More from the Author

• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2017 (Revised November 2017)

  The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament

  Anita Elberse and Saskia Van Rheenen

  Should the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament gamble most of its player budget on superstar player Rafael Nadal, even after the event’s previous two editions saw Nadal and Roger Federer pull out at the last moment due to injury, leaving the tournament without any top-five players? That is the question that Richard Krajicek, former Wimbledon champion and current tournament director, is debating with Jolanda Jansen, the director of the venue that hosts the event. It is June 2017, and earlier in the day, Nadal won the French Open (“Roland Garros”) for a record tenth time. Krajicek’s plan for the upcoming edition was to focus his recruiting efforts on five exciting, mostly younger, players, and assemble a group of top-20 players around them—but after Nadal’s record-breaking performance, Krajicek is now considering pursuing the Spanish superstar for the 2018 tournament after all. What is the best course of action?

  Keywords: marketing; entertainment; media; Sports; superstar; Talent; strategy; negotiation; general management; Marketing; Sports; Media; Entertainment; Talent and Talent Management; Negotiation; Strategy; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry;

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita, and Saskia Van Rheenen. "The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament." Harvard Business School Case 518-041, September 2017. (Revised November 2017.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2017

  LeBron James: Building a Hollywood Empire

  Anita Elberse

  It is June 2016. Superstar basketball player LeBron James and his childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter are celebrating James’ third NBA championship. The duo will soon have to decide on a strategy for their media businesses—their film and television production company SpringHill Entertainment as well as their digital sports platform Uninterrupted. In 2015, Carter and James negotiated a first-of-its-kind, three-year agreement with Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Entertainment that gave SpringHill Entertainment a first-look movie deal, an exclusive television deal, significant development resources that also could be used for the creation of digital content, and space on the studio lot. Later that year, Warner Bros. signed on as a lead investor in Uninterrupted. Were Carter and James right to partner with Warner Bros. in this manner? And with renewal negotiations just around the corner, how could they make the most of the opportunity?

  Keywords: entertainment; marketing; film; motion picutres; digital strategy; superstar; innovation; Creative Industries; Talent; Sports; media; general management; celebrities; Marketing; Entertainment; Sports; Media; Film Entertainment; Innovation Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Strategy; Sports Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry;

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita. "LeBron James: Building a Hollywood Empire." Harvard Business School Case 518-042, October 2017.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2015 (Revised June 2017)

  Futbol Club Barcelona

  Anita Elberse

  In June 2015, FC Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu sees his team lift the UEFA Champions League trophy, completing an impressive trophy haul in the 2014-2015 season. Unique for a club of its caliber, five of the starting eleven are products of FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia. Yet none of the trophies and accolades guarantee future success. Bartomeu faces pressing questions about the club's business model—and in particular about the tensions between local and global activities—as well as decisions about the ongoing investment in the youth academy, funding for the club's Foundation and other sports, and its relatively low ticket prices. How could Barça continue to win on and off the field in the increasingly competitive and global world of European football, while still protecting its local focus and traditions?

  Keywords: Sports; entertainment; media; superstar; Talent; talent development and retention; talent management; marketing; strategy; general management; nonprofit; Marketing Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Entertainment; Media; Competitive Advantage; Sports; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Barcelona;

  Citation:

  Elberse, Anita. "Futbol Club Barcelona." Harvard Business School Case 516-031, September 2015. (Revised June 2017.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related