Big Ten Network war takes toll
It appears that the Big Ten Network’s fight with Comcast Cable is about over.
IBJ reported May 2 that sources close to Comcast Cable and the Big Ten Network said that an agreement to…
Sports Business
Articles
Can all-star hoops game survive?
After the Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star basketball games at Conseco Fieldhouse June 13, drew only 5,097 spectators, some within the local hoops community are calling for changes.
Sports marketers said moving the game from Saturday to Friday hurt attendance. Others suggested…
Victory Field name not for sale
The Indianapolis Indians are one of the most stable teams in this region in one of the most stable leagues in the country. The International League will celebrate its 125th anniversary this week…
Philly DA pursues Harrison case
The Indianapolis Colts’ marketing nightmare involving Marvin Harrison’s possible participation in a shooting incident in his hometown of Philadelphia appears far from over.
Philadelphia District Attorney Lynn Abraham this week asked police to reinterview witnesses in the case, a police department source…
IU fights battles on two fronts
It’s difficult to say which challenge will be more daunting for Indiana University’s athletic department—the king-size sinkhole in the school’s football field or the self-inflicted wound to the image of its men’s basketball…
SPORTS: Before ESPN, there was McKay and ‘Wide World’
It might be a bit over the top to say that a man I met only once and barely knew had a profound influence on my life, but that’s how I felt about Jim McKay. Thus, when I tuned in to view the Belmont Stakes on June 7 and the lead story was not of Big Brown’s (failed) bid for the Triple Crown but of Jim McKay’s passing at the age of 86, I admit I felt a sudden pang…
Purdue joins Conexus on manufacturing, logistics effort: University, advocacy group predict evolving industry
An advocacy group formed a year ago to boost the visibility and growth of the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries has received a major lift from Purdue University. Conexus Indiana and Purdue earlier this month announced the formation of a partnership in which the university will lend its academic and research talents to the organization. The key goals include linking manufacturers with new suppliers, exploring emerging markets and supporting startups launched from university or privatesector research. “Conexus is very…
Pacers launch TV ad campaign
If you’ve been watching the National Basketball Association finals this week between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, you’ve noticed the latest television ad campaign by the Indiana Pacers airing on ABC.
The eye-catching spots created by the team’s ad…
IRL looks to race into Mexico
Indy Racing League officials were in Mexico City early this week to look at a possible location for a race there, which could be held as early as 2009. It may have to be pushed to 2010, depending on scheduling…
SPORTS: Excitement-and fear-grows as Cubs pile up wins
My father in law, John Parker Jr., died this past March in LaPorte. He was 90, so he didn’t get shortchanged in the longevity department. He had a full, complete life. Except for one thing. He spent virtually all those 90 years rooting for his beloved Chicago Cubs to win a World Series. As with many from northwestern Indiana-Da Region-his afternoon ritual, especially in his retirement years, was sitting in front of the television to root, root, root for the…
Commentary: Smart policies can lengthen lives
Over the last 20 years, life expectancy for residents of the United States as a whole has increased steadily. However, recent studies by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have shown that not all Americans are enjoying longer, healthier lives. The implications of these studies are particularly ominous for Hoosiers. The disparities in life expectancy are most pronounced between richer and poorer Americans, reflecting the pronounced growth of income inequality the last two decades. In 1980, the most…
Indy Racing League enters talks for new TV deal: Negotiations start this month with ABC/ESPN, but deal may be shopped to other networks to gauge interest
After the checkered flag dropped on this year’s Indianapolis 500, the green flag fell on negotiations for a new television contract between the Indy Racing League and ABC/ESPN. The current deal doesn’t expire until the end of next season, but the contract calls for the parties to discuss an extension starting this month. Sources close to both sides said ABC/ESPN pays the IRL about $10 million annually, but getting that kind of guaranteed cash beyond 2009 could be difficult. Still,…
Air race circuit still eyes Indy
The Detroit Free-Press reported that fans watching last weekend’s Red Bull Air Race World Series along the Detroit River got a “thrill-chill.”
The crowd size assembled along the river banks might have thrilled Indianapolis…
Pacers revive draft party
The Indiana Pacers will host a party at Conseco Fieldhouse on June 26, where fans can watch the 2008 NBA Draft and hear from Pacers executives about the team’s draft. This marks the…
NBA measures IU’s Gordon
The vital statistics are in from last week’s NBA pre-draft camp. It’s official: Eric Gordon is nowhere near 6-foot-4— the measurement used by Indiana University when he played there last season—not even in…
Horizon League hunts sponsors
The Horizon League and Nelligan Sports Marketing Inc. announced that they have agreed to a long-term extension to their partnership agreement that continues the New Jersey-based company’s exclusive rights to manage the Horizon League’s corporate sponsorship and marketing rights.
“We are…
Fisher races to get back on track
Sarah Fisher is speeding ahead with plans to do at least two more Indy Racing League races this season. Despite the defection of two main sponsors and a crash at last month’s Indianapolis 500, Fisher still thinks her team will…
IRL wins again in Milwaukee
The Indy Racing League is continuing its popularity growth.
After a strong month of May in Indianapolis, the IRL saw a 30 percent attendance increase at its race yesterday in Milwaukee, to just more than 30,000.
While…
NBA revenue-sharing plan could save Pacers: Team could get more than $6 million annually
The Indiana Pacers got an assist recently from other National Basketball Association owners that could push the team out of the red. In April, the league’s board of governors approved a 63-percent increase in the amount of revenue shared among teams after a letter signed by Pacers co-owner Herb Simon and seven other small-market teams urged the change. The revenue challenges faced by smallmarket teams can no longer be ignored, said the letter signed by Simon in late 2006. Though…
SPORTS: Open-wheel racing’s full recovery still miles away
Well, to all but one sourpuss. “The [Indy Racing League] is garbage,” said caller “Gordon from Zionsville” on WNDE’s sports-talk show, “The Drive,” on the Tuesday following the big race. Gordon was weighing in to denigrate the IRL and praise NASCAR. Back to him in a moment. For the time being, the IRL’s competition isn’t NASCAR. While overnight ratings showed the afternoon Indy 500 scored a bigger rating than NASCAR’s prime-time 600-miler at Charlotte-and that Indy’s ratings were up from…