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McKinsey Medium Profitability Growth Strategy

New York Shmankees

#Sports/Entertainment

Practice this intermediate profitability case interview question from McKinsey in the Sports/Entertainment sector. Includes detailed problem prompt, clarifying questions, structured framework, and expert recommendation. Part of ProHub's 835+ consulting case library.

ProHub Comment

This case tests the candidate's ability to diagnose profitability issues in a sports business through a revenue vs. cost framework. The critical insight is recognizing that the client explicitly does not want cost-cutting solutions, which forces focus onto revenue growth—specifically ticket pricing optimization. The quantitative component requires basic profit margin calculations and price elasticity analysis.

Estimated Time 28 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source Duke
67 / 100
The year is 2013. Your client is a large New York based professional baseball team, the New York Shmankees. The owner, Baby Ruth is by no means cheap, and has a reputation for over-paying for some of the teams’ players. Baby Ruth has communicated to our firm that he has little desire to change that moving forward. However, there has been a decrease in the profit margins of the team over the last two regular seasons, and Baby Ruth has engaged your firm for help. What key factors would you look at?

Clarifying Information

  1. Client/Company information: This is the only team Baby Ruth owns. The Shmankees are a US-based professional baseball team out of New York City. They compete in the MLB (not the minor leagues) as a member of the AL East Division. The team has been around since 1901 and has won 27 World Series Titles, more than any other team.
  2. Industry/Competition information: There are 30 MLB baseball teams, and the profitability of the other teams has been mixed.
  3. Revenue Information: Ticket Sales, Media Rights, Sponsorships, Memorabilia, Concessions.
  4. If Interviewee asks, they should only focus on regular season profit margins. For simplicity of the case ignore post-season.
  5. Objective: Return Profit Margin to the level it was in 2009.
Mock Interview
Interviewer

The year is 2013. Your client is a large New York based professional baseball team, the New York Shmankees. The owner, Baby Ruth is by no means cheap, and has a reputation for over-paying for some of the teams' players. Baby Ruth has communicated to our firm that he has little desire to change that moving forward. However, there has been a decrease in the profit margins of the team over the last two regular seasons, and Baby Ruth has engaged your firm for help. What key factors would you look at?

You

Thanks. Before analyzing, I'd like to clarify a few key questions...

Interviewer

Good question. Let me provide some background information...

You

Based on this, I suggest analyzing from these dimensions...

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The New York Shmankees baseball team has experienced declining profit margins from 10% (2009) to 5% (2012-2013). The owner refuses cost-cutting measures, so the solution requires revenue optimization, primarily through ticket price increases from $30 to $50 per ticket, which restores the 10% profit margin target while accounting for demand elasticity.

Key Insights:

  1. Recognize client constraints early: Baby Ruth’s refusal to cut costs eliminates half the solution space and should redirect analysis to revenue levers
  2. Profit margin analysis: Calculate baseline 2009 margin (10%) and compare to 2012 (5%) to establish clear quantitative target
  3. Price elasticity matters: Higher ticket prices reduce attendance but increase total revenue when elasticity is favorable—the $50 price point maximizes profit despite lower volume
  4. Multi-revenue stream consideration: Ticket prices are just one revenue source; acknowledge how stadium traffic changes affect concessions, merchandise, and media value
  5. Risk acknowledgment: Present trade-offs including long-term fan loyalty, PR concerns, and player morale impacts of a less-full stadium

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