Research
At the Wharton Sports Business Initiative, one of our principal goals is to lead in conducting cutting edge research which can provide practical benefit to the sports business industry globally. Wharton Faculty conduct research in areas such as General Management, Marketing, Finance, Statistics, Business and Public Policy and more. Wharton Faculty have also published articles and books which have been widely read and utilized by other academic institutions, including "The Business of Sports", written by Prof. Scott Rosner and Prof. Ken Shropshire.
Case Study: The Philadelphia 76ers: Innovation at the Forefront of a Sports Business Turnaround
Akshay Khanna, Wharton MBA/College of Arts and Sciences MA, 2015, prepared a Case Study on the Philadelphia 76ers, in collaboration with Practice Associate Professor Scott Rosner
Abstract: In March 2015, the Philadelphia 76ers sat at a historic crossroads, both on the business side and the basketball side of the organization. CEO Scott O'Neil and the management team under CRO Chris Heck had led the organization's business operations to new historic heights by focusing on innovative and creative solutions to business problems created by the team's disappointing on-court performance. Questions are posed to the reader about the viability of many of the team's latest business initiatives, which includes focusing on ticket pricing, sponsorship deals, and unique marketing and fan engagement platforms conducted by the team in the last three years. Will these strategies set the organization up for success as the on-court team rebuilds?
To request permission to use the case for teaching purposes, please contact the