By Keith Regan E-Commerce Times
10/02/02 11:40 AM PT
The sports site launch came as published reports indicated AOL is holding internal discussions about moving onto some of eBay's fixed-price selling turf.
How Much is 'Free' Costing You? Learn how DaveRamsey.com saw a 567% uplift in ROI with Omniture. This complimentary guide and webinar cover the most important factors in selecting an analytics solution. Download Now.
EBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) has launched a sports-themed section on its auction site, combining existing memorabilia, ticketing and experiences, sporting goods and licensed merchandise pages into a single section that it says will generate US$1 billion in sales this year.
Combined, the categories that make up the new eBaySports section generated $750 million in gross sales in 2001, eBay said, making it one of the company’s fastest-growing business areas.
Bob Hebeler, general manager of the site, said eBay sells as much sports merchandise on any given day as any major sports-themed retailer but offers an "equal playing field" by giving small retailers and individuals access to a worldwide audience.
Good Deeds
EBay said its sports site will continue to feature regular charity auctions, such as a recent auction in which a chance to play golf with Tiger Woods sold for more than $400,000.
The growth of sports sales will be just one piece of a massive puzzle eBay must assemble in order to meet aggressive growth projections.
Morningstar.com analyst Mark Sellers told the E-Commerce Times that while eBay has a strong track record of profits, it has to "keep growing at a breakneck pace while improving profitability" to meet its own goals.
Friend or Foe?
The sports site launch came as published reports indicated AOL is holding internal discussions about moving onto some of eBay's fixed-price selling turf.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that AOL, while prohibited by a partnership with eBay from expanding its auction business, may try to become a sales agent as it seeks to replace lost advertising revenues.
AOL spokesperson Nicholas Graham said the company has no comment on the report, which claimed AOL is developing a marketplace that will be based on sales commissions, a shift away from its current arrangement in which retailers rent space at AOL's shopping destination.
Thanks, Pal
Meanwhile, eBay got good news about its soon-to-be-consummated acquisition of PayPal. The online payment company announced it has passed the 20 million-member mark, doubling the size of its registered membership base in a year.
PayPal chief operating officer David Sacks also noted that PayPal is on track to pass another milestone within the next two weeks: It will have processed $10 billion worth of payments since it launched three years ago.
The Tech Industry's Bright Spots October 02, 2002
Consumers have shown signs that they are ready to take a break from spending on technology -- but they are still purchasing DVD players.
Related Stories
Report: Amazon, eBay Not the Biggest Threat September 20, 2002
While shoppers who visited Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and JCPenney.com also visited Amazon in large numbers, just small percentages clicked to the e-tail giant's site within 10 minutes, suggesting they were not comparison shopping.
EBay Says Land Sales Strong September 05, 2002
Some analysts say that e-commerce firms' difficult experiences with online real estate suggest that the sector is not an easy one in which to turn a profit.
EBay-PayPal Marriage Gets Regulatory Green Light August 20, 2002
Once the deal closes, eBay will emerge with PayPal in a different competitive landscape,
especially as several other large companies have been reconfiguring their online payment
systems.
EBay Poised To Sell Butterfields Auction Division August 01, 2002
The sale would not mean that eBay is giving up on auctions of high-priced goods. In
February, the company signed a deal with Sotheby's to operate live auctions for that company.
Yahoo Slaps Fresh Coat of Gloss on Microsoft Deal Defense June 30, 2008
With its shareholders meeting set to take place in less than five weeks, Yahoo has put together a 32-page presentation, emphasizing why the investors should vote to keep the current board in place. The company also reiterated why it chose to partner with Google instead of letting Microsoft buy part of it.
French Court Stings eBay With $63M Judgment Over Knockoff Sales June 30, 2008
eBay is planning to appeal a ruling by a French court that ordered it to pay $63 million to the luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey. The court also barred the online auctioneer from selling four brands of perfume on its Web sites accessible in France.
New Auto Loan Leads Marketplace Shifts Into Drive June 30, 2008
Reply.com's move into the auto finance market is a logical one the company, as automotive advertising spending is moving online in increasingly greater amounts. The company is partnering with the Detroit Trading Company to create a massive repository of auto finance leads online.
Headline Feeds
in 2001, eBay said, making it one of the company’s fastest-growing business areas.
Talkback: 
