Moncrief, William C.Rinke, Braydon2016-02-192016-02-192015https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/10423Many factors drive the growing brands of professional sports teams beyond theirnative borders. The popularity of premier sports teams in the global sports environment provides opportunity for major money to be made through sponsorship, TV deals, merchandise, and much more. The internet and TV have made rapid brand expansion easier than ever. This project identifies the sports industry's global branding movement and aims to discover best practices for expanding to international markets. Literature on the topic of international sports expansion primarily addresses either regional fan behaviors or the growing business side of professional sports. This thesis aims to focus the massive potential of sports teams in order to expand their following in an efficient manner. I conducted interviews with professionals in three major sports organizations: Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, and the National Football League. These conversations confirmed some of my hypotheses, but often provided shocking insights that enhanced my research.SportsMarketingBrandingSponsorshipInternational MarketingGlobal