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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Roger Federer’s TEAM8: Launching the Laver Cup

  Anita Elberse

  Roger Federer, widely regarded as the best tennis player in the history of the sport, walked onto the court to thunderous applause during in the second edition of the Laver Cup in September 2018. Named after tennis legend Rod Laver, the Cup pitted many of the greatest players from Europe against those from the rest of the world. Federer was more than one of the Laver Cup’s main stars—he was an owner and co-creator. In fact, the idea for the event had originated in his boutique company TEAM8, which he co-founded in 2013 with his agent and business partner Tony Godsick. The Laver Cup’s success had not gone unnoticed in the world of tennis. With traditional tennis tournaments such as the Davis Cup attracting new investors and with governing bodies such as the Association of Tennis Professionals planning to relaunch their team event, the competition for top players and for desirable slots on an already very full tennis calendar was stronger than ever before. Was TEAM8’s Laver Cup well-positioned for long-term success?

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita. "Roger Federer’s TEAM8: Launching the Laver Cup." Harvard Business School Case 519-093, June 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2016 (Revised April 2019)

  Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

  Anita Elberse

  In June 2016, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is planning for the upcoming launch of an endeavor that is a first for a Hollywood actor with superstar status—a digital channel. The channel (named “Seven Bucks Digital Studios”) will be a new part of film and television production company Seven Bucks Productions, which Johnson co-owns with his business partner and former wife, Dany Garcia. Under Garcia’s guidance, Johnson has made a successful transition from being a top wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment to also climbing the ranks in Hollywood, becoming one of its most bankable and highest-paid actors. The two stand out for pursuing an ambitious slate of projects as producers as well, making Seven Bucks Productions a force to be reckoned with in the world of entertainment. Are Johnson and Garcia right to bet on a new digital channel, which is scheduled to make its debut on YouTube in the next month, and do they have the best approach to making that channel a success?

  Keywords: entertainment; film; motion picutres; digital strategy; superstar; innovation; Creative Industries; Talent; general management; celebrities; Management; Technology; Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Creativity; Marketing; Personal Development and Career; Film Entertainment; Innovation and Invention; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry;

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita. "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson." Harvard Business School Case 517-059, October 2016. (Revised April 2019.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2019

  American Ballet Theatre

  Anita Elberse, Tsubasa Nakajima and Melissa Rodman

  Kara Medoff Barnett, executive director of American Ballet Theatre (ABT), widely regarded as one of the world’s premier ballet companies, faces several challenges. It is June 2018. Despite its prestige, the company’s $45 million annual budget and $22 million endowment are far below those of peers like New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and The Royal Ballet in London. Also, although those institutions rely heavily on talent developed in-house, ABT has traditionally mostly attracted dancers who had been trained elsewhere. Known for having featured some of the world’s most high-profile stars, ABT’s biggest current star arguably is Misty Copeland. What can Barnett learn about Copeland’s rise to fame that could help her have ABT’s other dancers’ stories resonate? Looking to the future of the ballet company more generally, how could Barnett promote a “constellation of stars,” as she puts it, rather than bank on one or two individual superstars? And what is the right balance for ABT between developing and acquiring talent?

  Keywords: performing arts; media; superstars; Talent; talent development; non-profit; contracts; labor economics; general management; Arts; Entertainment; Talent and Talent Management; Nonprofit Organizations; Marketing; Strategy;

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita, Tsubasa Nakajima, and Melissa Rodman. "American Ballet Theatre." Harvard Business School Case 519-085, April 2019.  View Details

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