White Sox launch new Web service
The Chicago White Sox organization is expanding its business operations beyond baseball.
The South Side team said Monday it has launched Silver Chalice Ventures. SCV’s first off-shoot is Silver Chalice New Media, a digital-focused division that will work with a range of clients beyond the White Sox to create and implement new media assets online and via mobile platforms. The company, with a seven-person staff, has been in a soft-start phase since early this year, and the client roster already includes the Chicago Bulls, mycontent.com, the Southeastern Conference and mSpot, a Silicon Valley-based mobile and PC-content company.
(AP)
For the Bulls, Silver Chalice has developed an integrated digital strategy, that includes “BullsTV, a digital network that will debut Thursday on www.bulls.com. Jerry Reinsdorf owns both the Bulls and the White Sox. Silver Chalice also has launched a full suite of mobile offerings for the SEC, including a mobile Web site and an iPhone application that has been as high as No. 2 on the list of most popular paid sports applications on iTunes.
The long-range plan for Silver Chalice is to grow the unit’s client base and generate profits that can then be funneled into the White Sox team. White Sox Chief Marketing Officer Brooks Boyer is leading the Silver Chalice charge.
“My main goal is to generate more cash to shift down the hall (to the White Sox),” said Boyer, who pointed out there are no salary caps in professional baseball. Jason Coyle is Silver Chalice’s chief operating officer. Coyle was formerly president of Intersport’s digital media division.
John Burris has been named Silver Chalice’s president. He formerly operated Sprint’s $5 billion wireless data business. Silver Chalice has offices at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, and in Boulder, Colo., where Burris will be based.