Sports Biz

This morning, the Brooklyn Nets unveiled their new logos on CNBC.

Here is the first look with CNBC's Darren Rovell and Nets CEO Brett Yormark.

Slideshow: The NBA's Best Selling Jerseys - 2012

Questions?  Comments? 

Jonathan Newton | The Washington Post | Getty Images NFL Draft prospect QB Andrew Luck addresses the media.

Stanford's phenom quarterback Andrew Luck is set to be the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He will be asked to replace the legendary Peyton Manning under center for the Indianapolis Colts this fall.

Many NFL scouts and analysts believe that Luck is the closest thing to a "can't miss" quarterback on the field since (ironically) the man he is being asked to succeed.

But, what are the prospects for Luck in the world of endorsements?

So far, Luck has snagged only two endorsement deals. One is with Pepsi to promote the Gatorade and Quaker Oats brand. The second deal is with Nike.

The main man in the draft spotlight spoke with Darren Rovell about whether he can achieve the same type of marketing success as Manning did off the field.

"I want to earn it on the field as a player before I guess you reap all the benefits," said Luck.

The new Colts quarterback is represented by his uncle, Will Wilson, an agent with the Wasserman Media Group.  » Read More

From the outside, The Ainsworth will look like every other bar in New York City tonight. Some TVs will be showing Game 7 of the Rangers/Senators series, while others will be tuned into the NFL Draft.

But patrons on the inside will be able to see that bar is taking it a step further.  » Read More

With the last game of the regular season tonight, the NBA released its traditional jersey sales rankings on Thursday morning, based on sales at its online store and its temporary store in Manhattan. And while Bulls guard Derrick Rose takes the No. 1 spot for the first time in his career, the bigger story is former undrafted D-Leaguer Jeremy Lin cracking the list at No. 2, beating out the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and his teammate, Carmelo Anthony.

Getty Images Jeremy Lin

That's taking into account the fact that Lin jerseys didn't even hit the market until mid-February and the sales ranking started in April 2011. But when Lin did start lighting it up for the New York Knicks, boy did the masses buy his gear. Not only did New Yorkers embrace "Linsanity" but people around the world inspired by the Harvard graduate's rise to fame also bought his jersey. And one can't discount his Asian heritage helping things along, driving international sales to NBAStore.com and other retailers.  » Read More

Ask any fan of the Mets or the Nationals what the best part about coming to the ballpark is and you’re bound to get fans to put Shake Shack at the top.

Getty Images

The burger, frozen custard joint of famed restaurateur Danny Meyer is known to be so packed that fans at Citi Field

C loading...

Quote  |  Chart  |  News  |  Profile

[C  Loading...      ()   ] get in line before the game and are willing to miss several innings to enjoy the grub.

In fact, business has been so good to Meyer that he told CNBC that he is actively looking to put his brands, including Shake Shack, El Verano, Blue Smoke and Box Frites, into more stadiums and arenas around the country. Aside from Citi Field and Nationals Park, the only other Shake Shack at a sporting venue is at Saratoga Race Track.  » Read More

Getty Images Tim Tebow

New York Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow has a new challenge on his hands.

AshleyMadison.com, a Web site that matches married people to pursue affairs, is offering $1 million to any woman who can prove she has had sex with the devout Christian, who has insisted he is still a virgin and will wait until he is married.

"Sports and sex (and of course, infidelity) go hand in hand," said Noel Biderman, founder of Ashley Madison, in a statement. "If Mr. Tebow is indeed abstaining from adult relationships, I would encourage him to find a nice lady or two and enjoy his youth and fame as much as possible."

 » Read More

In 2008, San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert was leaping up the draft boards thanks in part to a video posted on YouTube that showed him jumping out of a pool. Gilbert, who has only played in four games to date, was selected in the third round of the 2009 draft by the Buffalo Bills.

This year’s video that is making the rounds comes courtesy of Justin Bethel, a defensive back from Presbyterian, who can be seen here jumping onto boxes that are said to be stacked five feet in the air.

 » Read More

I’ve heard it ever since I joined the NBC family: Why can’t we watch the Olympics live? My answer I think was better than most. Because, unlike any sport out there, it has done fine on tape delay.

Getty Images A detailed view of the prototype design of the new golden Olympic torch during its unveiling at St Pancras Station on June 8, 2011 in London, England. 8,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame around the UK during the 70-day relay, which starts at Land's End in Cornwall on May 19, 2012.

We don’t watch most of these sports in the four-year period that they are off, so it makes it a delay—that would otherwise be unacceptable in a mainstream sport—more palatable.

The more important point is that if everything were live, NBC would not be able to pay the rights fees it does because it simply wouldn’t garner the same viewership and couldn’t charge the rates it does for advertising.

That’s why NBC could afford to pony up more for the future Olympic rights than ESPN could since ESPN promised they’d bring the games in live.

So when I heard that NBC was willing to live stream every event on NBCOlympics.com for the games this summer, I wondered what had changed. So I called up Alan Wurtzel, the president of research and media development for NBC.

 » Read More

Last week, Coca-Cola took a step closer to becoming Coco-Cola.

Source: zico.com Zico Coconut Water

The world's largest beverage brand announced it had acquired a majority share of Zico, the number two brand in the estimated $350 million coconut water space.

It was another moment of affirmation for the coconut water business and for those with a piece of the pie.

But while some have called Coke's

COKE loading...

Quote  |  Chart  |  News  |  Profile

[COKE  Loading...      ()   ] further investment in Zico the next step to making it the next great beverage, others say coconut water, which has been heavily marketed as nature's sports drink, might be at its peak today.

The two sides of the story can be seen through the eyes of Coke's competitor, Pepsi, which led the charge in 2009 by acquiring Amacoco, Brazil's largest coconut water company. A year later, the company bought a greater piece of O.N.E., the third largest US brand after Vita Coco and Zico.

 » Read More

When Magic Johnson first heard that some producers wanted to make a play about his relationship and rivalry with Larry Bird, he thought they were crazy. Bird was just as skeptical.

Photo: Focus On Sport | Getty Images JUNE 1985: Earvin Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up to shoot over Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics during the 1985 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

“I said ‘Larry, they want to do this play,’ and there was silence on the phone. He said, ‘What?’ But he warmed up to it and when Fran and Tony talked to him, he was really impressed with them. We decided, let's do it and it has been great.”

Fran and Tony are Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo, who also responsible for surprising Broadway with Lombardi, a play about Packers coach Vince Lombardi which defied odds to become the longest running play on Broadway in the 2010-11 season.

How have they translated sports plays into a viable business?

By bringing a different demographic into the plush seats.

“The usual theater goer is female and 35 to 65 years old, that go with their gal friends to the theater,” Kirmser said. “That's the typical consumer. What's happening with this, is they're all grabbing their husbands and their boyfriends and saying, ‘Come on, you gotta come and see this.’ The content of the show is drawing all the sports fans, all of us that remember watching them play.”  » Read More

The dollar figure on concussion-based lawsuits continues to mount by the day. On Thursday, the NFL’s official helmet maker Riddell, filed suit in California against those that had insured its business with the league and are failing to indemnify the company against these claims.

More than 1,000 former NFL players have been part of concussion-based lawsuits against the league.

Scott Cunningham | Getty Images Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins suffers a concussion on a play against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on November 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Riddell says it is included in seven of those suits.  » Read More

Fifteen minutes before we are going on air, Bubba Watson is politely asking our makeup person Mary Ann what she is doing combing his hair.

Photo by Adam Jeffery for CNBC.com Bubba Watson, fresh off his Masters win, comes to CNBC's studios.

“I don’t need that,” Watson tells her. “I’m Bubba, Masters champion, that’s how my hair looks.”

That, in a nutshell, is what makes Bubba Watson the most refreshing golfer on the PGA Tour, in a long time. Nah, make that ever.  » Read More