You may have heard something about Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s decision to expand his business empire into the world of sports management and PR. You may have also heard about the newly-founded Roc Nation Sports‘s first big win — swiping New York Yankees all-star Robinson Cano from Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in baseball. Makes for a nice press release, doesn’t it?

This is all well and good, but it raises a question: what, exactly, is Jay-Z’s role in this venture? Is he really a sports rep, or is he just doing his usual thing as master of promotional initiatives?

Something tells us that this latest story is closer to Carter’s relationship with the Brooklyn Nets than the traditional sports rep game. While the Nets paraded the rapper/mogul in front of any media outlet that would listen in 2012 (aka all of them), hyping his managerial skills and his participation in the team’s logo and jersey design, Jay-Z ‘s responsibilities within the organization are minimal. He owns a tiny share of the property, and the part he played in the Nets’ debut clearly had a lot more to do with getting press coverage than actively guiding operations.

(On a side note, we find it a little curious that Jay chose to slam the very media that fawned over him for “diminishing” his stake in the Nets.)

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Though most of Major League Baseball (MLB) will retain its relationship with online ticket site StubHub, the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim are pursuing alternative platforms for fans to resell extra tickets.

On the surface, the StubHub arrangement sounds like a great deal for all involved. After all, if everyone profits from the sale of a single ticket, what could be better than selling that same ticket a second time?

Every time a ticketholder sells a ticket on StubHub, the company takes 23 percent of the transaction and gives MLB more than half of the windfall. That adds up to the tune of $60 million a year for MLB–and StubHub can promote its services on the hallowed real estate of MLB teams’ official websites. The arrangement appears bulletproof.

Except for one thing: The fans, especially season ticket holders who are dedicated, passionate and loyal to their teams—both emotionally and financially. They’re getting screwed.

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The New York Yankees continued their winning trend by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays this week

“Sports marketing began in the 1970s as ‘CEOtainment’, according to Shawn McBride, SVP at Ketchum Sports & Entertainment. “[It was] an excuse for corporate executives to socialize at sports events, but the dynamics have changed a lot since that time.” McBride and Brian Calka, director of corporate sales and sponsorship for the New York Yankees, discussed the industry’s growing trends and challenges at a New York AMA / American Marketing Association event Tuesday.

• The cult of the celebrity is on the rise for sports brands. Since sports and entertainment are so intertwined, this phenomenon takes many forms. McBride cited the celebrity softball game in Kansas City and Calka mentioned the rock concerts that Yankee stadium has hosted in recent years. He added ”The Yankees also want to get entertainers to do the roll call for the bleacher creatures and we’re making more of an effort to highlight the stars in the crowd at the games.”

• CSR/Corporate Social Responsibility is more highly associated with sports brands now. A well-known example for the Yankees is Hope Week, Calka noted. “It represents a chance for the players to give back to the local community, and other baseball teams now are beginning to establish their own Hope Weeks.”

• The fan experience is front and center. “Since the customer is in charge, the challenge is to retain the fan base and meet their needs,” McBride observed. “Many fans now may prefer to watch from the comfort of their hi-tech homes.” Teams from hot urban locations with heavy traffic, such as Tampa Bay and Miami, have a hard time attracting fans in person, so teams like the Miami Marlins have built state-of-the-art stadiums. Customer service is a key part of the fans’ experience, and Calka said “the Yankees’ customer service is modeled after Disney and  Ritz Carlton. For example, we’ve added brand ambassadors at the stadium carrying signs asking whether they can help.”

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