Sports Marketing Timeline

  • Period: Feb 1, 1550 to

    inroduction of outdoor entertainment

    Introduction of outdoor entertainment including bowling, primitive amusement rides, music and dancing.
  • Baseball Game at Fashion Rack Course

    Fans paid to attend a baseball game between two teams in the New York City area at Fashion Rack Course in Queens.
  • NCAA formed

    National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was officially formed to govern collegiate athletics.
  • development of motion picture film

    Development of recording of sound on motion picture film.
  • first commercial radio stations with regularly scheduled broadcasts

    First commercial radio stations with regularly scheduled broadcasts.
  • NBC created

    RCA established the National Broadcasting Company (NBC)
  • first television picture

    Farnsworth transmits first electronic television picture; receives patent.
  • CBS is founded

    The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) is founded.
  • Stock Market Crashed

    The Stock Market Crash leads to the Great Depression closing nearly three-fourths of amusement parks.
  • Lou Gehrig on Wheaties Box

    Lou Gehrig appeared on a Wheaties box.
  • First tv sold

    First television is sold.
  • All- American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed

    All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed due to many Major League Baseball players serving in WWII.
  • tv's in over a million homes

    Televisions are in over one million homes.
  • Babe Didrickson Zaharias signs with Wilson Sporting Goods

    Wilson Sporting Goods signed golfer Babe Didrickson Zaharias to an endorsement contract for $100,000 per year.
  • Color tv

    Color television is introduced
  • Disneyland opens

    Disneyland in Anaheim, California opens costing $17 million to build.

    3.8 million visitors come the first year
  • 100 million tv sets in homes

    Over 100 million television sets are in homes around the world.
  • Six Flags opens

    Six Flags opens in Texas
    First regional theme park
  • Blue Ribbon Sports Opens

    Phil Knight opens Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1972, the name is changed to Nike.
  • Disney World opens Magic Kingdom

    The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida opens costing $375 million the build
  • Title IX

    Title IX is enacted, mandating equal access to educational opportunities for men and women.
  • Buffalo Bills Stadium

    Rich Foods pays $60,000/year for the naming rights to the Buffalo Bills football stadium.
  • Boycott of olympics in Moscow

    The US boycotts the Summer Olympics in Moscow
  • Prince Charles marries on TV

    – Prince Charles and Diana Spencer are married on international television
  • CNN is launched

    CNN, the first all news network, is launched by Turner Cable Network
  • IBM personal computers available

    First IBM Personal Computers are available for retail sales
  • MTV debuts

    MTV debuts
  • Michael Jackson "thriller"

    Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” sells 20 million albums
    Largest selling record ever
  • First compact disc is released

    First compact disc is released
  • Olympics becomes commercialized

    The Olympics becomes commercialized. Peter Ueberoth helps to make the Olympics profitable.
  • Nintendo introduced

    Nintendo home entertainment system is introduced
  • Time Warner cable

    Time and Warner merge to become Time Warner Inc.
  • First webcast

    First television program delivered via the Internet (webcast)
  • Olympic park in Atlanta GA is bombed

    Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA is bombed.
  • Princess Diana dies.

    Princess Diana is killed in an automobile accident