By Zachary Baru
The result may not have been what the New England Revolution were looking for, but fans flocked to Foxborough Saturday night as the Revs tied the Houston Dynamo 1-1 before a season-high crowd of 21,297.
Large crowds are not uncommon for Revs late in the season, as many of their promotions and ticket plans fill seats in these final home games. This on top of the Revolution's push for the last playoff berth helped bring a large crowd and a playoff-like atmosphere to Gillette Stadium.
As the top rows of the lower bowl are typically tarped off for Revolution home games, on Saturday much of the lower bowl was sold. It was an opportunity for the Revs to have an "official" sellout, but it is hard to be disappointed with a crowd of 20,000-plus, especially with many Major League Soccer stadiums only holding 18,000-20,000 fans.
The Revs finished the 2012 season with an average of 14,001 fans per home game, which was up 5.9 percent from 2011.
The Revolution have one more home game remaining, October 19 against Columbus. A decent amount of tickets have been sold, in what should be another large crowd for the Revolution.
Source: Sports Business Journal
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
98.5 The Sports Hub grows its empire by inking deal with Celtics
By Zachary Baru
As if 98.5 The Sports Hub was not already in control of much of the Boston sports radio scene, the CBS-owned station added yet another team to its broadcast-rights. The Sports Hub, or WBZ-FM, announced a multiyear agreement Thursday to broadcast the Celtics, which will not divert any Boston Bruins broadcasts to any other networks. The Sports Hub will continue to broadcast all Bruins games, moving Celtics games that conflict to 100.7 (WZLX-FM).
With the addition of the Celtics, The Sports Hub now broadcasts four of the five major teams in New England, as they already broadcast Patriots and Revolution games. Revolution games are a simulcast of the Comcast SportsNet New England broadcast.
While Entercom formerly had a monopoly in Boston sports radio, The Sports Hub has quickly grown to take over the country's seventh largest market. Launched in 2009, The Sports Hub was the only FM sports station, and used their strong signal and interesting personalities to capture the interest of Boston listeners.
During a time when sports radio was starting to appear on FM, WEEI failed to do so, leaving the door open for CBS to launch the Sports Hub, the beginning of what is now an empire in Boston sports radio. WBZ-FM also gains strong television presence from the simulcast of its popular afternoon drive program the "Felger & Massarotti Show".
Since the launch of The Sports Hub, WEEI revenues are down nearly 20 percent, according to an article published by the Boston Globe last month.
As The Sports Hub continues to expand its audience, more and more listeners are being converted to their new style of broadcasting, after decades of dominance from WEEI. The Sports Hub's slightly less-serious but more fun approach to programming has proved to be successful with sports fans, and in just four years has changed an entire radio market.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
As if 98.5 The Sports Hub was not already in control of much of the Boston sports radio scene, the CBS-owned station added yet another team to its broadcast-rights. The Sports Hub, or WBZ-FM, announced a multiyear agreement Thursday to broadcast the Celtics, which will not divert any Boston Bruins broadcasts to any other networks. The Sports Hub will continue to broadcast all Bruins games, moving Celtics games that conflict to 100.7 (WZLX-FM).
With the addition of the Celtics, The Sports Hub now broadcasts four of the five major teams in New England, as they already broadcast Patriots and Revolution games. Revolution games are a simulcast of the Comcast SportsNet New England broadcast.
While Entercom formerly had a monopoly in Boston sports radio, The Sports Hub has quickly grown to take over the country's seventh largest market. Launched in 2009, The Sports Hub was the only FM sports station, and used their strong signal and interesting personalities to capture the interest of Boston listeners.
During a time when sports radio was starting to appear on FM, WEEI failed to do so, leaving the door open for CBS to launch the Sports Hub, the beginning of what is now an empire in Boston sports radio. WBZ-FM also gains strong television presence from the simulcast of its popular afternoon drive program the "Felger & Massarotti Show".
Since the launch of The Sports Hub, WEEI revenues are down nearly 20 percent, according to an article published by the Boston Globe last month.
As The Sports Hub continues to expand its audience, more and more listeners are being converted to their new style of broadcasting, after decades of dominance from WEEI. The Sports Hub's slightly less-serious but more fun approach to programming has proved to be successful with sports fans, and in just four years has changed an entire radio market.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Diego Fagundez leading the Revolution on and off the field
By Zachary Baru
It is not often that a team's leading scorer creates so much buzz for reasons other than their scoring capabilities. Then again, it is not often a team has a local athlete that is developed in their own academy and is only eighteen years of age. For the New England Revolution, Diego Fagundez is all of these things, combining stellar play with his massive off-the-field appeal, creating both excitement and attention for the franchise.
Fagundez, of Leominster, played on the Revolution's academy team before being signed to a senior roster contract on November 15, 2010, becoming the Revolution's first homegrown player. The combination of his local ties and young age make Fagundez highly marketable to Major League Soccer's key demographic. And let's not forget about his impressive skill.
A new generation of fans is watching MLS who only know the league in its present form as an established part of the professional sports landscape. MLS has gone through its growing pains in the late 90's and now has a strong identity and following that has lead to the expansion of its 20th franchise earlier this year in New York City. Fagundez represents a new generation of fans who for the first time the Revolution can connect to on a more personal level.
He attracts hundreds of fans seeking autographs after each home game, and he is very good about staying to sign them all. And who can blame him? After all, just a few years ago, he was them. This is the connection that is so important for the Revolution and their fans, making Fagundez arguably the face of the franchise. His popularity has gone national, most recently from being the subject of the MLS documentary program "MLS: 36", which aired on NBC Sports Network. The appeal of Fagundez allows the Revolution to market their brand of soccer to more than the average soccer fan, which has always been, and continues to be a challenge for all MLS franchises. That connection is something Fagundez has been able to master, creating attention from the non-soccer community and using his on-the-field production to make believers of soccer fans across the country.
Having a player with the appeal of Fagundez is a void the Revolution have had since Taylor Twellman retired in 2010 after suffering a concussion two years prior. What is so special about Fagundez is that he is able to be marketed to both traditional and non-traditional soccer fans. He is the team-leader in goals this season, earned MLS Player of the Week earlier in the year, and shows no signs of slowing down.
At just eighteen, Diego Fagundez delivers the high expectations with results week after week. It is no wonder why there is so much buzz about this young athlete. He is able to withstand the pressure, and shows so much joy doing it. Meet Diego Fagundez, the newest, youngest star in New England sports.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
It is not often that a team's leading scorer creates so much buzz for reasons other than their scoring capabilities. Then again, it is not often a team has a local athlete that is developed in their own academy and is only eighteen years of age. For the New England Revolution, Diego Fagundez is all of these things, combining stellar play with his massive off-the-field appeal, creating both excitement and attention for the franchise.
A new generation of fans is watching MLS who only know the league in its present form as an established part of the professional sports landscape. MLS has gone through its growing pains in the late 90's and now has a strong identity and following that has lead to the expansion of its 20th franchise earlier this year in New York City. Fagundez represents a new generation of fans who for the first time the Revolution can connect to on a more personal level.
He attracts hundreds of fans seeking autographs after each home game, and he is very good about staying to sign them all. And who can blame him? After all, just a few years ago, he was them. This is the connection that is so important for the Revolution and their fans, making Fagundez arguably the face of the franchise. His popularity has gone national, most recently from being the subject of the MLS documentary program "MLS: 36", which aired on NBC Sports Network. The appeal of Fagundez allows the Revolution to market their brand of soccer to more than the average soccer fan, which has always been, and continues to be a challenge for all MLS franchises. That connection is something Fagundez has been able to master, creating attention from the non-soccer community and using his on-the-field production to make believers of soccer fans across the country.
Having a player with the appeal of Fagundez is a void the Revolution have had since Taylor Twellman retired in 2010 after suffering a concussion two years prior. What is so special about Fagundez is that he is able to be marketed to both traditional and non-traditional soccer fans. He is the team-leader in goals this season, earned MLS Player of the Week earlier in the year, and shows no signs of slowing down.
At just eighteen, Diego Fagundez delivers the high expectations with results week after week. It is no wonder why there is so much buzz about this young athlete. He is able to withstand the pressure, and shows so much joy doing it. Meet Diego Fagundez, the newest, youngest star in New England sports.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Deutsche Bank Championship winning over fans for more than just golf
By Zachary Baru
Whether or not you are a golf fan, it is very easy to be a fan of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Since 2003 when the tournament began, so many of the headlines coming out of TPC Boston in Norton were about the players and the scores, while the most important numbers are the charitable contributions.
From the tournament's inception ten years ago, over $24 million in charitable proceeds has been generated. No, that is not a typo, it is a number that continues to grow each year, primarily benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation. In addition, the tournament benefits the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation and other charities throughout New England.
In last year's tournament alone, charitable contributions reached $2.4 million. Clearly, the Deutsche Bank Championship is far more than a PGA Tour event, but rather an event for the entire region. Capitalizing off its current status as the second of four tournaments that are part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the tournament receives high exposure both locally and on the national stage. This results in the biggest names in golf coming to Norton, great attendance, and most importantly, large charitable donations.
The Deutsche Bank Championship is just one example of what is happening at tournaments across the country. Tournaments from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour combined to surpass $130 million in charitable contributions in 2012. As of April 2013, the all-time total raised for charity from the PGA Tour reached $1.86 billion. It is expected that the $2 billion mark may be reached in early 2014. The Deutsche Bank Championship is just one of many great stories that can be found on the PGA Tour.
What has been occurring at TPC Boston in Norton over the last decade is somewhat of a model of what sports and entertainment should be - an event that not only impacts the local economy, but also gives back to the community through charity. That is just what is taking place at the Deutsche Bank Championship next month, when sport and community blend together entertaining fans and raising millions through the act of charitable giving.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Whether or not you are a golf fan, it is very easy to be a fan of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Since 2003 when the tournament began, so many of the headlines coming out of TPC Boston in Norton were about the players and the scores, while the most important numbers are the charitable contributions.
From the tournament's inception ten years ago, over $24 million in charitable proceeds has been generated. No, that is not a typo, it is a number that continues to grow each year, primarily benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation. In addition, the tournament benefits the Stop & Shop/Giant Family Foundation and other charities throughout New England.
In last year's tournament alone, charitable contributions reached $2.4 million. Clearly, the Deutsche Bank Championship is far more than a PGA Tour event, but rather an event for the entire region. Capitalizing off its current status as the second of four tournaments that are part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the tournament receives high exposure both locally and on the national stage. This results in the biggest names in golf coming to Norton, great attendance, and most importantly, large charitable donations.The Deutsche Bank Championship is just one example of what is happening at tournaments across the country. Tournaments from the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and Web.com Tour combined to surpass $130 million in charitable contributions in 2012. As of April 2013, the all-time total raised for charity from the PGA Tour reached $1.86 billion. It is expected that the $2 billion mark may be reached in early 2014. The Deutsche Bank Championship is just one of many great stories that can be found on the PGA Tour.
What has been occurring at TPC Boston in Norton over the last decade is somewhat of a model of what sports and entertainment should be - an event that not only impacts the local economy, but also gives back to the community through charity. That is just what is taking place at the Deutsche Bank Championship next month, when sport and community blend together entertaining fans and raising millions through the act of charitable giving.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Liverpool at Fenway should be a yearly stop
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By Zachary Baru
A year ago Fenway Park was preparing to transform into a soccer pitch, hosting two world-famous clubs in an exhibition match that would set the Fenway Park record attendance for a soccer game. On July 25, 2012, Liverpool FC visited the Boston ballpark in a game against Italy's AS Roma before 37,169 fans.
Not only did the match attract a large crowd from the soccer enthusiasts, but the game was also televised live on ESPN2, in a successful night for Fenway Sports Group, owners of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool. So why can't the group continue the baseball-soccer connection, and keep the successful event as an annual tradition?
Let's start with the fans. Although the New England Revolution do not always get the support they deserve, there still is rich soccer roots in Boston. International matches at Gillette Stadium routinely draw well, and have become a staple at the stadium in Foxboro. A recently announced international friendly at Gillette between Brazil and Portugal will take place September 10, in what is sure to be a highly attended event.
In addition to last year's record setting soccer attendance at Fenway, a 2010 match between Scotland's Celtic FC and Portugal's Sporting drew 32,162 fans. It is apparent that Boston can support international soccer, and given the last two events at Fenway, having Liverpool make an annual appearance in Boston seems to be more a matter of scheduling and travel than fan support. Liverpool's preseason "LFC Tour 2013" currently lists stops in Indonesia, Australia and Thailand. Making a stop in Boston is undoubtably not as easy as simply flying the teams over, a North American stop here would have to be worked into the tour's travel plans accordingly.
There's one thing that is for sure, the numbers don't lie. Although 37,000-plus fans at Fenway is not exactly impressive to international soccer, having an extra event with such magnitude at the ballpark would be beneficial for the Red Sox, who continuously try to add events to make Fenway Park a host for more than just 81 regular season games. Additionally, having Liverpool visit Fenway would strengthen the relationship between the two Fenway Sports Group assets, possibly creating new fans between the two clubs.
Will Liverpool ever make Fenway a yearly stop? Most likely not. But for all of the complications that travel and scheduling can bring, the rewards of building a stronger relationship between clubs and enhancing an international brand for Liverpool are tough opportunities to waste.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Why Tim Tebow can work in New England
By Zachary Baru
When it comes to managing someone with a massive fan and media following, only a few National Football League franchises have the ability to properly and successfully handle the amount of attention Tim Tebow would receive. And it is no surprise that the New England Patriots are first on that list.
For anyone who believes Tebow lacks the skills needed to be on the Patriots' roster, you can take this one to the bank - Bill Belichick is not interested in marketing or public relations. He never was, and never will be.
While questions would arise around the decision-making process behind another franchise signing Tebow, for reasons of marketing and so forth, these questions should not exist in New England. Under Robert Kraft and Belichick, the Patriots will always have a football-first mentality, and have a history of making controversial signings. Only franchises who are managed well from the top-down are able to make these types of moves, without disrupting the rest of the team.
With nothing to lose on Tebow's contract, and everything to gain, you can be sure Belichick will manage Tebow in a different manner than that of the New York Jets. Just look at the difference between the Jets' press conference after Tebow's signing, compared to way the Patriots introduced Tebow to the media earlier this week.
New England may just be the perfect place for someone in Tebow's situation. A place he knows that he is playing under management that wants him for the right reasons, something that would be up for debate nearly anywhere else.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
When it comes to managing someone with a massive fan and media following, only a few National Football League franchises have the ability to properly and successfully handle the amount of attention Tim Tebow would receive. And it is no surprise that the New England Patriots are first on that list.
While questions would arise around the decision-making process behind another franchise signing Tebow, for reasons of marketing and so forth, these questions should not exist in New England. Under Robert Kraft and Belichick, the Patriots will always have a football-first mentality, and have a history of making controversial signings. Only franchises who are managed well from the top-down are able to make these types of moves, without disrupting the rest of the team.
With nothing to lose on Tebow's contract, and everything to gain, you can be sure Belichick will manage Tebow in a different manner than that of the New York Jets. Just look at the difference between the Jets' press conference after Tebow's signing, compared to way the Patriots introduced Tebow to the media earlier this week.
New England may just be the perfect place for someone in Tebow's situation. A place he knows that he is playing under management that wants him for the right reasons, something that would be up for debate nearly anywhere else.
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Bruins ratings up 41 percent
By Zachary Baru
In a report released by SportsBusiness Journal, the Bruins television ratings have increased 41 percent from last season, finishing with the third-highest television rating in the National Hockey League. The Bruins' average rating was a 6.60, falling short of only Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
Pittsburgh finished with a league-leading rating of 12.56, while Buffalo ended the season with a 9.46 rating.
While the Bruins' 41 percent increase was impressive, it was not even in the top 5 for rating increases from the 2011-2012 season. The New York Islanders were victors in that category, as their on-ice performance this season lead to a 133.3 percent change.
The Bruins also finished in the top 5 in average audience size, good for second in the league with an average of 156,000 households. Boston, the nation's seventh largest media market, fell behind only Chicago, the nation's third largest market.
What does all of this say? Well it is something we already knew - Bruins fans are supporting their team the way passionate fans should support a successful team in a traditional hockey market. Ratings are up, merchandise sales are strong, and tickets continue to sell out every game at high prices. Also noteworthy, is that the secondary market ticket sales (StubHub) are strong as well, with playoff tickets currently starting at $165 per seat.
Times are good for the Bruins. Think back to how this differs from the pre-2007 teams, when season tickets dipped below 5,000, and this is a classic example of how improved on-ice performance can turn around a franchise.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal, Nielsen
Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.
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