Hi!
I’m back from Hollywood, FL where I got to take Eric Fuller and his daughter to one of my favorite restaurants and the most famous bar in Ft Lauderdale.
Eric said he didn’t realize that Ft Lauderdale was as big of a city as it is.
There we are.
To the Tickets!
I. Notes from the Coalition for Ticket Fairness:
I did a panel yesterday and took a bunch of notes along the way.
Allow me to share some of my thoughts:
- Brian Hess makes the point about big systemic change being necessary. I took a slightly more nuanced position about some of the solutions being targeted. As I sit in the airport thinking about it, Brian is right. You shoot for the stars on something like this because you likely will only get one chance at real change.
- A lot of theories about what customers and fans really want. In my research, the big word is respect. They often feel like commodities or that the relationship is transactional.
- Senator Skoufis talks about how exclusivity reinforces monopoly control. That should be obvious. But I think I missed the importance of that connection during the panel.
- Senator Skoufis also hit a really important idea that it is super important to frame the challenge effectively. He used the term “crux” and that has been a word that has come up much more regularly in my strategy work.
- What’s the crux of the problem? Taylor Swift and the Boss are cool: everyone else lacks recourse. That’s the heart of his concern with the current state of the industry.
- I don’t know if anyone really hit on the topic, but it came up in a circular manner: there’s nothing like a real, unfettered free market.
- Due to the nature of the current environment, competition is reduced. Due to lack of competition, we get the double whammy of lack of innovation.
- In too many cases, fans feel like they are being manipulated. Brian Hess pointed out that you can do aggressive marketing without using manipulative practices. He’s right, but we don’t really have a lot of ethical standards in marketing in the States. Unlike other countries.
- A question from the audience about why it is “BOTS! BOTS! BOTS!” allowed me to use the example of 3 card monte and how if you are trying to distract someone from the real issue…you make a fuss in a different direction.
What were your takeaways?
II. Adidas and MLS sign new partnership deal:
I put my full take on LinkedIn.
Get smart fast:
- Total dollars are bigger: average per team is down.
- The World Cup bounce doesn’t seem to include MLS.
- Top-level awareness is key for brands. Does the walled garden of Apple TV+ hurt MLS because the potential market is going to be much smaller?
My thinking continues to grow:
- MLS is signing up a lot of new partners at the start of the season. With the addition of premium markets like LA, Austin, and Nashville, I’d have imagined that there would be more of a premium on these deals.
- Also, with the World Cup coming to North America in 2026, it would have seemed to reach all of the host city markets with messages around soccer and the World Cup would have made a premium more likely as well.
III. RSN business is starting to implode:
What does this mean?
A lot of teams might be looking at big holes in their budgets.
I’ve done some number crunching a few years back and looked at one league and calculated that the league was likely leaving 25%+ of their revenue on the table due to a lack of strategy, underperforming marketing, and poor branding.
The instability in the RSN market could be the incentive that is needed for folks to rethink their business practices.
This is what we call in the consulting business: an unexpected failure.
The challenge is how you turn this around and get back to growth.
Let me give you three suggestions that will apply to everyone no matter the league, team, or vertical.
- Always focus on where the puck is going to be: I stole that from Wayne Gretzky, but it guides a lot of my work. I’m not worried about problem-solving, I’m looking at improvement. You should as well.
- Look outside your location/vertical/industry: On LinkedIn, a colleague posted about “best practices in your field”. But screw that, “best practices” are usually code for “middle of the road” or “good enough”. That won’t cut it these days. You need to shoot for “world-class”.
- Focus on growth and opportunity, not remediation: Problem-solving is a low-value skill. Look for opportunities.
IV. Is LIV already in trouble?
Definitely maybe.
More later!
V. Links:
TiqAssist makes the case for the Season Ticket:
Chris and Jamie are coming on the podcast in the next few weeks to talk about their offering.
The big thing here is the need to elevate the STH experience.
A lot of opportunity is lost by not helping ticket holders maximize the return on their investment.
I have a friend in Seattle who did an excellent job of serving STHs and ensuring the tickets were used as completely as possible. All the while, turning the service opportunity into a prospecting and networking opportunity as well.
Will Tennessee’s drag bill limit the state’s ability to host Broadway productions?
This law is stupid.
Drag performers have been a part of our culture for a long time. But, “Yay, culture wars.”
Latoya Cooper teaches y’all why Beyonce’s deal with Adidas isn’t working:
This is amazing!
The Jonas Brothers have a Broadway residency:
This is something I’d expect to see more of.
In Istanbul, fans shower the pitch with teddy bears:
To send to kids in Syria and Turkey that have lost their homes amid devastation from the recent earthquakes.
Linktree: Find everything I’m up to.
Join the ‘Talking Tickets’ Slack Group. Almost 300 people from around the world.
Cover Genius will be at the TPC in Birmingham in March.
You’ll be able to find out how refund protection can:
- Generate a new revenue stream that can equal over $100,000 a year in new revenue.
- Why refund protection helps guests by tickets and gives them peace of mind. 48% uptake should tell you a little bit.
- How offering these options improves customer service including a boost to the all-important NPS score. Cover Genius has a 65…better than the 43 of the newsletter!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars. I’m coming to:
- London
- NYC
- Sydney
- And, more this year.
Want me to come to your town?
Let me know and let’s figure it out!
Great podcast conversations: Take your business to new heights by learning from the best in the business.