Success and happiness?

If there was one statement that caught my attention recently and simultaneously required a sick bag it was “on the most basic level, Peloton sells happiness” from CEO John Foley of the US home fitness start-up. I am all for happiness but riding a bike with an internet-connected screen is not my
definition of happiness. Peloton is embarking on a final round of private funding that would value the company at $8.1 billion. That is not a typo. With stationary bikes priced at $2,245 and a monthly subscription of $39 this sounds like an uphill battle to nowhere. Even the mighty Apple launching the iPhone 11 did not receive the fanfare it used to in their heyday. Global smartphone sales are down 2.2% this year and net sales of the iPhone up to June were $109 billion against $128 billion for the same period the year before. Getting to the top or staying at the top appears to be more challenging than ever before, let alone creating happiness all-round.

Unless, your name is Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. The 2019 US Open was a timely
reminder of how fortunate the sport of tennis has been with this trio. Collectively they have won 55 of the last 66 Grand Slam titles and all 12 over the last three years. Is there any surprise that 737,872 spectators attended the tournament this year? Arthur Ashe Stadium sold out for 23 out of 24 total sessions. Naturally there are many others who played their part, not least Serena Williams and her latest challenger Bianca Andreescu.

Federer’s pro career started in 1998 with his first Grand Slam victory at Wimbledon in 2003. Nadal entered in 2001 winning Roland Garros in 2005. Djokovic joined in 2003 and won the Australian Open in 2008. There have been many amazing performances and rivalries in the history of sport but I wonder if we will witness another 20 year golden period of near domination at the highest level in tennis? Collectively the ‘big three’ have amassed $376 million in prize money although Grand Slam titles will always be the currency of measurement in tennis. What will happen when one, two or three of them retire from the sport?

Change is always around the corner. In a slightly longer period the UEFA Champions League has grown
from less than €10 million revenue in 1991/92 to sharing €2 billion with 24 clubs in 2018/19. An impressive growth curve. And yet there are constant discussions and rumours to create a permanent league of top European clubs with a promotion and relegation system. Naturally, this creates friction with some 200 of the leading teams represented by the European Club Association. To my mind, eliminating the ‘David and Goliath’ contest from sport would reduce the enjoyment and dare I say it ‘happiness’ factor for some fans. Teams with less financial muscle but more flair create stories and moments that live long in the memories of fans for many years. You only have to look at last season and the exploits of AFC Ajax before they fell short at the final hurdle. Imagine if Federer, Djokovic or Nadal did not have to play in the 1st or 2nd round of a Grand Slam to avoid unpredictable players, that would reduce the attraction for many sports fans. Winning against a full strength field of teams or players is ultimately more satisfying than winning against a privileged few. Or not?

In motorsport there was positive news about Formule E generating record sponsorship in the last year, now representing more than half the annual revenue of €200 million. In their fifth season this is promising, especially when four new partners joined including Bosch, Heineken, Moët & Chandon and Saudi Arabian Airlines. Having been described as a ‘business to business proposition, as opposed to a sport’ by Chase Carey, CEO of Formula One, it appears that Formule E could be a long term challenger to Formula 1. Watch this space….

No-one has a copyright on winning. The only thing I know is that those who emerge from the peloton and
beat the entire field deserve all the success and happiness in the world. Including those who are sitting on stationary bikes….