Category Archives: In The Biz

National Lacrosse League, Fanatics Enter Multi-Year E-Commerce Partnership

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the longest running and most successful professional lacrosse league in the world, today announced a landmark partnership with Fanatics, the global leader for licensed sports merchandise, which will bring the league’s online merchandise and retail efforts into one consolidated location for all NLL clubs.

The new online destination, NLLShop.com, is now live and accessible to fans worldwide.

“Our league and the sport of lacrosse are on a sharp growth curve. We have such a tremendous opportunity with our teams for growth in terms of online merchandise sales. Fanatics is simply the best and most innovative consumer e-commerce sports retailer in the world, and this partnership will give us a great opportunity to realize the league’s potential, said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “We have seen the power and value of team merchandise at the local level, and this international approach gives us the ability to have a streamlined one-stop shop to offer NLL merchandise where sports fans shop online.”

Through Fanatics’ industry leading technology and mobile capabilities, powered by its revolutionary Cloud Commerce Platform, the new NLL online store will provide rapid navigation for fans across desktop and mobile sites, featuring hi-resolution product displays, frictionless checkout and the widest assortment of NLL merchandise for all members of the family.

“We are excited to enter into this new partnership with the National Lacrosse League. Fanatics is uniquely positioned to help the league expand its reach through an enhanced direct-to-consumer platform that will allow fans to share their pride and passion for the NLL teams and players they love,” said Vicky Picca, Fanatics SVP of Business Affairs.

The partnership unifies what has been a regional approach ran by the NLL clubs for most of the league’s 35-year history. While teams will retain the right to sell locally at retail brick and mortar, the complete global e-commerce business will be housed under the new NLLShop.com for the first time.

The 2021 NLL season is targeted to start the weekend of April 9-11th, with a full schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee introduces Athlete Marketing Platform

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today shared details of the new Team USA Athlete Marketing Platform (AMP) pilot program, a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace that expands athlete sponsorship and marketing opportunities. Created in cooperation with the Athletes’ Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies Council, AMP is an opt-in program that connects Team USA sponsors and licensees directly with athletes, providing incremental revenue opportunities and marketing exposure for Team USA athletes.

 “AMP was born from a shared recognition that empowering Team USA athletes to expand marketing and earning opportunities is the right thing to do for athletes, and an opportunity to elevate Olympic and Paralympic sport broadly,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “This program will link the incredible athletes and personalities at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movements with the innovative Team USA partners who help tell their stories.”

Through a streamlined program, AMP provides expanded earning opportunities to more Team USA athletes, who may otherwise have limited access to sponsors, via a guaranteed base payment for group marketing rights, and potential incremental revenue opportunities via individual endorsement and licensing opportunities.

“AMP is a huge shift in approach and an exciting step in Olympic and Paralympic athlete marketing,” said Chris Mazdzer, three-time Olympian in luge and Beijing 2022 hopeful. “Team USA athletes give their all to represent the United States at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This program recognizes that commitment – and the desire of athletes to seek out opportunities and take greater ownership in connecting with partners and managing opportunities.”

AMP is optional for Team USA athletes and does not impact any existing sponsorship deals, and creates possibilities for additional branding collaborations and incremental revenue. Participating athletes control what brands to engage with, which categories to protect, what images to approve and what causes to champion through a seamless mobile interface launching in 2021.

The digital platform will also provide greater access and ease for athletes and Team USA partners to directly connect and collaborate based on their interests, backgrounds, locations, and Olympic and Paralympic sports so that the true diversity of Team USA is represented in the collective marketing around the movements.

The program includes certain parameters for usage that intends to establish equity and diversity in representation of Team USA athletes and maintain the critical commercial funding provided to athletes by their NGB.

The USOPC, in collaboration with the AAC and NGBC, is jointly developing educational materials and will be offering athlete informational sessions prior to the opening of program enrollment in January.

Athletes who opt in to participate in the pilot in 2021 will benefit from the unprecedented and compressed window encompassing the Tokyo and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will receive a guaranteed payment in exchange for their commitment to shape the program and participate in group marketing.

The USOPC invested in robust technologies and resources with industry-leading providers Athletes First Partners and Opendorse to provide athletes with the data and capabilities to develop their personal brand and maximize commercial opportunities.

More information on the program, including athlete eligibility considerations, can be found at TeamUSA.org/AMP.

Indiana Sportsbooks Shatter Record with $230 Million in October

PlayIndiana.com

 Indiana sportsbooks enjoyed a record-shattering October, setting highs in revenue and handle, as bettors were spurred by local interest in the NFL and the return of Big Ten football. In a month that resembled a normal sports schedule more than any month since the pandemic began, October’s handle was more than $230 million, a sign that Indiana’s recent gains are sustainable, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.

“With a schedule that was more comparable to an ordinary October, Indiana’s sportsbooks fared well and offered a clearer read on where Indiana’s market stands,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “Interest in the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana University, and Notre Dame is helping as the state transitions from a market that relies on Chicago to one that is more reliant on local bettors.”

Without a once-in-a-lifetime schedule to drive interest, as was the case in September, bettors still made $230.9 million in bets in October, according to official reporting released Tuesday. That breaks the record $207.5 million hit in September and is up 151.8% from $91.7 million in October 2019.

October’s bets also produced a record $21.1 million in adjusted gross revenue for the state’s operators. That is up 82.9% from $11.5 million in October 2019 and easily surpassing the record $14.3 million in revenue generated in September. The month’s revenue yielded $2 million in taxes in October.

Indiana has now generated $1.6 billion in bets since launching in September 2019, but the state was topped in September by both Colorado and Illinois to fall to sixth. However, the state is becoming less reliant on the Chicago market. Bets on the Colts and the surprising Hoosiers fueled $84.7 million in bets on football.

And sportsbooks continue to be imaginative with the types of bets they offer, including offering odds on the Halloween Candy Bowl, a professional candy eating contest held in Las Vegas in late October.

“The market continues to sustain itself by being innovative, which is going to be critical as competition from neighboring states such as Illinois and Michigan increases,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “Wringing a few extra dollars from Joey Chestnut downing candy corn might not be a game-changer on its own. But it is a sign of a larger strategy by sportsbooks to diversify their boards in interesting ways.”

Mahomes, Wagner Cards High As Goldin Auctions Breaks All Time Online Sports Auction Record with $16 Million Auction

When the Gavel dropped on the Goldin Auctions October Legends Auction, the total proceeds topped $16 Million, a figure never before that had been eclipsed in the Online Sports Memorabilia Auction Industry from single auction event. Topping the list of most valuable items was the T-206 Honus Wagner card in Lot #1 which sold for $1,426,800 setting a new All-time record for a Honus Wagner T-206 card in the respective grade by PSA. In addition to the record bid price on the famed Honus Wagner, another very iconic basketball rookie card of Michel Jordan has also toppled the record. The red, white and blue 1986 Fleer issue featuring Jordan sold for the price including premium of $124,230, setting a new auction record for this popular card.

Other notable sales were the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle that sold for a staggering sum of $584,250. A new record for the most expensive Soccer card of All time was also set with a sale of $295,200 on a 1958 Alifabolaget Pele rookie card graded a PSA MINT 9 and a 1986 Fleer Basketball set containing Michael Jordan’s rookie card also set a new record price $224,300.

“For the past several years my goal has been to increase the both the user base of Goldin Auctions, as well as grow the business for the entire industry,” says Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions. “We have seen a tremendous increase in both the number of collectors in the hobby as well as a tremendous growth in our user base at Goldin Auctions. Our October Legends clearly demonstrates this as it was not only the highest grossing auction in the history of online sports auctions at $16 million, but also registered the most bids ever recorded at Goldin Auctions, as well as the most bidders and the most unique winners.”

Goldin also explained, “I would like to thank all of our consignors who contributed tremendous product to the auction, and all of our bidders, not only for their support during this auction, but during all of 2020 which has seen us put up an unprecedented run of five consecutive auctions which have each generated in excess of $10 million in sales.”

Goldin Auctions is currently seeking consignments for our Holiday Auction being held in December and our next Goldin Elite auction in January. To get into the auction you can consign by emailing an image and description of your items to info@goldinauctions.com.

The Goldin Auctions 2020 October Legends Auction Session 1 also featured the Cal Ripken Jr. personal collection that included game used items and memorabilia from the career of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. from his first little league uniform, to his early days as a Baltimore Oriole, to items from his historic consecutive game streak, 3,000th hit, 400th home run, World Series Championship, retirement and more. The collection brought in over $1.2 Million in total revenue and a portion of all his items sold will benefit the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
The Highlighted sales from the Ripken collection was the Jersey worn by Cal for his final game of his 2632 consecutive game streak that fetched $184,500, the jersey worn by Cal for his Major League Debut sold for $123,000 and the bat used by Ripken in the 1st inning of his record breaking 2131 consecutive game brought in $124,230.

Session 1 which closed on Saturday Night consisted of Lots 1 – 417 and Session II Consists of Lots 418-1923 and closed on Sunday November 1st