The Harlem Globetrotters are a worldwide icon, synonymous with family entertainment and great basketball skills. The Globetrotters represent 84 years of breaking down barriers, acts of goodwill, and a commitment to fans that goes beyond the game.
Abe Saperstein founded the team in 1926, and they played their first road game in Hinckley, Ill., on Jan. 7, 1927. The cheers have never stopped, as the Globetrotters have entertained more than 130 million fans in 120 countries worldwide. For many, the Globetrotter experience was an introduction to the game of basketball. In September 2002, the team confirmed their standing as one of the world's most influential basketball tea...
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The Harlem Globetrotters are a worldwide icon, synonymous with family entertainment and great basketball skills. The Globetrotters represent 84 years of breaking down barriers, acts of goodwill, and a commitment to fans that goes beyond the game.
Abe Saperstein founded the team in 1926, and they played their first road game in Hinckley, Ill., on Jan. 7, 1927. The cheers have never stopped, as the Globetrotters have entertained more than 130 million fans in 120 countries worldwide. For many, the Globetrotter experience was an introduction to the game of basketball. In September 2002, the team confirmed their standing as one of the world's most influential basketball teams, becoming only the fifth team inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (a sixth team has since been inducted).
In 1948 and 1949, the Globetrotters stunned the world by twice defeating the World Champion Minneapolis Lakers. They were socially influential and quickly became recognized as the world's best basketball team, showing that African-Americans could excel on a professional level. Those victories accelerated the integration of the NBA and ushered in a new era of sports.
Former player Mannie Jackson purchased the team in 1993, becoming the first African-American to own a major international sports and entertainment organization. He led the team to unprecedented levels, tripling its revenue in three years and quadrupling its size in five, cementing its status as the most predominant and recognized sports and entertainment organization in the world. The team was also active in philanthropic efforts, with charitable contributions totalling over $11 million under Jackson's guidance.
In 2005, a documentary, "The Team That Changed the World," aired nationwide on public television, while the first verifiable account of the Globetrotters' history was told in the book, "Spinning the Globe: The Rise, Fall and Return to Greatness of the Harlem Globetrotters." In September 2005, Burbank-based Shamrock Capital Growth Fund purchased 80 percent of the team from Jackson, with a goal to explore new global opportunities. Jackson eventually stepped back from day-to-day functions, and the Globetrotters announced the appointment of Kurt Schneider as Chief Executive Officer in May 2007. Jackson remains Chairman of the Board of Directors and retains 20 percent ownership in the team.
Under Schneider's leadership, the Globetrotters are extending beyond their vibrant live event business into new and complementary revenue streams, allowing fans to interact with the Globetrotters on multiple platforms whenever and wherever they want. In 2008, the Globetrotters burst back onto the national and network television scene after a 14-year absence with "Harlem Globetrotters: A New Generation," an hour-long, primetime special that became the highest-rated program in MyNetworkTV history.
In 2009, the Globetrotters continued to raise their pop culture status with a seven-page feature article in Sports Illustrated and guest appearances on hit TV shows "Hells' Kitchen" and "The Bachelorette." Globetrotters Big Easy Lofton and Flight Time Lang also had an 11-episode run and top-four finish on the CBS Emmy Award-winning reality series, "The Amazing Race."
The Globetrotters have signed sponsorship deals with Campbell's, Spalding, Howard Johnson and America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses and aligned with the NBA for a five-year international marketing partnership, all while shattering box office, revenue and media coverage records worldwide. Cookie Jar Group has been named the global licensing agent and kids' television partner for the Globetrotters, marking the first step towards Globetrotters' return to animated TV programming.
Future strategic plans include raising the profile of a new generation of stars, while embracing the extraordinary heritage of the team's legendary history. The Globetrotters' show will feature even more amazing basketball skills and wizardry, with a continued focus on family entertainment. Off the court, the organization will increase alliances with global partners, develop a full line of licensed products, execute a multi-media strategy to gain worldwide saliency, and continue the brand's legacy of deep social involvement in local communities.
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