Contents for SER Issue 1:2
| SER whole issue 1.2 Authors: Pascal Courty, Packianathan Chelladurai, Rodney Paul, Andrew Weinbach, Rui Biscaia, and Mathew Knowles |
| Abstract: Sport & Entertainment Review, Volume 1, No. 2, June 2015. |
| Pricing Challenges in the Live Events industry: A Tale of Two Industries, pp. 35-43 Authors: Pascal Courty |
| Abstract: Ticket pricing is about selling the right seat to the right individual at the right time. The decreasing costs of data analytics and ticket distribution, together with the general frustration from the large gains captured by professional resellers in highly visible online secondary markets, have stimulated a wave of pricing innovation by event organizers, ticket distributors, and online marketplaces for the sport and entertainment industries. Event organizers can keep track in real time of the top selling seats and respond with price changes and targeted promotions. Online resale markets also give cues to event organizers for how much money could be captured by more actively managing ticket inventories. |
| Friend or Fearsome Leader: Autocracy in Coaching Team Sports, pp. 44-50 Authors: Packianathan Chelladurai |
| Abstract: Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of the Manchester United Football Club made the above statement in his interview with Harvard Business Review. He is not the only or the first coach to say that a coach needs to be authoritarian and autocratic in dealing with the team. The image of the “autocratic coach” is well illustrated throughout the entertainment world. For example, in the 2000 film titled “Remember the Titans,” Coach Boone declared to his team “This is no democracy. It is a dictatorship. I am the law” (IMDb, 2014). |
| Viable Uses of Sports Betting Data to Sports Industry Managers, pp. 51-56 Authors: Rodney Paul and Andrew Weinbach |
| Abstract: It is easy to find betting market information about upcoming sporting events. Point spreads, totals, and odds appear on websites, television, and newspapers, even though in most places in the United States placing wagers on these events is illegal. Although these numbers seem to be most important to bettors (legally or illegally), there seems to be some inherent value in having these pieces of information available to the general public and as entertainment tools. On the surface, it might appear that knowledge of betting markets may be of little use to sport and entertainment industry professionals, other than those who directly work for sports books in Las Vegas. What needs to be remembered, however, is that sports betting is an entertainment marketplace. In an entertainment market, prices are formed and these prices provide valuable information to prompt discussion and debate. For instance, the amazing attribute of sports betting markets is that they provide a forecast of different aspects of a game, such as which team is expected to win, the anticipated margin of victory, and the number of points likely to be scored in a game. These entertainment-related forecasts are generated in advance of the game and, if accurate, can provide managers in sports-related industries with information that could be helpful in making better decisions, maximizing their company revenues, and/or reducing business costs. Further, this information can provide a framework for entertainment executives to entertain fans on radio, television, and other media venues. This article provides a background on the formation and uses of market prices in sports betting we have been involved with and provides examples of their use outside of the gambling environment. |
| Spectators’ Experiences at the Sport and Entertainment Facility: The Key for Increasing Attendance Over the Season, pp. 57-64 Authors: Rui Biscaia |
| Abstract: Attending live sporting events is a popular leisure and entertainment activity in contemporary European societies, none more important than football (the sport Americans refer to as soccer). For example, according to Deloitte’s (2014) annual report about the football industry, the top 20 European clubs generated combined revenues of over €5.4 billion in 2012-13, including almost €1.2 billion in gate receipts. However, due to myriad aspects such as the difficult economic environment in many countries, the increased competition of other leisure/entertainment activities, the importance of selling broadcasting rights, and the development of new technologies, clubs now face the challenge of retaining and even increasing this high demand. In this sense, clubs need to look for the games as regular opportunities to strengthen the link with current and prospective spectators by providing memorable consumption and/or entertainment experiences that include more than just the competition between two teams on the field, court, ice, track, or better yet, the stage. |
| Strategic Partnerships at Walmart, pp. 65-72 Authors: Mathew Knowles |
| Abstract: I remember my first visit to Bentonville, Arkansas. If you’ve been there, you know that Bentonville offers no frills. Simple airport, simple lodging, and simple but honest people who are there for each other. That doesn’t surprise me as it confirmed the vision of Sam Walton: “If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone … we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life” (“Mission of Walmart,” n.d.). |
