Sports trip into the future 2.0, day 1: Mahomes should be the second Messi [Exklusiv]

After the first successful launch last year, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) is organizing the red-white-red event in the USA for the second time. Also there: a delegation from Austria with 11 people. at daily reports from New York. On the first day, the focus was on the NFL.

++ sportbusiness.at only by Maximilian Patak ++

After Sunday was filled with several major sports events for the participants in the “Sports Journey into the Future 2.0” (New York Marathon, NFL game with the New York Giants, MLS playoff game with the New York Red Bulls ), Monday marks the start of the official program.

In the morning the WKO organizing team welcomed everyone Karlheinz head (General Secretary), Peter Haslacher (US business representative) as well Eliot Leadham and Anne Ray or the Chaka2 team consisting of Martin Kaswurm (CEO) and Nina Pratl (Senior Project Manager) partners in the Austrian Foreign Trade Center in Manhattan. After getting to know each other for a short time, the first meeting was already on the agenda. This resulted in the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL).

NFL wants to promote globalization

Sunny Mehtaresponsible for marketing strategy and fan development in the NFL’s International Division, providing interesting insights into the American football league’s globalization plans as part of the future journey of the sport. The intentions are big. The NFL wants to establish itself as a “global sports property” around the world in the long term – similar to Formula 1 or the Premier League. Sooner or later, Patrick Mahomes will have the same international reputation as LeBron James or Lionel Messi. That’s the basic thing.

For this purpose, the actions should be done in the >> Key markets be strengthened outside the US. The goal is to have more international games – like the one between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers next Sunday in Munich. This year the NFL visited Brazil for the first time.

Leaders want to be a “World Team”.

For years, the league has relied on the strategy of establishing individual clubs more firmly in specific markets. The teams have the opportunity to obtain marketing rights for specific countries or regions using a certain concept. In Austria, for example, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts (with Bernhard Raimann) these rights.

The NFL’s strategy is clearly dependent on the owners of the 32 clubs being interested in a global marketing strategy. This sometimes works better and sometimes worse. Sunny Mehta emphasizes that the Kansas City Chiefs, for example, want to be a “World Team”. The Cincinnati Bengals, on the other hand, are primarily focused on the domestic market.

To gain more traction outside of the US, it’s no surprise that the NFL relies heavily on the entertainment factor. The partnership with the film production company “Skydance” has resulted in two Netflix documentaries (“quarterback” and “receiver”) in recent years. “Storytelling is the ultimate way to get our messages across,” says Sunny Mehta.

Karlheinz Kopf and Peter Hasslacher welcomed the guests from Austria.

Other important pillars: This International Player Pathway Programwhich ensures that each NFL team will have an additional spot in the “Practice Squad” for an international player, the NFL Academy and eventually flag football. The latter is particularly important to reach a new female target group and as the sport will be represented in the Olympic program for the first time in Los Angeles in 2028. “Women’s NFL”, as he is already in basketball with the WNBA, a case still in the near future. This is still good 30 to 40 years away.

Christian Fuchs ensures a good atmosphere

After the meeting with the NFL we went to the Sports Technology and Innovation Conference more. The Digital Evolution Institute and Baker Hostelter, who organized the event, did not stop interesting guests. Ex-athletes and managers at the forefront of sporting innovation provided interesting insights. So published, among other things Garrick Jones (former NFL player), Kyle Casey (former basketball player) no Digit Murphy (former ice hockey player, current coach) how the post career can work.

The Austrian contribution was made Johannes Dobretsberger (Head of Marketing & Sales, FK Austria Vienna) and Christian Fuchs. The former ÖFB captain spoke with his wife Ranluca in a funny video chat about the Fox Soccer Academy he founded, which now has ten locations in the USA, Great Britain and Austria. The fact that he is often confused with Ryan Reynolds and that his wife was not very enthusiastic about being involved as a professional football player when they were experiencing that added to the sport in the conference room.

Brooklyn Nets deliver a perfect finish

At the end of the first day, the NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Memphis Grizzlies in the Barclays Center was full in Brooklyn. The Nets won a close and entertaining game 106:104.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, football will reign supreme in New York. The program includes visits to the FC Bayern Munich branch and meetings with representatives from Major League Soccer (MLS). The delegation is also the host of global communications agency Burson Sports.

These people and companies are taking part in the first sports ride of the future:

Rainer Rößluber (SportPass Medien GmbH), Johannes Dobretsberger (FK Austria Wien), Peter Muster (Sportbau Walser GmbH), Julian Hadschieff (Humanocare, President ÖBSV), Nina Gigele (Boutiq. Vision), Ernst Novak (Innovation), Salzburg Piringer GmbH, Katja Piringer (piriproductions), Clemens Buergl (24 being GmbH), Martin Absegner (DIVU GmbH), David Baumgartner (MiraNext GmbH), Martin Kaswurm, Nina Prantl (Chaka2), Karlheinz Kopf, Peter Hasslacher, Lukas Zitz, Anke Ray, Eliot Leadem (WKO), Maximilian Patak (sportsbusiness.at).