Takeaways from the Sports Business Awards

Some insight and takeaways from the deliberations and voting around the Sports Business Awards.

THE PROCESS: We’ve increased the number of judges to add perspective and more voices. We had nearly 50 this year (see the full list), who are given files of the nominees and supporting information two weeks out. When we met at SBJ’s offices at One World Trade Center in New York, we went category by category, discussing each of the nominees, what stood out and how judges ranked them. Many come in firmly leaning one way, but get swayed and end up voting in an entirely different direction. Debates can last for 30 minutes or as many as 90 minutes per category and you can generally sense when to call for a vote — and oftentimes it could take two or three ballots before a winner emerges. Judges are not told the winner. But by the nature of the discussion, they have a sense of who emerged, and were committed to confidentiality about the process up until last week’s awards.

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ROOM: The category that took the least amount of time was Best in Sports Media. Judges quickly aligned behind Fox Sports for the year that included a World Cup, a Super Bowl and a leading role in the Big Ten’s media deal, all while launching a new football league and successfully revamping its broadcast booth. While Best in Talent Representation is usually one of the most challenging categories to decide, there was an early consensus behind Wasserman and its work supporting client Brittney Griner while she was detained in Russia.

Other categories were far more challenging. The discussion around Sports Facility of the Year started with the judges being impressed by the majestic new buildings, Allegiant and SoFi Stadium, then shifted to the interesting business model of the Moody Center. But a number of voices kept coming back to the building that seemed to do more — and do more creatively — throughout the year, and that was the 111-year old Fenway Park. Some judges acknowledged they may have dismissed Fenway initially but when they saw the scope and breadth of what the facility accomplished, they felt it personified what the category stood for. … It was the debut of the Deal of the Year category and judges quickly wondered why the acquisition of Chelsea wasn’t among the nominees (deals had to be based in North America). They focused on three — the MLS/Apple deal, the Big Ten’s media deal and Michele Kang’s acquisition of the Washington Spirit. The complexities of each of the deals were understood, but a number of judges just felt what Kang was able to achieve in finally landing the team and how it reset the bar for the valuation of a women’s sports team was the difference. This is the outcome I heard the most surprise on. … Team of the Year narrowed to three near the end. One group couldn’t overlook the continued growth and innovation around the Golden State Warriors, who have been nominated in the category seven times and won twice; another was drawn by the brick-by-brick success of LAFC and how that team has captured such a share of the L.A. market; but a majority convincingly kept coming back to Angel City FC and how that organization had the steepest climb in its inaugural season yet had business results that mirror or surpass established teams in other leagues. … Finally, League of the Year continued its recent trend of being one of the more passionate debates. The Big Ten had some early support, and the WNBA had vocal defenders while a few judges backed the NFL. Eventually, the NFL got more traction as judges talked more about the league’s foray into Germany, its new Sunday Ticket deal, its strong rebound at the gate and the strength of its media product, propelling the NFL to its first win in this category since 2010.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you’re interested in being part of this judging process next year, please let me know. As first-time judge Sampson Yimer, senior vice president of sponsorship consulting for Momentum Worldwide, said on stage at the awards, “I’d encourage anyone who has a passion for the sports industry and loves to talk about the key business initiatives and strategies to be a judge in the future. It’s really a fantastic learning and networking experience, and, ultimately, the participation of diverse voices will continue to help drive equitable outcomes in our industry.” And a tip for the nominees: Take your submissions seriously. Judges want succinct, yet specific details, data and actual KPIs. Story-tell with photos and videos and, most importantly, demonstrate how you delivered/achieved significant and tangible impact that far exceeded expectations and the norm. If you have thoughts, questions or comments, just let me know.

Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.