing Snap After the IPO Quiet Period (B)

By: Marco Di Maggio and Benjamin C. Esty

Analyzes Snap’s value and analyst recommendations following the events described in the (A) case. View Details

June 2018 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Valuing Snap After the IPO Quiet Period (A)

By: Marco Di Maggio, Benjamin C. Esty and Gregory Saldutte

Snap, the disappearing message app, went public at $17 per share on March 2, 2017, making its two 20-something founders the youngest self-made billionaires in the country. Over the next three weeks, 14 analysts made investment recommendations on Snap: two with buy... View Details

September 2017
Supplement

Actera Group: Investing in Mars Cinema Group (B)

By: Victoria Ivashina and Eren Kuzucu

In summer of 2010, Murat Çavuşoğlu (HBS MBA 1994) led private equity firm Actera Group’s investment in Mars Cinema Group (Mars), the leading movie exhibitor in Turkey. Immediately after acquiring Mars and merging it with the second larger player in the market, AFM,... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Value Creation; Transformation; Valuation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Turkey