Hey!
A few links to stuff I’ve found thought-provoking.
Don’t miss tomorrow’s webinar on pricing strategies. While focused a bit on SMEs, solo consultants, and freelancers, there are things that are useful for all areas.
To the Tickets!
Bands aren’t coming over from overseas to the US due to the costs:
The breakdown of costs is interesting here.
In isolation, the 200%+ increase might not seem like a lot to you, but it is $1200. When you consider the higher costs of almost everything…
Social Media isn’t the real world: Duh!
Taylor Swift proves that once again!
But I’m sure this time “organic” social media will drive significant sales.
European soccer comes to America and draws crowds:
This article gets me thinking about the Apple/MLS deal and the challenges that MLS has faced in growing its fan base in certain markets.
It boils down to the reality that Americans do like soccer, but the best teams and players are in Europe. The rare circumstances where Zlatan, Messi, Garreth Bale, or David Beckham have come to the US have aided the overall awareness of MLS in the short term.
But they haven’t translated into long-term success and sustainability.
From my conversations with business executives/customers/non-customers, I’ve seen a few ideas pop up over and over:
- The price-to-value equation isn’t there for a lot of people.
- The American sportsbiz tendency to take fans for granted.
- The quality of play isn’t very high.
I’ll hit on this later because I’ve been collecting notes on the Apple/MLS partnership.
The consolidation of college sports conferences mirrors the consolidation in the rest of the economy:
Consolidation is the way in the American economy.
What will this mean?
You are likely to see more stratification between the haves and the have-nots, in the conference shuffle…certainly.
But, you’ll also see that Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma stretch themselves further away from the rest of the competition.
The same goes for Ohio State and Michigan.
Just look at the rest of the economy and how Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft dominate the economy compared to other alternatives…if any even exist.
What will this mean for tickets?
- Prices will go up.
- Real attendance will likely go down. (I know last year it went up, but I think that is only a blip in the long-term trend of less attendance.)
- Attention will decline.
Michael Broughton offers up a flywheel forsports’ fans:
Let me know what you think in the ‘Talking Tickets’ Slack Channel.
I like it and a few points to think about even if you aren’t in sports:
- The content is always a starting point. You need the hook in theatre, sports, and concerts.
- A lot of our events, performances, and teams are about building legacy. “Legacy fans” were thrown around during the Super League fiasco. Good brand managers know legacy fans aren’t a problem, they are a gold mine.
- FOMO helps in every situation…why do I have so many sneakers? Am I right?
Come work with me in NYC on September 28th.
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