Kings or Queens

Male or Female. Young or Old. Amateur or Pro. Analog or Digital. Past or Present. Kings or Queens…

Perhaps it is my imagination but everything I hear, read, or see in sport and society today revolves around opposing views about identity, governance, strategy, ownership, or return on investment. Times change, people come, and people go or in many cases are replaced and displaced at the expense of another. Winning or losing used to be in the sporting arena but the stakes are much higher today.

“Ultimately, I hope that the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports and really starts to figure out: ‘why wouldn’t we do a tournament with the bottom four teams? Why isn’t there an All-Star game?’” If you have been following the sale of Chelsea Football Club to US financier Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital private equity group, you might recognize this quote. Naturally it raised a discussion amongst the football community. According to Boehly, even Major League Baseball organized an All-Star Game in Los Angeles this year that generated $200 million in revenue. So….

Over the summer professional golfers have been shooting arrows at each other as new kid on the block, LIV Golf disrupted the PGA Tour and DP World Tour with a new tour format funded by millions of Saudi petrodollars. From players to journalists and golf fans the accusations have not done the sport of golf any favours at all. Tensions escalated on all sides that one US golf pro is suing the Golf Channel and a commentator for $750 million in damages for defamation….

FC Barcelona has spent most of the summer leveraging economic levers to replenish their coffers with players they believe will restore the club to the top of European football again. The financial creativity can be admired but the treatment of players who are no longer seen as part of the future is questionable. And yes, officials and fans of the club will point to the complexities of working within financial fair play in Spain and UEFA regulations, or not knowing all the details. Honestly, we do not need any more details. We can draw our own conclusions: win at all costs.

It is slightly sad to think back to the Women’s UEFA European Championship that was uplifting, entertaining and a positive step forward for the women’s game. Experts predict a 600% increase in the financial growth to €686 million by 2033. Yes, 2033. By comparison the top five men’s leagues in Europe will generate more than €17 billion this season alone from broadcast revenue. Perhaps we need to find some economic lever experts and apply their tools for the benefit of the women’s game….

Tennis is another sport that has been contemplating a future without the ‘Three Kings’ of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. Not to mention ‘Queen Serena’ who is evolving away from tennis after the US Open. Well, despite some concerns, the heirs apparent are starting to emerge in the form of Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek. Are they capable of taking on the mantle of the previous generation of tennis royalty? Time will tell as the court of fans embrace or reject these rising stars.

Of course, scouting, developing, and managing the best battalion a team, club, league, or tournament can acquire should generate more opportunities in the future. But what’s in it for the casual fan or supporter? Our commitment is not based purely on how much is spent to leverage economic levers. It was therefore quite encouraging to read about the Red Sox #Student9s program where younger baseball fans could purchase $9 tickets with just two clicks. This increased day ticket sales up to 4,000 per match and 20% of fans came back to purchase a full price ticket later in the season. At least someone is thinking of the next generation of fans as well.

In sport as in public life, finding a balance between commercial, social, environmental, religious, and political beliefs will define your reign. Just like Kings and Queens who have been around for centuries.