End of Year Strategic Partnership Landscape

(5 Min. Read)

As 2024 comes to a close, we felt it would be appropriate to highlight some hot topics dominating the strategic partnership landscape. Innovation, evolving brand expectations, mixed-used development, media consumption and means of distribution, name/image/likeness, and more continue to play a major role. 

Regional Sports Networks (RSNs)

This year marked a significant shift in the regional sports network (RSN) model, as many teams and leagues were forced to rethink how they deliver live games and content to fans as a result the financial challenges experienced across the RSN landscape. Many organizations took on the challenge to launch their own DTC platforms and bring the responsibility of selling media in-house. Ideally this move is designed to increase fan engagement while opening new revenue streams, but it remains to be seen if the strategy can close the revenue gap of what was lost through lucrative media agreements. 

Technology & Innovation

This will likely be a trend listed on this feature for the rest of existence, but with the rapid and ongoing evolution of technological advancements, it’s impossible not to include this topic. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI) will only integrate more into the fan experience and commercial business model. At the beginning of its season, the NBA announced its VR partnership with Meta which created an immersive courtside experience for remote fans (I’ll be adding the VR headset to my Christmas list). Conversely, the NFL and Amazon leveraged the power of AI to enhance the broadcast experience for Thursday Night Football, infusing data/analytics and special graphics to dive deeper into play design, coaching strategy, and player performance. It almost creates a “Madden video game” feel. There are dozens of other examples but we’re only scratching the surface in this space.

Mixed-Used Development

Mixed-use development districts surrounding sports venues continue to serve as a cornerstone of fan engagement and revenue generation. Properties increasingly viewed these developments as more than just commercial opportunities as they became extensions of the fan experience and vehicles for community growth. Recently, many organizations have either announced plans or have made substantial progress to build out their infrastructures including: Kroenke Sports + Entertainment (Denver, CO), Centennial Yards (Atlanta, GA), The 1901 Project (Chicago, IL), and Raleigh Sports and Entertainment (Raleigh, NC) to name a few.

Name Image and Likeness (NIL)

The NIL market continues to boom and I’m not sure if or how this will slow down. This year saw the return of EA Sports college Football video game following the extensive legal battle to compensate players for their likeness on the game. In October, it was reported that Juju Watkins signed a multi-year agreement with Nike that would be “one of the richest shoe deals in all of women’s basketball”. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Caleb Williams, Arch Manning, and many others have set the stage for what’s to come on the collegiate level. In addition, colleges are expected to start paying athletes in the fall of 2025 which could equal more than $20 million per year to athletes. This added expense item is forcing college properties and universities to think creatively about how to evolve their revenue models and athletic department structures. Needless to say, there is a lot on the horizon across this landscape.

These are just a few topics we can highlight. Branded content, the continued success of women’s sports, social impact, and others can be included as well. Much in store for 2025! See you all in the New Year!