American sports go global

The biggest day of the year in American sport is set for Monday as the hot dogs, and cans of Budweiser come out for the Superbowl. But it is not just stateside. The growth of American sport in New Zealand shows no sign of abating. But what caused it and how far will it go. Sports editor Steve Hepburn has a look.

Lebron, Kobe and Gronk.

Colin, Buck and Zinzan.

Perhaps if you are are closer to 60 than you are to 30 you would know the last three.

But more and more, the names for the younger generation are the first three.

The latter three are All Blacks — as in Meads, Shelford and Brooke — while the first three are American sporting stars — James, Bryant and Rob Gronkowski.

The rise of American sport in New Zealand has been a slow-growing beast but with the expansion of the media and the internet over the past 10 years it has exploded.

Now in New Zealand, children are decked out in Golden State Warriors tops just as much as All Black jerseys.

The conference finals for the NFL — the semifinals for the Superbowl — were played last month and major New Zealand news websites did live blogs on them — and got considerable traffic.

Accessibility to the sports through changes in technology has definitely helped these sports grow.

In the 1980s, there was one hour of NBA basketball played on Television New Zealand on a Sunday — weeks after the game had been played.

These day games can be viewed on television live or passes can be bought to view every game of the NBA season.

University of Otago professor Steve Jackson said the rise of American sport could  be linked to media. But there were other factors at play.

"It is more than just the ability to access new sports through satellite and streaming — it is the appeal of those sports in terms of difference, excitement, skill, huge spectator crowds, celebrity athletes and enormous marketing," he said.

"Keeping in mind that any Nike advert featuring an NBA player is simultaneously an ad for the NBA and the sport of basketball. Beyond this, the emergence of NZ stars like Steve Adams can have a dramatic impact —  a nation of youngsters can see that what might have seemed impossible  is actually possible."

The thing about a lot of the American sports is they are made for television — and they feature the best athletes.

The NBA has the best basketball players from all corners of the globe.

In this day and age people want to see the best. Many people,  young people especially,  will rather watch an NBA game on a Saturday afternoon on the television than go down to the local park or stadium to watch a club game.

The American sports — the main four are the NFL (American Football), MLB (baseball), NBA (basketball) and NHL (ice hockey) — are at the forefront of marketing in all sectors of business and going to a game is a real experience.

These sports are also great for statistics and news away from the field, diamond, court or rink. Who is moving where and getting under the salary cap is fast becoming more interesting for many than the playing of the game. Contrast that with rugby, which is not a great game to break down into statistics and has not matured into a fully transparent sport.People are naturally curious and American sports suit that with their  open-door policy and publishing of salaries. Rugby and other sports such as football are all a tad secret squirrel at times.

The Americans changed the viewing of sports, starting off at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, where sport crossed into entertainment and sport stars became celebrities.

Time also works as an advantage for American sports in this neck of the woods. Most big games are played in the afternoon in New Zealand. Compare that with  English football, which is aired at the middle of the night here and is no longer easily accessible via television.

Finding Liverpool or Manchester United shirts on the streets of New Zealand is more  rare  than it used to be.

However, Jackson said  football would maintain its hold on many youngsters.

"It is important to keep in mind that football/soccer is still the global game and I believe the No1 participant sport for kids under 12 (in NZ and many other countries).

"Moreover, sports like rugby, now that sevens is an Olympic event, are growing fast in other parts of the world.

"Many of us predicted that if rugby ever became an Olympic sport the US (in the first instance) and many others would invest and improve."

The US has been improving in sevens — it has made the finals of the first three tournaments in this season’s World Series — and one shudders to think how good it  could be if it got everyone who could play on  the field.

On the horizon is another sport which has American connections — e-sports.

Never mind the argument about whether e-sports is a sport or not. Most see it as a sport.

"People can argue and debate, and they should, about whether this is ‘sport’ but the IOC is exploring it very carefully — it is just too big, in money and global popularity, to ignore."

Phil Knight

Started Nike and imported Japanese shoes into America and started selling them. Became a massive sports company with ties to numerous basketballers and American athletes as sport leisure clothing became a massive industry  round the world.

Bill and Scott Rasmussen

Along with a couple of others, the father and son started Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN). The television company went to air in 1979 and morphed into a sports channel which covered the world.

Ronda Rousey

Seemed unbeatable for four years and became one of the UFC’s biggest names and drawcards. Broke down many barriers and stereotypes for women in combat sports and has been called one of the defining athletes of the 21st century.

Michael Jordan

Widely considered basketball’s greatest, Jordan has  six rings and five MVPs. Hugely influential in the NBA’s global push and his brand remains as popular worldwide over 15 years after his last game.

Serena Williams

Broke down plenty of barriers and made sure her sport of tennis was never far from the headlines. Still a force to be reckoned with.

Tom Brady

The New England Patriots quarterback is a player that everyone loves to hate mainly because of his success. Never eaten a strawberry in his life, such is his dedication to staying healthy.

Tiger Woods

Just a golfer but so much more. A celebrity whose public downfall from his carefully crafted image in late 2009 became front page news.

LeBron James

Rich, powerful, controversial and amazing, the King is probably the most scrutinised athlete in history. Social media explodes when news breaks surrounding him — which is almost every day. No doubt one of the world’s greatest athletes, but is he better than Jordan?

George Steinbrenner

Bought the New York Yankees in the early 1970s and hauled the team back into the limelight. Never afraid to voice his opinion and through that gave the sport a higher profile.

Wayne Gretsky

The Great One became more well known than any other player in ice hockey. As his nickname suggests, the best player in his game.

Danica Patrick

Became one of the most recognised women in sports with her top performances in the male-dominated Nascar and IndyCar series.

Seymour Siwoff

Took over Elias Sports Bureau in the 1950s and saw it grow to be the leading sports statistic authority in the world. Statistics and sport now sit together.

Magic Johnson

As the name suggests was a gifted basketball player. Announced he had HIV in the 1990s. Played at the 1992 Olympics in the first (and best) dream team.

Drake

One of the most influential people to today’s youth, the Canadian rapper is well-known for his support of the Toronto Raptors. In 2013 he joined the franchise’s executive committee as its global ambassador, regularly pushing the NBA into the spotlight beyond sports fans.

Peter Ueberroth

The chairman of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics organising committee, the event that revolutionised the way sport was conducted and laid the blueprint for much of what has happened over the past 34 years.