Pollack, Jeffrey

The Sports Business Daily was started in February 1994 by American sports executive and business consultant Jeffrey Pollack (M.S. in Sport Management from UMass Amherst) at age 29. Initially published by Digital Sports Network, it was the first daily trade publication for the sports industry. Pollack modeled his concept on the political daily The Hotline. Its primary goal was to “cover the coverage,” or aggregate and organize daily news that was related to the business of sports. After assembling a small editorial, marketing, and sales team, The Sports Business Daily (SBD) launched on September 12, 1994. With Pollack as its president and publisher, SBD garnered a strong reputation among decision-makers in the industry. By the time Digital Sports Network and subsequently The Sports Business Daily was sold in 1996 to Interzine Productions, it was a recognized leader in sports industry news. In 1998 SBD was acquired by Street & Smith’s, which publishes Sports Business Journal, and is relied upon by top sports, entertainment, financial, and media executives worldwide.

The collection contains materials related to the founding and early years of The Sport Business Daily’s management and production. It includes correspondence, contracts, and financial and marketing information. Several boxes include original copies of the daily plus early prototype mock-ups and copies of the NBA Daily trade publication from 1995.