On the front page of today’s WSJ – speculation that Phelps could sign with Nike now that his Speedo contract is about up.
A sports mgmt professor suggested a bidding war could take place, and that he could be worth upwards of $50M to Nike (don’t know whether that would be what they’d offer him or what they’d make because of him), but his quote is “he could literally allow them to launch a massive swimwear company.” Imagine...
How many nights a month would there be anything to show? And what would be on the rest of the time?
MMA for tjburk and Ellen for scyfreestyler.
Former Member
"It's not about greatness, it's about revenue."
Maybe a bit about greatness.
In your defense, he didn't beat Spitz's one meet Olympic world record count .
Yes....because this Olympic boxing SUCKS....I absolutely hate the scoring they are using....and all of the blind boneheads they are using for judges!!!
It's been hard for me to watch as well.
Former Member
I wonder if Phelps mania might lead to a "Swimming Channel" on cable. May not be 24 hours but good meets. domestic, international, even Masters Nats etc. Clinics, classics, reality TV etc.
That would be quite the quantum leap. I had a hard time finding the Worlds on TV last year. I ended having to subscribe to an extra sports package on Dish to get some obscure college sports channel that was showing it.
A swimming channel would be great but I am not holding my breath.
Former Member
I wonder if Phelps mania might lead to a "Swimming Channel" on cable. May not be 24 hours but good meets. domestic, international, even Masters Nats etc. Clinics, classics, reality TV etc.
There is going to be something pretty close in Universal Sports (formerly WCSN). The network is on in Southern California and New York, and is working on making it into the rest of the markets.
NBC doesn't want its four-year investment to be just about every four years. Universal Sports is going to televise a bunch of stuff. Universal Sports should, if I am reading it correctly, carry over its FINA deal to be able to televise all of its meets.
I think USA Swimming's deal with Wasserman lasts another couple of years. So, it's probably going to be as long until all of the U.S. stuff is on television in that same fashion.
I wonder if USMS would hook up with Universal Sports to try to get its meets televised?
Former Member
In Canada there is a proposal to create an "Amateur Sports Network" that would be shared among the many sport that don't get much television coverage between Olympics.
Personally I think that internet streaming might be a more cost-effective approach. I wonder how WCSN is doing.
I think USMS would have to move to a prelims-finals format to be watchable. Even then, the audience for masters swimming is the friends and relatives of masters swimmers.
if nike signed phelps
they'd get an awesome line of tech suits
they'd know how to market him
they d have more resources than speedo
nike pays for prime time exposure of their swoosh
Former Member
I wonder if Phelps mania might lead to a "Swimming Channel" on cable. May not be 24 hours but good meets. domestic, international, even Masters Nats etc. Clinics, classics, reality TV etc.
I would pay for such a channel. (within reason)
