Big Sports, Big Business: A Century of League Expansions, Mergers, and Reorganizations

(Hardback)

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The Expos' move from Montreal to Washington, DC, and subsequent rebirth as the Nationals, was one of the sports success stories of 2005. As a result of the move, the team has enjoyed significant increases in home attendance and cash flow, broadcast revenues, and market valuation. This is but one example of the impact of sports league reorganization, a phenomenon as old as the leagues themselves. Frank Jozsa takes us on a tour, from the 1870s to the present, of the expansions and mergers, relocations and transfers that are constantly shifting the professional sports landscape. Incorporating concepts from economics, demographics, management, and marketing, he explains the successes and failures of such efforts in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer, including their effects on team competitiveness, market share, and prosperityand their impact on the communities in which they operate. Arguing that professional sports teams are profit-maximizing businesses, Jozsa's analysis sheds light on the economics, culture, and politics of sports as big business, as decisions are made and implemented, and offers an insightful perspective on both the history and future of sports franchises. The Expos' move from Montreal to Washington, DC, and subsequent rebirth as the Nationals, was one of the sports success stories of 2005. As a result of the move, the team has enjoyed significant increases in home attendance and cash flow, revenues from local radio and television rights, and the estimated market value of the franchisefrom $50 million to over $300 million in one year. This is but one example of the impact of sports league reorganization, a phenomenon as old as the leagues themselves. Frank Jozsa takes us on a tour, from the 1870s to the present, of the expansions and mergers, relocations and transfers that are constantly shifting the professional sports landscape. Incorporating concepts from economics, demographics, management, and marketing, he explains the successes and failures of such efforts in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and soccer, including their effects on team competitiveness, market share, and prosperityand their impact on the communities in which they operate. Arguing that professional sports teams are profit-maximizing businesses, Jozsa's sharp analysis sheds light on the economics, culture, and politics of sports as big business, as decisions are made and implemented. In addition to providing a unique perspective on the history and culture of sports management, he offers insightful commentary on the future prospects of sports franchises.

Reviews

Jozsa details the history of professional sports transformations from the 1876 to the present, viewing it through an economic and business perspective, while looking at demographics and team performances. Focusing on relocations, expansions, and mergers, he brings together this information in one book for the first time. It describes changes, and the reasons for them, in Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL, National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer, as well as alternative organizations and how they competed for fans, market share, and profit. Alternative organizations included are the American Association and Federal League, American Football League, World Football League, WNBA, Atlantic Coast League and North American Soccer League. The book was written for a general sports audience. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Frank P. Jozsa Jr. is Associate Professor of Economics and Business Administration at Pfeiffer University, where he has taught courses in the graduate studies program since 1991. He has written extensively on issues of sports business and economics, including articles in Athletic Business, the Carolina Journal, and the Wall Street Journal Review of Books. He is co-author of Relocating Teams and Expanding Leagues in Professional Sports (Quorum, 1999), and author of Sports Capitalism, Baseball, Inc., and American Sports Empire (Praeger, 2003).