As we bid farewell to 2013, we complete our look back over the stories on Sport for Business which you found to most interesting through the course of each month.
July
Two of the top stories we published in July were about the finances of two of our biggest sporting organisations. Both produced their annual reports and while the coverage in mainstream media often falls between business and sport, this is an area where we believe it is most important to apply a critical faculty. We look for positives but are not afraid to highlight areas where improvement can be made or dangers headed off. Our Financial Report on the FAI came out top with a similar article on the finances of the IRFU attracted about 80% of the readership.
Other stories to catch your eye included an interview with Warren Deutrom on how Cricket Ireland was able to punch above its weight in international circles; and our coverage of a UCI Cycling event for up and coming riders at the Dublin Velodrome which many expressed surprise at the existence of.
August
Rugby’s Off Season was providing plenty of stories with the Heineken Cup future bubbling away in the background but it was Seat’s replacement of Toyota as the official vehicle suppliers of Munster Rugby that caught your eye.
Sport England produced a detailed report of the economic value of sport within the overall economy of our nearest neighbour. It covered everything from TV subscriptions to betting, participation to jobs. There were easy comparisons to be made to Ireland but we also pointed out that given Ireland’s love of sport at a wider level than one code, perhaps we could be hoping for more in terms of its overall economic contribution.
As the soccer season got underway in England we took a look at the high value and increasing importance of the fantasy gaming market and at an Irish company looking to break into it.
September
September began with a bang for Cricket when, in scenes reminiscent of Kevin Costner building his sporting stadium and saying ‘they will come,’ so it proved in Malahide as a crowd of 10,000, and the Sky Sports Cameras came together to watch Ireland take on England in a one day international.
The Oireachtas Committee looking at the relationship between alcohol and sport ruled against an outright ban on alcohol sponsorship and produced seven key recommendations which we analysed one by one in a series of articles.
The importance of video content was highlighted by the interest shown in our story about how AerTV were launching a new platform to give minority sports and clubs access to a wider viewing audience than many might have though possible in years gone by.
The other story to catch your eye was in the field of philanthropy when Guinness included sport as a separate category in its very successful Arthur Guinness Projects. We were honoured to have played a role in judging the entries and awarding over €100,000 in funding to three very worthy winners.
October
In another breakthrough for Sport, we earned a debate of our own at the third rendition of the Global Irish Economic Forum which was held in Dublin Castle. It is to be hoped that we can put forward enough compelling and well thought through ideas to maintain interest from a group that is willing to help. We helped move things along with three plans for starters.
There was something of a storm when the budget was announced this month. Despite an overall significant increase, the balance between current and capital spending was out of line with some sporting expectations. Government said it would redress the balance and it did but the ability to turn what was a good news story into something of a mixed message did not go down well.
On a brighter note Sport for Business gathered together 20 sports and sporting bodies to present their best plans for 2015 to an audience of what turned out to be a little over 20 leading businesses including Eircom, Tesco and Heineken at the second Sport for Business 2020 event at Ulster Bank HQ in Dublin.
November
Sport for Business’ third larger scale event of the year was the Seminar on Sports Tourism at Croke Park. We were delighted to welcome speakers of the calibre of Peter McKenna from the GAA, Conor Mallaghan from Carton House and Sean Murphy from Aer Lingus as well as David Fraser from London who gave great insight on building a sport into a brand that would attract new interest. It also gave birth to the Irish Sports Tourism Alliance which will come to life in 2014.
There was great interest in sport from insurance companies through the year with Liberty, AIG and Chill joining Allianz as major players in the GAA ‘family’. We covered each of the stories individually but this preview of a ‘bit of a shemozzle’ for 2014 was one that attracted more than a few of you to take an interest.
And staying with sponsorship our review of sporting success at the Irish Sponsorship Awards was a popular read as was a look at the potential of Eircom and BT coming together in the Republic of Ireland market.
December
It was fitting then that in the final month of the year three stories in particular caught your attention, each of them with a positive message for growth and collaboration in the future, two themes which Sport for Business and our fast growing membership are committed to.
PwC’s annual report on the global sporting market rolled over its interest from November into December.
The Irish Sports Council and the ESRI produced detailed and valuable research into how we engage with sport as participants from which we drew ten points that can deliver a healthier Ireland.
A potential partnership between two clubs from GAA and Rugby in the heartland of the latter in South Dublin attracted significant interest and will be followed through to its likely conclusion in the early new year.
And finally, our last Sport for Business Round Table brought together a strong group to look at how we can develop sport as a beneficiary of philanthropy through areas that will deliver a positive legacy for communities across the country.
You can look back on the stories that grabbed your attention in the first half of the year by clicking here.
In the meantime we wish you a very happy and prosperous 2014 and look forward to bringing you innovation and imagination when we return with our Sport for Business Daily Digest on January 6th.
