The goal of Superpesis is to double the number of viewers and the economy by 2026. Views from outside the sport are sought for renewal and development.
On the weekend, will show the Superpesis finals on Areena and TV2. On Saturday, the women’s 3rd final match Manse PP-Pesäkarhut starts at 12:15. See all sports broadcasts here. You can also hear the Superpesis finals from Puhe.
The Baseball Association makes news in the spring to make Superpesis a limited company again Superpesis Oy is one hundred percent owned by the Pesäpalloliitto.
The joint-stock company was shut down in 2019–2020, and in recent years it has operated as part of Pesäpalloliito’s other activities.
– For too long, they tried to lead through one door. I understand that there must be unity, but yes, we must have our own team specialized in top baseball, states the chairman of the top baseball working group Juha Tanskanen.
According to Tanskanen, the core task of Superpesis Oy, which started operating at the beginning of August, is to build buzz around baseball and help clubs develop their own operations and strategy.
– Baseball is currently on a really strong rise. For example, in women’s baseball, there are six clubs that have had more than one spectator in a match. Otherwise, viewership averages have risen.
The average viewership of Superpesis was 1,381 spectators in men’s matches and 661 spectators in women’s matches in the regular season. Now Superpesis Oy’s goal is to increase the number of viewers by as much as 50 percent by 2026. In addition, a 50 percent growth in the clubs’ finances is aimed for.
– If we had gone public with the fact that we are increasing the number of viewers by 10 percent, no one would have noticed and nothing would have happened. When there is a tough enough goal, everyone has to take action.
The board includes professionals from business, sports and entertainment
The operative management and board of Superpesis were looking for people from outside the sport to bring new perspectives to the development of the top pesis.
– The clubs and the federation have expertise in the sport, but an outside perspective is needed, for example, on how to make match events exciting and entertaining and how to develop the spectator experience, responsibility and partnerships.
Business professionals have been chosen to manage Superpesis Oy. He started as chairman Vesa Karjalahti. The former operational director of Mestis was elected as CEO Olli Aro and sales director Risto Ojanperäwho has worked, among other things, as a game director in Superpesis and as the head of coaching and training of the Pesäpalloliito.
In addition to Tanskanen, the board includes a former national team soccer player Hanna Teerijok and member of the Rauman Fera board, former CEO of Rauman Luko Timo Rajala.
From the entertainment side, the guitarist from Haloo Helsinki is on the board Jere Marttila.
– Yes, we are interested in how, for example, the entertainment world handles partnerships or owns the relationships of young people in social media.
According to Tanskanen, the board will be supplemented by 1–2 more people in the fall.
Providing top nest entertainment requires professional social work
Baseball must also react to social phenomena. One of them is urbanization.
– We would be fools if we didn’t think about things in that direction. Baseball must be taken to where there are people with the help of distinctive sports entertainment and hobby activities.
With urbanization, the old facilities and customs no longer work.
– We need to focus on the expectations of the spectators and the habits of the consumers and critically examine, for example, the duration of the matches and the rules. We also have to react to the changed needs of our partners.
Tanskanen highlights the capital Helsinki’s relation to baseball.
– Yes, we need to seriously think about when and how top baseball entertainment will be brought to Helsinki. It cannot be done alone, but in cooperation with entertainment, so that, for example, stadiums can be used in a more versatile way.
Tanskanen emphasizes that clubs should be able to produce baseball entertainment in a unique way. However, providing top-notch entertainment requires a professional club organization.
– If any club still tries to make entertainment under the name superpesis with voluntary activities, it will not succeed in the future. Fortunately, professionalization has already taken place in many localities.