With the endless agony of the NFL exhibition schedule, and the open field on Thursday in Inglewood, there’s a lot of chatter about who is billed as a potential Super Bowl winner. Vegas has him as a money-line favorite. I couldn’t think of a fan base that deserved more of this (like Bills fans needing an excuse to escape western New York to Arizona in February).
“Public squabbles will eventually ruin football; there is no doubt that it is hurting us already” – Pete Rozelle, former NFL commissioner.
Welcome to the top of the football pyramid, on the field and professionally. Tomorrow’s NFL kickoff game completes a full circle for Sophie Stadium, going from hosting the Super Bowl at the end of last season to lifting the opening curtain on 2022.
It begins with a Jay Balvin concert at Alamitos Beach in downtown Long Beach, about 21 miles from Inglewood. Activated this season by NFL corporate patrons will include more than 70 football-themed TV spots from 41 sponsors and licensees, said Tracy Rodberg, NFL SVP/Sponsorship Management, last year (with pre-Covid levels). More than.
Activations at the NFL Kickoff Experience in Long Beach will include Verizon, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Snickers, Smirnoff, Invisline, EA, Bread Financial and Pepsi. Various community efforts by Campbell, Little Caesars, Lowe’s and Verizon will also be underscored.
It’s also instructive to see the activism from new sponsors. Gallo’s plans, run by Wasserman, will largely support the Barefoot Vine brand and will be supported with massive point-of-sale displays, along with TV broadcast enhancements.
Neofight sponsor Little Caesars has Rams QB Matt Stafford front and center as pitchman. The pizza brand will also use its most available form of media in support of its new rights, as more than 120 million Little Caesars pizza boxes will be carrying NFL imagery over the course of the season.
Gallo will use POS activation heavily for its Barefoot Wine brand
New league sponsor Little Caesars will put NFL marks on its pizza boxes
According to industry sources, for the past three years, NBA CMO Kate Jhaveri has been leaving the league for another job.
A senior marketer for the NBA team said the league has started looking for a new CMO. Where Jhaveri is going, nothing can be said on this. Prior to joining the NBA, she was the CMO at Twitch and held marketing titles at Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft and Dell. Jhaveri’s departure means the NBA is now looking for its third CMO in less than four years.
Jhaveri was awarded SBJ Game Changers in 2021.
Jhaveri entered the NBA with marketing at several technical organizations
Unibet, the Eagles’ first casino sponsor, which it signed initially in 2019, has renewed its deal with the team. New activities include a branded sports bar/virtual betting lounge at Lincoln Financial Field.
Unibet Landing, which measures approximately 1,500 square feet and is located on the main stadium grounds, will feature high-top tables and five large-screen TVs. Customers will be encouraged to place bets through the Unibet app, as there will be no kiosks or windows. It will be open to the public (21 and over) during home games starting on the 19 September “Monday Night Football” contest versus the Vikings.
DraftKings and FanDuel are other sports betting sponsors of the Eagles.
Unibet wants fans to adopt its betting app in a new location
Bluetooth speaker and headphone marketer Altec Lansing is adding the Pistons to an expanded sponsorship roster that already includes the Red Sox, Marlins, Giants, Cardinals and Twins within MLB, as well as the NHL’s Rangers and the NFL’s Giants.
Activation details are incomplete, but the agreement will include a tie-in with In-Arena DJ. The Heritage Consumer Electronics brand was bought over a decade ago by Infinity Lifestyle Brands. With a crowded market for popular items like earbuds and Bluetooth speakers, Altec Lansing is using the game to update its image.
“Most audiophiles understood the brand and we want to connect with Millennials and a younger generation who should be aware of the meaning and value of the brand,” said Ike Franco, Infinity Co-Founder and Principal. where they congregate and so it has been a successful strategy.”
Altec is growing its sports portfolio to gain exposure with youth performances
The funeral of America’s longtime PGA and NFL executive Kevin Carter took place last week in Jupiter, Fla. Carter, the former chief business officer of the PGA, recently died of a heart attack at the age of 59.
Carter was also an NFL marketer for 12 years, rising to the position of director of sales and marketing for consumer products.
Industry execs participating in the service include former NFL Licensing Chief Leo Kane, Under Armor SVP David Baxter, Legends VP/Retail Merchandising and Licensing Mike Loparo, former UA and NBA execs Matt Mirchin and former NFL Licensing Directors Jennifer Gray and Tom Weiner. Were.
Carter has four children: Lexi, Brett, Stephanie (Justin) and Katherine. An additional service will be held this Saturday afternoon at the Kalas Funeral Home in Edgewater, MD.
- According to an analysis by SBJ Atlas’ Derrick Moss, health care and pharma brands are at the forefront of MLS team sponsorship agreements with a total of 55 deals, followed by dining (52) and financial services (52). The top five are food (45) and technology (38).
- My colleague Eric Pricebell looked at Len Komorowski’s industry impact this week. When Komorowski arrived with the Eagles in the early ’90s, he was in the midst of strong winds of change. His fingerprints were on a multimillion-dollar naming-rights deal for a new training facility, a 20-year/$140 million stadium naming-rights agreement with Lincoln Financial Group, and the construction of a sophisticated NBA-style front office. .