August/September 2019 August/September www.sportbusiness.com Rugby’s Asian adventure WHAT RUGBY WORLD CUP JAPAN 2019 MEANS FOR THE COMMERCIAL FUTURE OF THE SPORT Issue no. 254 www.sportbusiness.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE The challenge facing Football clubs wake up to How Minor League NBA’s Bucks make bold the next Premier League the engagement potential Baseball is driving up choices to avoid second- chief executive of FIFA and Pro Evo national sponsorship year dip at Fiserv Forum VIDEO PRODUCTION WE PITCH AND PRODUCE VIDEOS TO VIEWERS ACROSS THE WORLD WE DO Video Production is a digital production agency, WE DO is based in Milan and has a widespread fusing expertise in the art of filmmaking with an intuitive international footprint through a highly experienced grasp of the digital world. network bringing passion, creativity and technical Since 2005 WE DO has partnered with a range of clients, excellence to each story that we help to create for managed TV channels and worked with many international clients. broadcasters producing powerful video content to drive engagement across multiple audiences. www.wedovideoproduction.it CONTENTS August/September | Issue no. 254 Rugby World Cup 5 World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper talks to Kevin Roberts about his hopes for the impact of RWC 2019 10 Dual award of 2015 and 2019 World Cups helped mitigate Japan risks 14 Developing a licensing programme for Japan 2019 18 What will the World Cup mean for rugby in Asia? 23 Major League Rugby takes slow and steady approach Media 5 28 The challenge facing the next Premier League chief executive: media-rights growth has stalled Sponsorship & licensing 37 Minor League Baseball seeks to move national sales to “biggest levels in the market” 44 Football clubs have woken up to the power of FIFA and Pro Evo 76 Beko and Barça raise the bar with ‘Eat Like A Pro’ campaign Esports 28 41 MLB aims to ‘democratize’ esports with inclusive push around Home Run Derby VR game Event Hosting 55 Tokyo looks to Olympics to promote technology and spark event hosting resurgence Women’s Sport 60 “Women’s football is about so much more than what happens on the pitch” | Fifa’s Sarai Bareman 37 Retail 72 PGA Tour Superstore revolutionizes sports retail sector as Home Depot of golf Stadia 78 Milwaukee Bucks get aggressive to avoid second-year letdown at Fiserv Forum Management 80 Washington Wizards seek to break the industry mould, find wins with new leadership structure 55 60 @SportBusiness | www.sportbusiness.com 3 Editor CALENDAR Ben Cronin [email protected] + 44 (0)20 7265 4232 Deputy Editor Adam Nelson [email protected] + 44 (0)20 7265 4234 US Editor Eric Fisher [email protected] Asia Editor Kelvin Tan [email protected] Head of Content Richard Welbirg [email protected] 03-06 SEP | SEVILLE 16-18 SEP | SINGAPORE + 44 (0)20 7265 4233 EASM SPORTS MATTERS Editorial Director Kevin Roberts [email protected] “Hosted by two outstanding academic partners, “Asia’s leading sports and entertainment Universidad Europea and Universidad Pablo industry conference, All That Matters, is unique. Senior Designer Olavide, EASM will bring together academics It offers the meeting point in the region for the Alex Smith from all continents with top officials from most influential players in global entertainment. [email protected] different sectors of sport industry. The EASM Music Sport Gaming Digital Marketing… these Production and Distribution Manager Board and the Local Organising Committee industries gather in Singapore in the most Craig Young [email protected] have been working hard to ensure a stimulating exciting week of the entertainment calendar academic programme and a friendly forum for prior to the Formula 1 Grand Prix.” Head of Media Sales exchange of ideas and socialising, underpinned [email protected] sportsmatters.asia/ + 44 (0) 2072 654182 by great Spanish hospitality.” Subscription/Information Sales easm2019.com/ [email protected] + 44 (0) 2072 654178 Head of Key Account Development [email protected] 17-20 SEP | LONDON 21-23 OCT | MONACO + 44 (0) 2072 654183 BETTING ON SPORTS SPORTEL www.sportbusiness.com “Betting on Sports Week 2019 is a must-attend “The world’s only exhibition and trade floor for conference and exhibition for members of the the international sports media & technology Published by: sports, betting and gaming industries. You will industry. Attend this event if your company has SportBusiness, a division of SBG experience the very best industry speakers and commercial objectives within the global sports Companies Ltd, New Penderel House, content with plenty of high level networking and business industry. Sportel guarantees a unique 283-288 High Holborn, London business opportunities.” opportunity to expand your business.” WC1V 7HP T: +44 (0) 20 7265 4100 sbcevents.com/betting-on-sports/ sportelmonaco.com/ F: +44 (0) 20 7265 4220 Registered address: Park House, 116 Park Street, London, W1K 6AF Printed in the UK by Pensord Press www.pensord.co.uk The paper used within this publication has 26-27 NOV | GLASGOW 10-12 DEC | FT LAUDERDALE been sourced from a Chain-of-Custody-certified manufacturer, operating within international HOST CITY 2019 SPORTACCORD PANAMERICA environmental standards such as ISO14001 and EMAS. This is to ensure sustainable sourcing of the raw materials, sustainable production and to “Host City is the largest meeting of Cities and “A three-day meeting with a themed conference minimise our carbon footprint. Sports, Business and Cultural Events. Attend programme, exhibition area and networking this event to expand your network in the world events. it brings together key stakeholders from SportBusiness Review is published monthly © of major events, learn from experts and industry the Olympic and non-Olympic sports movement SBG Companies Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced leaders and meet new buyers and suppliers.” with commercial organisations in the business or transmitted in any form or by any means, of sport who want to develop their business or stored in any retrieval system of any nature hostcity.com/events/host-city/ in this region. This year’s conference theme is without prior written permission, except for permitted fair dealing under the Copyright ‘a united approach to the international sport Designs and Patents Act 1988. Application landscape in the Americas’.” for permission for use of copyright material including permission to reproduce extracts in sportaccord.sport/rsa/ other published works shall be made to the publishers. Full acknowledgement of author, publisher and source must be given. ISSN 1757-5346. 4 www.sportbusiness.com | @SportBusiness RUGBY WORLD CUP WORLD RUGBY State of the Union World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper tells Kevin Roberts about his hopes for the impact and legacy of the showpiece 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, at the tail end of a year when plans for a global Nations Championship foundered on the rocks of resistance from the sport’s established nations. (David Rogers/Getty Images) Kevin Roberts According to Gosper, the former in France. Now we are expecting a 40 senior advertising executive who took million domestic television audience for here’s a huge image on the over as chief executive of what was the opening game in September.” wall of Brett Gosper’s Dublin then the International Rugby Board These are interesting times for rugby office of what he describes as seven years ago, the upset created “a union, and for Gosper as he looks ahead “possibly the most significant little bit of folklore” and helped pique to his second World Cup at the helm. Ttry in Rugby World Cup history”. the interest of those who had never In his seven years he has overseen the It shows Japan’s Karne Hesketh previously been hooked on rugby. rebrand of the governing body as World scoring the last minute try that earned It not only gave a boost to a 2015 Rugby, seen Rugby Sevens debut as his team an historic victory over former tournament in which hosts England had an Olympic sport, run a commercially world champions South Africa in the failed to inspire, but drove a massive and successful World Cup in England – 2015 Rugby World Cup. To say the result immediate spike in interest in Japan, which with France is the sport’s biggest was a shock hardly does justice to the helping set the stage for this year’s first TV market – and had the organisation’s scale of the achievement. But it also had Asian World Cup. plans to grow the game around the world an impact way beyond the field of play “We saw a huge uplift in Japanese stopped in their tracks by some of the and the record books. The result lit a TV audiences as a result,” says Gosper. senior members of the rugby club. fuse that Gosper expects will detonate “They went from around 1.5 million for Rugby has played a central role in an explosion of local passion when the previous game to 25 million on free- Gosper’s life. He played for Melbourne Japan, as hosts, get the 2019 Rugby to-air TV for their game against Samoa and Victoria back in Australia and was World Cup underway against Russia in – five million higher than the previous selected for the national U21 side. When Tokyo on September 20. record, for the 2011 World Cup final his advertising career took him to Paris @SportBusiness | www.sportbusiness.com 5 RUGBY WORLD CUP WORLD RUGBY he played – and was player of the year – of the public and fans in everything you and developing the plans for a Nations at Racing Club de France and turned out do and say.