Consider the deal with ESPN to cover the U.S. Open. ESPN was willing to televising the Mosconi Cup - that was the critical lure for Matchroom. The Mosconi is made for TV.
Somehow MR parlayed ESPN’s willingness to show the Mosconi into getting the network to carry the U.S. Open, too.
Getting on ESPN addresses three key MR objectives.
The first one is to reach a broader audience. Pool needs more than just diehards to be a commercial success. Frazer said pool will always be a niche sport, but she thinks its niche can be much bigger than it is right now.
Just being on ESPN+ could expose pro pool and the WNT TV to millions of casual viewers, even if for just a few minutes.
The second objective, which ties to the first, is to use the ESPN partnership to bring in bigger advertisers outside the pool industry. Being on ESPN gives the WNT cachet.
Realistically, pro pool will never grow from a small niche to a somewhat bigger niche without outside money. Getting Olympic status - a pursuit that does not involve MR - would help in that regard.
I doubt, by the way, that ESPN is paying any money to WNT to air the U.S. Open and the Mosconi.
Perhaps WNT got a slice of ad revenue, but exposure on ESPN alone is well worth the cost even if Matchroom did not get a dime in return.
