Taking Stock of the PGA Tour's Sponsor Challenge in 2010
by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 5, 2010 12:23 PM EST
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PrintAfter reading some atrocious, grasping-at-straws writing by the LA Times' Dan Neil, suggesting that PGA Tour sponsors should flee in wake of The Situation (not from Jersey Shore), I was very pleased to get Jon Show's first output of '10. In this week's Sports Business Journal, he does a fabulous job of recapping the PGA Tour's year on the sponsor front in '09 and outlines the challenges that the Tour may face in '10.
We talked about these individual stories in '09, but here's a brief summary of the tournaments either in play or that will soon announce extensions.
There are four tournaments on the schedule with no title sponsor. There are two where extensions have been reported by no terms disclosed, indicated by an asterisk. There are six tournaments whose deals end this year. UBS, a presenting sponsor of the Players Championship has also not renewed, but that's one of three.
Crowne Plaza has widely been rumored to announce an exit from its deal at Colonial after this year, exercising an option to not finish the contract through 2012. The same is true for Deutsche Bank, which has not exercised an option for '11 and '12.
Of the 12 events on this list that are "in play," five would be considered events that Tiger would normally play.
Finally, a couple of quotes from Jon's piece really stood out for me.
"You should pay what you’re going to pay for your title sponsorship regardless of Tiger," said Sarah Hirshland, senior vice president of consulting at Wasserman Media Group, which works with tour title sponsors Northern Trust and Travelers. "You can’t make a decision based on one guy that you can’t control where he’s going to play."
"[The former Buick Invitational] had the best TV ratings for four out of six years for non-major events," said Scott Seymour, head of consulting in Octagon’s golf group. "If they can’t sell that at a premium then I would think that would be a barometer for where they’re going in the future."
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Maybe Elin would like to sponsor a couple
of tournaments…….she could make them “invitationals”………lol
Saints are killing me!!!!!!!!
A SENIOR veep of consulting…and she can’t figure out where Tiger is going to play from year to year ? Somebody better call the P.
Of those with 2010 expiration dates on the cartons, only 2 will have any sort of trouble finding new sponsors or sponsorship groups. Doral and Memorial won’t have any problem. Neither will an FEC playoff date.
Wyndham might – depending on the direction the Tour goes with sponsorship demands. None of THE biggest names are going to play it before the playoffs start. Maybe Hilton Head – but they have so much history and good will behind them…
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
I think Morgan Stanley may well return at Memorial. CA is almost assuredly out of Doral, but like you said, that’s a winning stop. Wyndham concerns me. Hilton Head doesn’t. The Hope kind of does, but not especially.
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by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 5, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
This is what...
Good golf will get you………Doubt, and desperation…….Welcome to golf 2K10 Without Tiger Woods “These guys are (only) good” The San Diego Event will now be known as the “Brush Fire” Open…. The Bob Hope will be the ………“Not much Hope”……….Is Tiger Playin’? Okay,…….. hey come back here……… Ladies and Gentleman i give you the new face of American Golf……….Mr. John Daly……….Next event the. “Jenny Craig, smokeless tobaccaaa classic”
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Jan 5, 2010 1:31 PM EST reply actions
The PGA Tour is going to have to adjust to a new reality, with or without Woods.
First of all, even if Woods returns, it is unlikely that he will be as adored as before. The audience levels pre-scandal versus his return will be different. Sure, there may be an initial bump whenever Woods grows a sack and comes back to play, but that will probably be because people love watching a circus and that’s exactly what Woods first few tourneys will be.
Secondly, in case people haven’t noticed, the economy has struggled, and the Tour was having a bit of troubles pre-scandal. That has not changed.
The Tour doesn’t need to hope and pray for Woods eventual return, it needs to adjust to the new realities and also hope that someone like Rickie Fowler can step it up and inject some youthful excitement into the game. If Finchem and company are really smart, they diversify where ever they can and stop being so reliant on one player anyway. Tiger may have drive pro golf’s explosive growth in the past, but those halycon days are gone, and the Tour is going to go through a dot-com type of bubble burst, with or without Mr. Woods.
Hey OMP,
isn’t this what that wily ol commish, Timmy alluded to in his famous speech," the purses may be down" He is one shrewed snake oil salesman, and You can bet he knows to the Nth dollar how much, and where the shrinkage is going to be…I think the young guns will surprise a lot of folks this coming campaign..STUB
Snake oil salesmen sold things that were fake and didn’t do what they said they would do. The PGA Tour delivers the best professional golf around – the players make money, the sponsors make money, TV makes money, the public gets to see the best play – he does his job very well.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
Ah yes,
and the wily commish makes more money…I asked when he did the interview if he was willing to put some of that over sized pay back in the pot for charity, but got no answer…I have no trouble with the money spread, just over paid CEOs in relation to what they do…STUB
Well,
best I can remember, “if the purses are going to be lowered, would you be willing to put a percentage of your perks into the pot for charity”..now, do you REALLY BELIEVE this job is worth over 2 million in compensation?…STUB
no wonder he didn’t answer the question – you came across like just another class warfare joker.
do you REALLY know what all the commish has to do in that chair ? The guy is in charge of running the most lucrative and popular golf tour in the world. Hundreds of millions of dollars are on those books – so I have no problem with the guy making a few million – but MY opinion has no bearing – it is the PLAYERS’ opinion that matters.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
In other words, Finchem is compensated what the marketplace is willing to pay him.
by Charles Boyer on Jan 5, 2010 6:22 PM EST up reply actions
Man that sounds a lot like free enterprise.......take
a picture of it, because it is about to go the way of the Do Do Bird……..Obammmmma’s legacy……the man who destroyed freedom.
Saints are killing me!!!!!!!!
W
"The game is swell when it's played well."
by Fairways and Grins on Jan 5, 2010 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
Good lord...
…that’s simply ridiculous.
by Charles Boyer on Jan 6, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
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