4A

1.    I have a belief that an opportunity exists in the MLB where they could create revenue from having ad’s on the player’s jerseys. The NBA has made this change and it has been very successful as they are making millions from the partnership between the teams and their sponsors. The biggest problem with this movement is the public perception of the ad’s on player’s jerseys, as some people may see this change as a bad outlook on the MLB based on a traditionalist view.

2.    The MLB has been struggling with getting fans to buy tickets to games and watch the games on TV, so they need to find different ways to create revenue.  The MLB as a whole has this need because they need the money in order to pay all the players salaries, coaches and staff salaries, training facilities, and insurance.  Since 2005, baseball ratings have been consistently low, with the exception of specific cities, so this need has been growing and needs to become more of a priority for the MLB.  The MLB is attempting to meet this need now through their television deals, concessions, and sponsorships, but there is always an opportunity for more money to be made. In my opinion, there is a 70% chance this opportunity exists, as the NBA has already started this movement and there have been rumors of other professional leagues following that idea.  If it doesn’t happen in the next few years, it will most likely just be a matter of time until the MLB agrees to have ad’s on player’s jerseys. 

3.    The prototypical customer for this opportunity are fans of the MLB. Public perception of this idea is crucial as the MLB doesn’t want to make this huge change without the reassurance that the majority of their fans will support it. 

Customer 1: The exact nature of the need comes down to the money the MLB is generating. The number of fans going to games and watching games is decreasing so the MLB needs to find a way to cover those losses. They became aware of this need when they watched games and saw how empty the stadiums were, even for prime-time games. The need has existed more and more recently, as the NFL and NBA have started to dominate popularity across the country. The first time they became aware of this need was when they went to a game and noticed how low the attendance was and how quiet the crowd was, they said that the excitement for the game wasn’t the same as it was in the past. They are addressing this need as a fixable problem because of how large the MLB is and how small of a chance there is that the league goes under. They were satisfied with the solution of putting ad’s on player’s jerseys, as it will help the MLB make more money, but it will not affect the fans interest in the game.

Customer 2:

The exact nature of the need centers around the revenue the MLB needs to make each year. They became aware of this need when they attended games and saw that attendance was decreasing each year. The need became apparent about 10 years ago when there was a noticeable drop-off of interest in baseball. The stadium was much more empty, which was a cause of the economy but more importantly the fan base. They are addressing this need by wanting to find a way to connect the fans to the game, as baseball cards did with kids in the past. This customer insists that the younger generation is the main one losing interest in the game, so the MLB should make it a priority to reach out to the kids. This customer offered the idea of using social media to reach the fans, which could be very effective because of how popular social media is for the younger generation. They were not fully satisfied with the idea of ads on jerseys, as they feel like it is changing the game and wouldn’t be pleasing to see on TV. This customer concluded that it would help the MLB create revenue, but overall it wouldn’t be a good change to make.

Customer 3:

The exact nature of the need comes down to baseball becoming less popular and the MLB needing to find a solution for that problem. This customer felt like it has been a reoccurring issue for many years, other than the big-market teams. They support the recent ideas and changes the MLB has made in order to speed up the game, including moving the mound back, short between-inning breaks, fewer mound visits, etc.  Also, unlike many old-school fans, this customer supported the player’s emotional antics like bat flips, fist pumping, etc., because it makes the game more appealing to watch. They would be satisfied with players having ads on their jerseys as it would only bring more money into baseball that could be used for other needs.

Reflection:

I learned that my opportunity will help solve the MLB’s problem, but it won’t impact the fans to a large degree. From these interviews, it became very apparent that the fans are aware of people losing interest in baseball, but there isn’t a simple solution to fix the problem. The most surprising thing I learned about my opportunity was how seriously fans feel about changing the game, many of them oppose it even with the large fan base that wants changes. It seems like fans of baseball are split on the idea of putting ads on jerseys, speeding up the game, etc., which is a major reason why the MLB is reluctant to make these changes. 

1. I believe a decent amount of my original opportunity is still there because of the fact that it would increase the MLB’s revenue, which could result in the league having more resources to entice fans to watch games. It has become clear that this change wouldn’t be fully supported by fans of the game, as there is still a large number of fans that don’t want any changes to baseball.

2. I would say it is a little less accurate than when I started based upon the customer’s responses, but I still believe it would be financially beneficial to the MLB.  I realize it will not solve the problem of creating more interest for the fans, but it will generate more money to the league.

3. I believe entrepreneurs should definitely adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback because those are the people that are ultimately going to support or not support your idea.  Getting customers feedback allows an entrepreneur to adjust their idea in order to develop the best product or service for the customers they are providing for.  The original idea is important, but it is even more important to make sure the opportunity is going to benefit customers the way it is intended too.