There are, as of last count, 865 professional sports teams operating or developing to operate in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic in baseball, hockey, football, women's football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse.
Many are "affiliated" with a major league club, and serve as a developmental system for that team. Several are "independent" which means that they carry their own players' salaries and do not receive players from any other organizations.
If you have advertising covering a major league club, it makes a lot of sense to advertise around its minor league system that develops players and fan interest for that team.
If you have signed sponsorship deals with up-and-coming players as an investment in their future, it makes sense to advertise on stories attached to their initial exposure to the public.
Each affiliated sport is divided into Classes. Classes are the levels of proficiency that players attain. Triple-A is the highest, with Class-AA, Class-A, and Rookie being the next usual levels down.
Leagues operate in one class of their sport. The Pacific Coast League, for example, is a Class-AAA league of affiliated baseball. The Florida State League is a Class-A league. Independent Leagues operate outside of this system, and have no classification.
Each league is made up of a group of teams. Teams are independently operated and owned, even if they are affiliated with major league clubs. Affiliated teams benefit from having their player contracts either carried by the major league club, or assigned to the minor league club.
Teams and the leagues that they play in operate their busineses in communities of a population size that can support the classification of the team. Class-AAA teams tend to operate in large to medium sized markets, like Buffalo, Memphis or Albuquerque. A Class-A team can operate in a smaller market, like Vero Beach, Florida, or even in a large urban/suburban market, like Brooklyn, New York.
Some professional sports teams operate in high-tourist destination markets like San Diego, New Orleans or Orlando.
For more information, contact the Advertising Department at 561.207.7256. Plaxo Users: Add me to your address book.
