Women’s Sports Industry: A Study in Opportunity – Ch 20

Notes from Women in Sport, Greta Cohen, Ed.

Notes by Nancy Bailey

Purpose of the chapter Present economic issues impacting

women & sport Describe Industry segments Include brief Interviews with

experts

Present economic issues impacting women & sport

Describe Industry segments Include brief Interviews with

experts

Professional Leagues: Basketball & Softball Two leagues late 90’s – American

Basketball League & the WNBA ABBL: 8 teams playing 40 games;

located in college towns; hired some local talent to draw spectators

New England franchise drew 8,000 Salaries were about $80,000

ABBL Closed: 1998 Economic reasons: No solid broadcast contract Resulted in limited visibility &

marketablility Had Fox & BET, but no major

network WNBA opened in June 1997

WNBA Success Located in NBA cities Names of teams somewhat paralleled

the NBA teams (Utah Starzz – Jazz; Houston Comets – Rockets)

Salaries $32,500 to 60,000 + benefits,

Tuition reimbursement, paid maternity leave, in-season housing allowance, per diems

NBA Partnership 1st players’ union negotiated

contract in 1999 Share offices, staffs & facilities NBA internet websites have links to

WNBA Publicity during the NBA broadcasts National broadcast contracts: NBC,

ESPN, Lifetime

NBA Partnership 2 Local agreements: franchises have

contracts with Direct TV called WNBA Season Pass

Broadcast in 125 countries in 1999

Softball League 1996- International Women’s

Professional Softball Association – 10 teams

Went broke & folded after four years

1997 Women’s Professional Fastpitch & changed name in ’98:Women’s Pro Softball League

Four franchises in 2000

Softball League Description Sponsors: AT&T, B of A, Louisville

Slugger, and others Broadcast deal with ESPN2 From 1998-2000, 25 games

broadcast Sometimes higher rating than

soccer or hockey games Salaries: $4800 - $15,000 for 3

month, 32 game season

Players Belong to the League Salaries are summer supplements

for women who work fulltime in the off season

Each team has a salary cap Lots of talent disparity in the 1st

year Few players have agents; get

endorsements on their own

Not Much Exposure for Players Dot Richardson’s name recognition,

for example – Olympic team experience

Travel 72 games in 78 days From Tampa to Virginia by bus Two flights to Akron, Ohio Exhibition games v. U.S. Team;

broadcast Every team plays every week end

Professional Tours: Golf & Tennis LPGA established in 1949 Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, Louise

Suggs among 13 founders Board members did it all: planned,

org. tournaments, managed membership

No financial support 1st year: $50,000 prize money

LPGA Growth In 1959: 26 tournaments for $200,000 In 1996 raised $78 million for charity Eight events had 1 million + purse 34 of 42 tour events broadcast $35.5 million in prize money By 1990’s more TV coverage than other

women’s sport: 30 national marketing partners: all major networks + cable

Tennis The economic struggles in women’s

sport exemplified in professional tennis Virginia Slims in 1970’s – Billie Jean King 2000: woman winner at Wimbledon:

$666,500; male winner:$740,125 French Open $597,000; $628,000- male

U.S Open Equal Prize Money In 2000 the US Open is the only

Grand Slam event that has equal $$

Current Tour: Prize money is about $58 million for 58 events

Wide TV exposure

International Sport Women’s professional basketball

played extensively in Europe, S. America, Japan & Australia

Three divisions in Europe; 3 levels Countries: Italy, Greece, France,

Spain, Germany, and others Salaries vary widely

Different European Models First Division teams: salaries + room &

board 2nd and 3rd division teams’ players have

other jobs to make a living Japan: Corporate Sort Model: BB, VB,

Soccer & Softball Play as part of their job for the corporation Few short term contracts for highly skilled

Greek BB Player’s Experience Gianna Riga: 13 year career, Athens Three point shooting guard Many players also work as coaches

at the BB academy for their team 12 teams in division A-1 National

League; 22 game season Bus travel, no TV or radio coverage

Other Professional Opportunities NASCAR driving, Indy car, National

Hot Rod Bowling Billiards Volleyball Rodeo Soccer

Corporate Sponsorship of Women’s Sport Olympic corporate sponsors: Coca-Cola,

McDonald’s, VISA, Nike, Adidas Reasons corporations choose to sponsor: Public awareness, reinforce their product

recognition, I.D. company with market segment, involvement in community, good will among opinion makers, media benefits, competitive advantage, hospitality & entertainment.

Examples of Corporate Sponsorship Company gets tickets in turn for

displaying logo, ads, etc. Many levels from many sources:

Tenn. Lady Vols: State Farm Tip Off Classic;

Avon running circuit; WSF many sponsors

Values Vary WNBA sponsors paid $2.5 million

annually Electrolux: $1.4 mil for 3-year LPGA

Nashville Tournament U.S. Olympic Committee give $ to

winners: $50,000 for Gold; $25,000 for Silver & $10,000 Bronze

Not much sponsorship for paraOlympics

Women As Sport Consumers Decisions made by women: 86% for

all sport clothing purchases Children’s sport clothes: 91% 63% of men’s sports clothing bought

by women $143,965 million for athletic

footwear 1999 NASCAR cars feature Tide, Pepsi +

beer

Women’s Apparel v. Small Men’s Clothes Recent change Designed for women Sports magazines for women SI for Women; Women Sports &

Fitness, etc.

Women in Sport Industry Careers Product endorsement increased 60% of US women work full time now In 1952, only 32% worked outside the

home Sport industry larger than automobile

industry in the U.S. ($213 billion) Sport management, exercise science,

sport psychology, nutrition, 200schools offer Sport Management degrees

Opportunities Professional sport, intercollegiate

athletics, youth sport, facility management, event management, sporting goods, health, fitness, wellness, recreational sport and sport for people with disabilities and international sport

Male Dominated Careers Although all these careers are male

dominated…. Women are in key positions within the: NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, WNBA, MLB,,

minor league baseball, hockey; sporting goods major college programs, fitness centers, sports reporters, broadcast journalists, Olympics and para Olympics

Top Female Sport Executives 46.6% coaches of women’s sport,

2000 Down from 49.4% in 1994 Of 534 new NCAA college jobs in

last two years, 107 women were hired

Women of color only a fraction of that

Career Advice P. 392 – 393 list of tips Table 3 page 395 lists occupations

& earnings averages