This Week's Top 5 Stories
Welcome to the BACKCOURT!
Let’s get into this week's top stories:
?? FEATURE STORY
T20 World Cup Ticket Giveaway
With less than one month until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins, all eyes are on co-hosts USA and the West Indies.
To kick off what will be the biggest cricket carnival ever, BACKCOURT is bringing 2 fans closer to the action.
Enter now to win 2 Premium tickets to the India vs. USA match on June 12th in New York.
Here’s how to enter:
That's it! Winner to be announced when entries close on May 16th at 12pm PT.
As cricket continues to grow into a multi-billion dollar business, BACKCOURT is committed to making sure our community is ready to embrace this global sport.
?? SPORTS TOURISM
Louisville Takes Center Stage
Louisville throws one of the biggest parties in the sports world each May when the Kentucky Derby captures millions of eyeballs for the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”
The race is the crown jewel of horse racing and the main economic driver for the city of Louisville, with an economic impact north of $400 million.
However, this May will be even crazier for Louisville.
Just 12 days after the Derby, the city welcomes the 106th PGA Championship to Valhalla Golf Club.
The city anticipates 200,000 visitors and about $78.5 million in economic impact from the event.
When it comes to media exposure, both events put Louisville tourism on the world stage.
Bottom line - Everything from restaurants and hotels to Uber drivers will be busier than usual until May 19th. If all goes according to plan, Louisville will be well positioned to continue growing its sports tourism economy.
Miami Dolphins Owner Rejects $10 billion Offer
Miami Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel has firmly stated that owner Stephen Ross is not interested in selling his stake in the franchise.
This assertion follows reports of a $10 billion offer for the Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, including rights to the Miami Grand Prix — held in the stadium’s parking lot.
Clearly, the massive undertaking in 2022 to transform the parking lot into a world-class racetrack has already paid off.
领英推荐
Last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix was expected to generate over $1 billion in economic impact for South Florida, surpassing ticket sales for all Dolphins home games in 2023.
Despite Forbes' last valuation of the Dolphins at $5.7 billion, the diverse uses of Hard Rock Stadium has made the actual value much higher.
Bottom line - The Dolphins’ stadium overhaul represents one of the great sports business success stories of the last decade, and the Miami Grand Prix has undoubtedly bolstered the franchise’ valuation.
NFL Takes Fan Engagement to the Sea
Offering a unique blend of sports fandom and luxury travel, the Las Vegas Raiders are launching their own fan cruise in 2025.
This once-in-a-lifetime cruise experience will take loyal Raiders fans on an interactive, football-themed adventure.
Launched in partnership with Seaside Events, the 7-night trip from LA to the Mexican Riviera includes:
Rooms range from about $2,400-$16,000.
Bottom line - Fan engagement extends beyond the stadium and beyond game-day, and fan cruises demonstrate how professional sports franchises look to superserve their core fanbase.
Fan-Led Stream Highlights WNBAs Big Opportunity
Angel Reese’s WNBA debut drew an enormous audience—from a fan’s cellphone.?
The Chicago Sky’s Friday preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx was unavailable to the masses after the WNBA mistakenly said it was available on its League Pass service.
Then, a random fan took matters into her own hands, streaming the game from X.
The stream peaked at 173,000 live viewers, shot from the stands on her phone.
Her stream also garnered shout-outs from the game’s legends such as Brittney Griner and Sue Bird who questioned the league’s ability to take advantage of rising interest.
The mishap occurred while the WNBA is negotiating a new media-rights deal, in which it hopes to double its current deal, which pays the league $60 million.?
Bottom line - Rising interest in the WNBA isn’t just about Caitlin Clark. The viewership numbers show an appetite for the women’s game that the league needs to capitalize on.
Until next time ???
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