Tonight in Unpacks: Golf Channel leaned on the expertise of Kira Dixon, Beth Ann Nichols, Mel Reid and Brandel Chamblee during last week’s women's golf major at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, and SBJ’s Wes Sanderson shares his takeaways from their insights and teamwork on the desk during the U.S. Women's Open.
Also tonight:
- Company towns: How Nationwide saved pro sports for Columbus
- NHL Utah receives 34,000 deposits for tickets
- ESPN app users want more Caitlin Clark
- Op-ed: The power of the Olympic stage for marketing
Listen to SBJ's most popular podcast, Morning Buzzcast, whereSBJ’sAbe Madkourdigs into Skydance Media’s talks with Paramount and what this could mean for CBS Sports, the $800 million renovation plan for Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, what's next for the PGA Tour and more.
Golf Channel’s “Live From” studio show was on-site in Lancaster, Pa., for the U.S. Women’s Open last week. SBJ's Wes Sanderson was on the ground and took in the show’s production process alongside the producers and talent. Here are some key takeaways from the experience:
A desire to explain (and in unique ways)
In any given week, the storylines available to the “Live From” crew are almost indefinite. Ahead of Wednesday’s opening show, host Kira Dixon (alongside analysts Brandel Chamblee, Beth Ann Nichols and Mel Reid) threw around names and storylines to kick off a production meeting. Over the next hour, the discussion began to shape the segments that would air later that day. But the question of what’s best for the viewer was always top of mind.
Collective buy-in and investment
Majors naturally come with a different level of gravitas for players -- perks, elevated purses and additional media coverage. But “Live From” producers feel their show on-site also helps elevate the event and the game -- and the stakes are even higher when Golf Channel takes the show on the road for women’s events. Dixon said it “gives so many of these female characters a platform and an opportunity to share their stories with the larger golf universe that might not get to hear their stories week in and week out.”Chamblee -- always with multiple legal pads full of notes while in the production truck -- added that he and others spent months preparing for the week of the U.S. Women’s Open with the goal of giving those sorts of insights. The LPGA’s normal media coverage on a weekly basis varies, with limited live windows and opportunities for longer-form storytelling. That means an opportunity like the one at Lancaster is crucial for elevating the sport.
Deep knowledge of the women’s game
Nichols, who played double duty this week while also reporting for Golfweek, has become a staple within LPGA media and is one of the leading voices in women’s golf. The combo of Nichols, Reid and Dixon on the set -- leading ladies who are well known, connected, knowledgeable and invested in the sport -- helps elevate the coverage for viewers that might not have followed the women’s game on a week-to-week basis.Chamblee’s two decades of insights also helps set the tone for the show.
Mel Reid (r) gained national attention last week for her on-course breakdownsnbc sports/golf channel
Visitors to Columbus can’t help but see the Nationwide name atop its $80 million HQ in the city’s center. But the Nationwide Arena District, the home of the NHL's Blue Jackets, generates brand exposure far beyond the local visibility that the company envisioned 25 years ago, when it helped fund the venue after voters rejected a sales tax proposal.
The arena development was, at its core, a long-term real estate play for both the company and the city, Nationwide Realty Investors President and COO Brian Ellissaid. The site was expected to be approximately 75 acres, with no residential component. It is now more than 200 acres and has 1,100 residences, serves as the corporate HQ of several companies and has been the catalyst for more than $2 billion in real estate investments.
Nationwide's relationship with the Blue Jackets and Columbus isn't an isolated case. In this week's magazine, SBJ's David Broughton analyzescities that have such ties to companies and the sports team they sponsor.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev and St. Louis
- Coors and Denver
- Target and the Twin Cities
- The half-century that brought Nationwide and Columbus sports together
The new Utah-based NHL franchise owned by Smith Entertainment Group and set to begin play in the 2024-25 season has received more than 34,000 ticket deposits, reports SBJ's Alex Silverman.
Chief Commercial Officer Chris Barney, who serves in the same role for the Jazz, said 92% of those who placed hockey ticket deposits are not Jazz season-ticket holders and 63% haven’t attended any events at Delta Center in the past year. The team, which will play in Salt Lake City, has received deposits from all over Utah, other states within driving distance and even as far as the East Coast. Barney estimated the renovations to the Delta Center will result in 16,000 seats for hockey: 10,000 with full views of the ice, and 6,000 with obstructed views.
The latest sign of Caitlin Clark's move into rarefied air among athletes comes on the ESPN app. Clark is now third among all athletes in terms of app alerts on ESPN, behind only Tiger Woods and LeBron James (she recently passed Steph Curry, who is now No. 4 on that list, followed by Kevin Durant at No. 5). And for the first time,ESPN designed a special campaign within the app just to promote Clark’s notifications, reports SBJ's Austin Karp.
This week's SBJ Media newsletter also has Adam Stern, Mollie Cahillane and Karp covering:
- Mike Joy intends to return to Fox's NASCAR TV booth for 2025 season
- USL continues pushing national, local coverage to drive awareness
- Break for NBA, NHL finals could give audience boost to events like Women's College World Series
Tonight's op-ed is from Chief Strategy Officer Matt Johnsonof creative agency Haymaker on how marketing for the Olympics differs from that of other major sports events.
"While the Super Bowl understandably gets discussed as the magnum opus for brands and advertisers, most of the advertising in the big game leads with the product supported by a deluge of celebrities. Meanwhile, Olympic ads present the opportunity to lead with the human spirit."
Read the full submission here.
- SBJ betting reporter Bill King offers his insights into the latest athlete gambling scandal, writing that "if the Tucupita Marcano or Jontay Porter news surprised you, you should have been paying closer attention. This was inevitable."
- The Oilers set a single-game merchandise sales record for the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs during the team’s Game 6 win over the Stars on Sunday night, topping the previous sales record by 13%,reports SBJ's Bret McCormick.
- USA Swimming has a deal with Procter & Gamble that will see it become an official sponsor, highlighting its brands across multiple household and personal care categories, writes SBJ's David Broughton.
- Blue Jays 3B Justin Turner is the new spokesman for men’s grooming brand The Beard Club in a deal that includes an equity stake in the company, reports SBJ's Terry Lefton.
- The Twins and BrainLit agreed to a deal that will see the brand install its biocentric lighting in the team’s clubhouse at Target Field, writes SBJ's Joe Lemire.
- After sitting dormant since 2011, the revival of 2K Sports’ TopSpin tennis sim game was a Herculean effort, notes SBJ's Jason Wilson.
