Sporting Goods Research Network Inc., doing business as SBRnet, has been acquired by Neil Schwartz and Mark Sullivan from the estate of Dick Lipsey. Lipsey, who founded SBRnet in 1998, passed away in May 2008 after a long career in supporting research for the sporting goods industry.
The acquisition was made through a newly established company called SBRnet, Inc.
According to a statement, SBRnet’s data is sold via subscription to more than 200 universities, colleges and public libraries in the United States. The platform reaches more than 200,000 college students who use the data in papers, reports and case studies.
“Both Mark and I are excited to continue on the legacy that was built by Dick Lipsey back in the late ’90s,” said Schwartz, who has become SBRnet’s president. “Dick built an amazing business and served the library marketplace by creating a one-stop platform for all things sports business and sports market data.”
Richard Lipsey, the son of the founder of Sporting Goods Research, Dick Lipsey added: “We are very pleased that Mark and Neil will be carrying on with the legacy that my father started back in 1998. Servicing the academic marketplace was a labor of love for my Dad and after working closely with Mark and Neil, we know they feel the same way.”
The new owners plan to expand the business to include data on sports gambling, e-sports and digital media consumption habits. SBR also plans to build on its history of providing insights on fan behavior through its proprietary Consumer Brand Analytics Survey.
Schwartz has more than two decades of marketing and consumer research experience in the sports, fitness and active lifestyle categories, most recently with SSI Data and SportsOneSource.
Sullivan is a well-regarded former editor and publisher in the active lifestyle market. He has held senior positions at SportStyle, Sporting Goods Business, Footwear News, and Golf Pro magazines. He is one of the founders of The Running Event, one of the largest B2B conferences and trade shows for the running industry, which was sold to Diversified Communications in 2018. Since then, he has run a consulting business with clients in the active lifestyle business.
