Who would be the best sponsor for pool?

[BWTadpole]

I was just talking about this with a few friends of mine. We came up with these products that companies could promote.

Nike Racking Shoes

Under Armour Pool Gloves

Oakley Pool Sunglasses (designed after Earl's goggles)

 

[juegabillar]

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola or any large non-alcoholic beverage company.

 

[triley41395]

Trojan condoms
How about Trojan cases.
"The only case to put your wood in"

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Budweiser as it is in ever bar already, maybe it is time Budweiser gave back to Pool, as Pool Player have been supporting,

​

 

[Jimmy M.]

United States Gubmint

Oh please no. The main forum will be infested with NPR posters!

 

[Frankenstroke]

Viagra..................

 

[Cameron Smith]

Any watch company. The most visible part of a player at all times on tv, is his/her wrist. Perfect product placement.

I believe Rolex sponsored snooker back in the 80's. Other Watch companies have been involved in the past as well.

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

Johnson & Johnson's {baby powder action}
Greyhound Bus Co. {after you go bust}
Delta Airlines {for the afluent pool player}
Crest {puts the twinkle on the "bite"}

In all reality, as much as Native American tribes put into pool across the country...they should form an alliance and make it a nationwide tour for BOTH sexes. Just an observation

 

[JCIN]

Presumably the thread question is basically about profesional pool and professional pool tournaments and the question poser isn't just asking for wish list daydreaming.

The only conceivable large potential sponsors of professional pool are right where they have always been.....in the gambling industry.

Every other potential sponsor amongst the larger corporate organisations is touched in some direct or indirect way by one or both of 2 basic factors preventing any possibility of any major investment by them......

1. A perception (quite possibly a well justified one) that their brand name should not under any circumstances be asociated with a seedy, disreputable pastime like pool.

2. A perception (definitely a justified one) that the numbers of people likely to be interested enough to watch pool without associated betting activity will never come remotely near the numbers needed to justify large investment. Basically pool spectators (live, tv or internet) aren't going to buy the sponsors products in large enough increased numbers to cover the outlay made.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Gambling bosses wouldn't mind associating their brand image with pool or any other down market pastime and probably already recognise that a far bigger spectator farm can be harvested if viewers can bet on the activity concerned live. Huge numbers of people worldwide will bet on anything taking place live, even those who have never seen a pool table will bet on match outcomes, let alone the known millions who play pool regularly, many of whom are by nature predisposed towards gambling anyway.

The law is a limiting factor on that at the moment. Without the gambling industry on board with the ability to operate legally re betting on live pool transmissions the bottom line is that pro pool is not going to have any very large sponsor.

Until that happens some very hard working people will beaver away at putting on events with limited sponsorship and pro pool will continue to muddle along and make the best of it.

There might even continue to be an occasional fairy godfather (a Sheikh here, a businesman there etc etc) putting up some dollars now and again until boredom, a perception that he's being shafted, a new more interesting 'toy' or his bankruptcy kicks in....but none of that will alter the fact that unless and until it is legal for the gambling industry to get on board there wil be no 'big' money invested in sponsorship in a structured and reliable long term way and no prospect of the pro game growing through sponsorship.

This is a gross over-simplification of course.....but I think the bottom line is probably pretty realistic and to be fair it's a bit of an airy-fairily vague question in the first place :smile:

We have a winner.

I have some differing opinions on a few points but you pretty much put steel on target here.

 

[Biggz]

Rockerfeller
Trump

 

[RBC]

Presumably the thread question is basically about profesional pool and professional pool tournaments and the question poser isn't just asking for wish list daydreaming.

The only conceivable large potential sponsors of professional pool are right where they have always been.....in the gambling industry.

Every other potential sponsor amongst the larger corporate organisations is touched in some direct or indirect way by one or both of 2 basic factors preventing any possibility of any major investment by them......

1. A perception (quite possibly a well justified one) that their brand name should not under any circumstances be asociated with a seedy, disreputable pastime like pool.

2. A perception (definitely a justified one) that the numbers of people likely to be interested enough to watch pool without associated betting activity will never come remotely near the numbers needed to justify large investment. Basically pool spectators (live, tv or internet) aren't going to buy the sponsors products in large enough increased numbers to cover the outlay made.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Gambling bosses wouldn't mind associating their brand image with pool or any other down market pastime and probably already recognise that a far bigger spectator farm can be harvested if viewers can bet on the activity concerned live. Huge numbers of people worldwide will bet on anything taking place live, even those who have never seen a pool table will bet on match outcomes, let alone the known millions who play pool regularly, many of whom are by nature predisposed towards gambling anyway.

The law is a limiting factor on that at the moment. Without the gambling industry on board with the ability to operate legally re betting on live pool transmissions the bottom line is that pro pool is not going to have any very large sponsor.

Until that happens some very hard working people will beaver away at putting on events with limited sponsorship and pro pool will continue to muddle along and make the best of it.

There might even continue to be an occasional fairy godfather (a Sheikh here, a businesman there etc etc) putting up some dollars now and again until boredom, a perception that he's being shafted, a new more interesting 'toy' or his bankruptcy kicks in....but none of that will alter the fact that unless and until it is legal for the gambling industry to get on board there wil be no 'big' money invested in sponsorship in a structured and reliable long term way and no prospect of the pro game growing through sponsorship.

This is a gross over-simplification of course.....but I think the bottom line is probably pretty realistic and to be fair it's a bit of an airy-fairily vague question in the first place :smile:

Memikey,

Wow, I don't think I could have said it better myself! As with Justin, I am not 100% with you on everything, but we certainly could have some good conversations about this.

I think the best possible sponsor for pool is the pool fans. The only problem is that we don't really have very many. If we had 5 million pool enthusiasts, like Nascar fans, we could very easily attract a mainline "Advertiser". Unfortunately, most people who play pool want to make money at it, not spend money to be entertained by it.

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

 

[Tennesseejoe]

This is a good question but the first question should be---Why would anybody want to sponsor pool?

 

[Roadie]

Waffle House? It is where all the players end up when they are done at 4am.

 

[JAM]

...In all reality, as much as Native American tribes put into pool across the country...they should form an alliance and make it a nationwide tour for BOTH sexes. Just an observation

Bingo! That's exactly what I think too. The Native American Tribes, those with gaming licenses, do like pool.

The Seminole Tribe in Florida is a good example, as is Turning Stone Casino. In fact, the pool players are treated like royalty at Turning Stone Casino by the staff there. It's a great place to have a pool event.

I really like Turning Stone because everything is all under one roof, much different than the Las Vegas environment. I love Turning Stone Casino; I don't like the money-burning distractions in Vegas one bit, to include that god-awful heat. I have never thought Las Vegas was a good place to have pool events. Though they may have facilities galore there, I like the Turning Stone Casino atmosphere much better for pool tournaments.

It was just a little over a year ago that my friend, Maynard "Dip" Gabriel, of the Onondaga Nation passed away. Man, did he love pool!

Rest in peace, Dip. You are not forgotten!

 

[Roadie]

Memikey,

Wow, I don't think I could have said it better myself! As with Justin, I am not 100% with you on everything, but we certainly could have some good conversations about this.

I think the best possible sponsor for pool is the pool fans. The only problem is that we don't really have very many. If we had 5 million pool enthusiasts, like Nascar fans, we could very easily attract a mainline "Advertiser". Unfortunately, most people who play pool want to make money at it, not spend money to be entertained by it.

Royce Bunnell
www.obcues.com

At present there are over 200,000 dedicated league players in the United States alone.

.25 per week per player for 32 weeks a year would be 1.6 million a year to fund pro pool. That would be a healthy start to fund a dedicated office and organization to run and sell pool to advertisers. A consistent tour could be had. Even it were ten tournaments a year to start with $50,000 added from the fund it would be something. The Pro Tour doesn't have to be in ball rooms and convention centers. It can be in pool rooms. The pro golf tour is played on existing golf courses.

The IPT proved that pool rooms are willing to change their equipment to professional standards to accommodate a professional event.

And it doesn't have to be just league players who support this. Every week across America in all 50 states there are weekly tournaments with 16 players or more. Assume that there are two tournaments per week per state, at .25cts per player that's another $86,000 per year into the fund at least. Regional tours - give us $1 per player - how many of those are there? Five, ten doing a tournament a month with an average of a 70ish players per event - so whatever it is adds to the kitty.


Use production companies like AccuStats or TAR to film the events and sell the package to anyone who who will buy. TV always wants content and if it's done well then someone will buy it.

We watch movies these days that were shot with consumer level video cameras. More people are entertained daily by home made videos on YouTube than just about any cable channel gets for viewership.

It is well within our capabilities right now to fund and have a consistent professional tour on TV in the USA. But our industry is not sensible enough to work together to do this. Such a tour and soundly funded office would grow pool and increase participation across the board.

Rather than work together to bake a bigger pie the pool world fights over the crumbs left over from the last pie. It's sad because it's really only when "pool" gets its act together internally and can provide a concerted front and a viable vehicle for advertising that it will be able entice the major sponsors.