Publications

November 2018 (Revised June 2019)
Case

Michael Rubin and Fanatics (A)

By: Robert F. Higgins and John Masko

In 2016, Michael Rubin’s Fanatics was the U.S.’ largest sports e-commerce company and operator of the official online store for all the major American sports leagues. That year, Fanatics began to dabble in manufacturing licensed sports merchandise, securing limited... View Details

Keywords: Fanatics; Licensed Merchandise; E-commerce; Entrepreneurship; Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Sports; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

November 2019
Teaching Note

The Bundesliga in the U.S.

By: Stephen A. Greyser, Sascha L. Schmidt and Florian Holzmayer

This Teaching Note addresses the classroom use of the case on the strategy of Germany’s premier football (soccer) league to “win the marketplace of U.S. sports broadcasters and consumers.” The note includes study questions and a teaching plan that also draws on... View Details

Keywords: Media; Sports; Global Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; United States

21 Mar 2016
Lessons from the Classroom

When Your Classmate is an NBA Superstar (or Fashion Model, or Movie Actress)

Marshall, fashion model Karlie Kloss, and “Magic Mike” star Cody Horn, have attended the program, sharing business challenges and contract strategies in the same room with mid- and senior-level executives who work for studios, networks, music companies, and View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Sports; Sports; Sports; Sports

11 Nov 2015
Book

Alex Ferguson's Lessons on Leading

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Sports

May 2017
Case

Street League Skateboarding

By: Robert F. Higgins and Christine Snively

In 2013, Street League Skateboarding, a professional skateboarding league founded in 2010, just concluded its annual Street League World Tour. The growing action-sports property had purchased time on ESPN2 to air its events, and though ESPN was the most-watched sports... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Television Entertainment; Sports; Product Launch; Sports Industry; Sports Industry; United States

January 2018 (Revised January 2020)
Case

STRIVR: Changing the Game in Virtual Reality

By: Rajiv Lal, Matt Denison, Robert Higgins and Scott Johnson

The CEO of a growing virtual reality company that trains athletes must decide whether or not to stay in sports or expand into other areas. View Details

01 Jun 2023
HBS Case

A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?

At age 32—feeling far removed from the violent street crimes that had consumed his teens and 20s—Larry Miller just knew he was nailing a job interview with a senior partner at Arthur Andersen. That is, until he came clean about his troubled past. Seventeen years... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Apparel & Accessories

2014
Working Paper

Conflicts of College Conference Realignment: Pursuing Revenue, Preserving Tradition, and Assessing the Future

By: Vadim Kogan and Stephen A. Greyser

Over the past two years, conference realignment has taken a front seat in the college sports landscape. Economic incentives were too attractive to overlook for some universities. College football programs across the country have a lot at stake, because for many,... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Motivation and Incentives; Higher Education; Sports; Revenue; Emotions; Sports Industry; Sports Industry

Read Now

30 Apr 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Brand Management

Sharpening Your Skills dives into the HBS Working Knowledge archives to bring together articles on ways to improve your business skills. Questions To Be Answered Does branding work for business-to-business marketing? Can individuals create their own brand? Should I... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Sports; Sports; Sports

08 Jan 2016
Research & Ideas

Is it Worth a Pay Cut to Work for a Great Manager (Like Bill Belichick)?

Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is one of the highest-paid coaches in the National Football League; Forbes in 2013 estimated his salary as $7.5 million. His track record helps explain the high compensation: Belichick is the first head coach to enjoy... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg & Abhijit Naik; Sports

January 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (A): True to Brand?

By: Jeffrey Fear and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Examines one of the most important entrepreneurial decisions made in the history of Porsche, made in early 1998: to build a sport utility vehicle (SUV)--the Cayenne. After decades of relying on one or two sports car models and nearly going bankrupt and losing its... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Supply Chain Management; Luxury; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Globalization; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry

September 2002 (Revised January 2003)
Case

A-Rod: Signing the Best Player in Baseball

By: Randolph B. Cohen

This case analyzes a large investment decision considered by the Texas Rangers in 2000: whether to spend $252 million for the services of shortstop Alex Rodriguez. The signing was probably the most controversial sports contract of the past decade. View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Investment; Sports; Brands and Branding; Sports Industry

September 2014
Case

Crescent Pure

By: John A. Quelch and Alisa Zalosh

Executives from Portland Drake Beverages (PDB) are meeting to determine the appropriate product positioning and advertising campaign for the launch of Crescent Pure, a specialty organic beverage. They have 3 options for positioning: should Crescent Pure be positioned... View Details

April 2024
Teaching Note

Ferrari: Shifting to Carbon Neutrality

By: Raffaella Sadun

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 723-446. A sports car manufacturer commits to carbon neutrality and to electrifying a large part of its car fleet. View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Leadership Style; Environmental Sustainability; Auto Industry; Italy

January 2002
Background Note

A Note on Incentives in the NFL

By: Brian J. Hall and Jonathan Lim

This case describes compensation and incentive issues in one of the major U.S. professional sports leagues, the National Football League (NFL). It first provides some background information on the labor market for players and the salary cap and then describes incentive... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Labor and Management Relations; Conflict and Resolution; Motivation and Incentives; Sports; Sports Industry; United States

2020
Chapter

Emotions and Emotion Regulation

By: Svenja A. Wolf, Amit Goldenberg and Mickaël Campo

This is the first textbook to explore and explain the contribution of social groups and social identity to all aspects of sports and exercise—from leadership, motivation and communication to mental health, teamwork, and fan behaviour. In the context of increasing... View Details

Keywords: Emotion Regulation; Emotions; Social Psychology

March 1998 (Revised March 1999)
Case

NIKE, Inc. in the 1990s (C)

By: John A. Quelch

In 1998, Nike's earnings and sales growth slowed. Management faced new competition from Adidas. This case asks students to review the various strategies (including diversification into sports equipment) pursued by Nike to resuscitate corporate growth. View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Competition; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Growth and Development Strategy; Sports Industry; Sports Industry