Few of these people have radios or TVs on their desks. But they all have computers. Which is why big-name companies now pay Wagner and Cuban to broadcast announcements, product releases, and seminars to employees, customers, suppliers, and reporters. Sure, people are passionate about listening to sports. But companies are just as passionate about talking up their businesses.
Sales is everything.
Indeed, Cuban is a sales fanatic. Cuban wants the company to have 100 salespeople by the end of 1998 and 200 by the end of 1999. The fastest way to block others from entering your market is to strike exclusive deals for programming and distribution. Today Wagner and Cuban control the rights to Web broadcasts of Major League Baseball, NCAA basketball, and NHL hockey. They have Web rights to continuous feeds from more than 310 radio stations.