Stephen McDaniel Recap
On Tuesday, Oct. 9, the University of Maryland Sports Business Society welcomed Dr. Stephen McDaniel. McDaniel is a professor in the UMD School of Public Health.
McDaniel received his master’s in Public Relations & Organizational Communication from the University of South Florida and his Ph.D. in Marketing Communication from Florida State University.
His research interests are centered around sports marketing and sponsorship, sports gambling being used by sports media and sports teams, along with digital/social media.
“I’m interested in consumer psychology,” McDaniel said. “And in my case, I’m interested in consumers that are sports consumers, fitness consumers and people that consume gambling services.
“If you think about sports entertainment, we’re really buying and selling emotion.”
In May, the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal which prohibited states from allowing sports gambling. McDaniel said this will have a major impact, not only sports teams, but sports media. However, he warned of potential drawbacks to the landmark decision.
“The group that is most likely to have a gambling problem, three times more likely than the general population? People your age and teenagers,” McDaniel said. “And gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of all addictions.”
The popularity of e-sports has also increased over the past few years, with gamers being paid thousands of dollars and eager watchers tuning in to watch streamed matches. McDaniel sees it continuing to be marketed just like any regular sport.
“When you look at the business, isn’t it just like sports?” McDaniel asked. “You have sponsors. You have stars. In fact, talking about public policy: The United States government recognizes e-sports competitors as professional athletes for work visa reasons.”
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