In his August 2026 Marketing Sports column for Media Post, SLRG’s Jon Last examines thoroughbred horse racing’s bold marketing move to grow fan interest.
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Yearly Archives: 2026
Some Gen Z aren’t buying homes; they’re investing in time-shares
More Gen Zs are turning to investment in timeshares. USA Today calls out some of the key data points and insights behind this phenomenon, drawing extensively from ARDA’s new Vacation Ownership Study, conducted in partnership with SLRG.
Read More » Sports Broadcast Fragmentation Creates A Needed Opportunity
As sports coverage continues to migrate to streaming services, properties and rights holders need to be more aligned with consumer needs. In his latest for Media Post, SLRG’s Jon Last speaks to both the challenges and opportunities.
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Driver$: Inside golf operations’ latest tech merger
The July 6 announcement of Noteefy’s acquisition of Metolius is more than a combination of two of the more innovative golf facility operations tech providers, it’s a bringing together of two forward thinking organizations that have captured the attention of many of the industry’s leading facility operators. In this special edition of Driver$, Sports and […]
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2026 Golf Business Pulse Report
The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), the only trade association dedicated exclusively to golf course ownership and operations, today released the 2026 Golf Business Pulse Report. This year’s report, again developed and produced in partnership with Sports and Leisure Research Group (SLRG), represents the fourth year of this proprietary insights program. The report incorporates perspectives […]
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MRII Insights & Innovators Podcast: How Can Insights Agencies Grow and Become Indispensable
SLRG’s Jon Last speaks with Paul Griffiths, Founder of Client Advocates, about the ways in which today’s insights agencies can make themselves more valuable to clients.
Read More » The Cautionary Reality Of The 2026 World Cup
It feels like the media has been force feeding soccer down the throats of American sports fans for decades. Even before the U.S. was awarded the World Cup, there was a persistent drumbeat suggesting that “the beautiful game” was going to grow to dominate our national psyche. As we sit on the cusp of the […]
Read More » MRII Insights & Innovators Podcast: How to Manage Culture with Tara Marotti
On the latest Insights & Innovators podcast, SLRG’s Jon Last is joined by Burke CEO Tara Marotti for a provocative discussion about the imperatives for building a positive culture within market research org.
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Driver$: Satisfying a hunger for golf
Spencer Potter joins Sports and Leisure Research Group president and “Driver$” co-host Jon Last to look at how technology is literally meeting golfers “where they are” with a tech-enabled food and beverage delivery solution that is helping golf courses increase profitability while improving customer service.
Read More » Would Teddy Roosevelt Approve Of Today’s Sports Environment? Should We Care?
In my nonprofessional life, I’m still an active participant in sports, both as weekend warrior and youth sports administrator. I still strongly subscribe to principles of fairness and inclusivity. I’ve advocated for making sports safer and more welcoming through positive reinforcement rather than negativity or punishment, to motivate and grow broader participation and fan engagement. […]
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