7 clips
Acquired
This clip reveals how the NFL-AFL merger negotiations nearly collapsed when the New York Giants triggered a bidding war by signing a kicker from the Buffalo Bills. The seemingly trivial move infuriated other NFL owners who couldn't believe such high stakes negotiations were being derailed over a kicker, with one owner offering to simply give the Giants a kicker instead.
This clip reveals how Al Davis created a dramatic power shift during AFL-NFL merger negotiations in just a couple months. It also explains why the $18 million settlement didn't go to all NFL teams, but specifically to the Giants and 49ers who were most impacted by new teams entering their markets.
This clip explores the competitive TV rights battle between the NFL and AFL in the 1960s. After the NFL secured a lucrative CBS deal, the AFL immediately countered with an even larger $37.5 million NBC contract, demonstrating how being second place can still command serious money when networks are desperate for content.
Masters of Scale
A discussion about strategic decisions behind expanding women's basketball games to major cities like Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The conversation explores how location choices balance multiple factors: revenue diversification through larger arenas, brand exposure, and league reputation building.
A sports executive compares growing women's basketball to their experience at the WTA tennis organization. They discuss tactical expansion moves like adding tournaments and road games, while examining different governance structures between sports leagues.
A discussion of the massive economic impact major sporting events have on host cities, with the Bay Area projecting around $500 million from the Super Bowl. The conversation covers how events like the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, and World Cup create both immediate economic benefits and lasting promotional value for regions, with all three events expected to generate $1.4 billion total impact.
A founder describes taking on the challenge of being employee number one at a new sports organization, starting with just bylaws and a board but no funding. They secured their first million dollars in seed funding directly from the teams themselves, then had to figure out how to scale from scratch.
