In my last post, I talked about how streaming of NFL games on Amazon increased in 2017, well Amazon looks to increase footprint in sports with NBA’s G-League on Twitch. If you don’t know, Twitch is a video-streaming platform that is owned by Amazon. Starting this season, the NBA will showcase 6 G-League games per week by streaming them on Twitch. Previously, Twitch has been widely known for streaming video game action but has now expanded into other mediums such as sports. This is just another example of what viewing sports online might look like in the future.
Milwaukee Bucks
Impact of NBA Playoff Games on a Community
The NBA playoffs have returned to Milwaukee and interest is through the roof for the Milwaukee Bucks right now. If you have been watching the Bucks this season you know this team is young, talented and very athletic, with the goal being championship caliber when new stadium is completed. The bucks returned home last night with the series tied at 1-1 with Toronto Raptors, they now lead the Raptors 2 games to 1, with game 4 in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon. All day yesterday you could feel a buzz in the city, even today after their resounding victory, you can feel the city alive. Tomorrow is going to be electric in downtown Milwaukee. But what is the impact of an NBA playoff game on a community? I did tweet to Visit Milwaukee but they did not have the numbers yet but when the NCAA March Madness games were in Milwaukee earlier this year, exceeded expectations and had a $6.6 million economic impact on Milwaukee. The impact a Bucks post-season run has on Milwaukee goes beyond financial.
How Tourism Benefits a Community
Tourism is a billion dollar industry. In smaller communities it is a million dollar industry. Every community, along with their Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), expect to build of the previous years success with new attractions, restaurants, and amenities. My hometown of Sheboygan, WI is a small community whose tourism destination status is on the rise, and the community has definitely changed since I was a kid running through the streets. In 2015, visitors spent $215 million in Sheboygan County. A small amount compared to the visitor spending of $1 billion dollars in the DMO county in IL that I was a Director of Marketing of, BUT quite impressive for a community who is continuing to grow as a tourism destination. Now, the city has been mentioned as a possible location for an NBA D-League team. Impressive for a small community along the shores of Lake Michigan.