05/28/19: Indy 500 gasses NBC's numbers

Good morning. It’s Tuesday May 28, 2019 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

NBC Sports’ maiden voyage with the Indianapolis 500 proved fruitful as the broadcast network drew a Total Audience Delivery of 5.446 million viewers, up 11% in viewership over last year’s race and marking the event’s top draw in three years, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics as Team Penske’s Simon Pagenaud edged out Andretti Autosports’ Alexander Rossi in a thrilling finish. NBC’s TV-only viewership averaged 5.414 million viewers and delivered a 3.43 household rating. Digitally, the 103rd Indianapolis 500 is now NBC Sports’ most-streamed INDYCAR race ever, setting records with 161,000 uniques, 8.4 million live minutes, and an Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 31,700 viewers.

PROGRAMMING

With the Warriors and Raptors emerging as conference champions, the NBA Finals open on Thursday at 9p on ABC, with NBA Countdown preceding coverage for weeknight games at 8:30p. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke return to call this year’s event. In addition to the game broadcasts, ESPN will have its largest presence yet at the NBA Finals this year with more shows and personnel on site than ever before, according to the company with NBA Countdown, The Jump, Hoop Streams, SportsCenter, First Take, The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPN Radio all hitting the road.

On-demand streaming service DAZN picked up rights to carry MLS games in six international markets, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Brazil for four seasons and running to 2022. “MLS has a growing global audience and this agreement means we will continue to build that fandom around the world,” said DAZN chief commercial officer Jacopo Tonoli. “Our multi-sport OTT proposition puts fans first, so for one affordable monthly fee, and no long-term contract, they can enjoy a huge variety of the best sport on any device, anywhere.”

A month ahead of the host city election, the IOC released the report by the Evaluation Commission 2026 assessing Stockholm-Åre and Milan-Cortina as candidates for the 2026 Winter Games. “Both projects prioritize legacy and sustainability by capitalizing on winter sports tradition and experience, with first-rate, established World Cup venues, knowledgeable and passionate fans, volunteers and event organizers,” said Chair of the Evaluation Commission, Octavian Morariu. “They have fully embedded the Olympic Agenda 2020 philosophy, and have athletes at the center of their plans.”

The ATP and the Laver Cup announced a deal to make the event an annual part of the tour’s calendar. The agreement gives the event, now approaching its third competition in Geneva, Switzerland this September, access to ATP services, including marketing and social media, along with operational personnel such as officials and physios.

The Chicago Cubs’ new TV network, Marquee Sports Network, is reportedly looking to cost $4 a month to audiences, according to the Chicago Tribune. The network, which is scheduled to launch in February, will be the exclusive local TV home of Cubs games.

The college sports community mourns the loss of famed Auburn sports announcer Rod Bramblett and his wife, Paula, who died following a car crash on Saturday. Bramblett was the voice of Auburn football, starting his career at the university in 1993.

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Cynopsis Measurement & Data Conference

Tuesday, June 11 | 11:30AM – 5PM | CNVS, NYC

Don’t miss your chance to hear executives from these companies tackle today’s most significant measurement challenges: a4, A+E, Bain, CIMM, Dentsu Aegis, Ernst & Young, Google, Hulu, IAB, Kantar, MRC, NBCU, Omnicom, Publicis, Turner, TVB, USIM, Warner Bros. and more .

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Mastercard is partnering with two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, adding the current number one tennis player to its roster of global ambassadors. She becomes the first professional tennis player to wear the Mastercard logo – on her visor – in competition. “Naomi is the next generation of tennis greatness and we’re thrilled to support her quest to be the best tennis player in the world,” said Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, Mastercard. “As Asia’s first world number one player, she is an inspiration not just to her fans in Japan and the region, but to young girls and boys the world over. We see our relationship as an opportunity for us to enable her – as a consumer and our brand ambassador – to experience all the security and convenience of our payment products and services.”

The NHL is bringing back its Stanley Cup Live Facebook show, which first aired last year on Facebook Live, for another season with presenting sponsor, New Amsterdam Vodka. This year, Stanley Cup Live presented by New Amsterdam Vodka, will also be simulcast via a livestream on Twitter.

DIGITAL, DATA & STREAMING

Speaking of the NHL, Ticketmaster and the National Hockey League secured a decade-long extension to their partnership as the official marketplace of the NHL, which will include bringing the new venue and ticketing technology to NHL events. Through its ongoing partnership with the League, Ticketmaster will continue to provide NHL fans with the best inventory selections via Ticketmaster.com/nhl and the NHL Ticket Exchange. Ticketmaster will also expand its role in ticketing-related aspects of event planning and execution for marquee NHL events including the NHL Winter Classic, NHL All-Star Weekend, NHL Stadium Series, and others. As part of the renewal, the NHL will leverage Ticketmaster Presence, the next-generation digital ticketing and access control platform, in NHL arenas next season.

ESPORTS

Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer is moving from Junkertown to Junk Junction, announcing his departure from Activision Blizzard this week, while Epic Games confirmed to media that he would join their company to oversee esports for its games, including Fortnite. “Hey Overwatch League family,” Nanzer posted on Twitter on Friday. “I wanted to share that soon I will be leaving Blizzard for a new opportunity. This has been the toughest decision of my life, because it means I won’t get to work with the best staff, players, teams, owners, partners, and fans in esports anymore. “I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of what we’ve all accomplished together. It has been the honor of my life to have been part of the team that helped build the league of #breakthrough, #BurnBlue, #pdomjnate, #CaptureHistory, #OWL2019, and many more.” Pete Vlastelica, who oversees all of Activision Blizzard’s esports products, will step in as Nanzer’s replacement.

League of Legends Esports unveiled Pro View, a new premium viewing experience that will be available for the Summer Split of the LCS & LEC and allow fans to spectate the individual players of their choice during competitive League of Legends matches. Revenue from Pro View will be shared with partnered teams competing in the leagues. Additional features within the Pro View Package include:

Multiview: Watch up to four synchronized streams (POV or main event) at once during live games and VODs
Advanced Timeline: Kills, tower takedowns and other big plays are marked right on the timeline, and clicking a marker jumps to that moment in the game
Watch With Friends: Share a personalized Pro View URL to synchronize your timeline with friends

Bandai Namco Entertainment announced that Astro Gaming signed on to become the official audio sponsor of the Tekken World Tour and would be doubling the $100,000 prize pool for the series for the Tekken World Tour Finals in Bangkok later this year. In addition, Astro Gaming will sponsor an online tournament series titled the Astro Path to Tekken Masters.

Tomorrow sees the Clash Royale League West open its 2019 Season at the OGN Super Arena in Manhattan Beach. CRL West competition will include some of the world’s most elite esports organizations, including Team Queso, Team Liquid, Tribe Gaming, Complexity, Immortals, Misfits Gaming, SK Gaming, Fnatic, Dignitas, NRG, paiN Gaming, and Cream Esports. Matches will air on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays on the Clash Royale Esports YouTube Channel.

INDUSTRY/ROSTER MOVES

The ITF announced an agreement with the ATP and the WTA designed to optimize the structure of men’s and women’s professional tennis and provide additional competitive opportunities and “a clear and fair pathway for talented players.” The agreement includes the allocation of ATP and WTA ranking points at $15,000 ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments, additional ranking points at men’s $25,000 tournaments, as well as increased playing opportunities with 48-player qualifying singles draws.

THE MAIN EVENT

Cardinals/Phillies on MLB Network at 6:30p.

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<<< Just announced >>>

Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards Gala

September 9 | 5:45PM – 8PM | Tribeca Rooftop, NYC

Join us Monday night, September 9th to honor the outstanding contributions by women in every facet of the media industry — TV, digital/tech, esports, sports, marketing and more. These are the women making bold decisions at every level – from corporate visionaries to rising stars — driving their businesses forward.

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ON THIS DAY in 1968: The San Diego Padres are granted a franchise.

In the Know: Which two teams have the Padres played in the World Series? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: What is the name of the trophy presented to the winner of the Indianapolis 500? Answer: The Borg-Warner Trophy. Kudos: Jonny Codalata-CSM Sport & Entertainment/Indianapolis; Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/Harrisburg; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Mike May-PHIT America/Wellington; Kyle Krebs-NBC5/Telemundo39/Dallas-Ft. Worth; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Rich Wolfe-Lone Wolfe Press/Scottsdale; Lawrence Fan-San Jose State University Athletics/San Jose; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank; Brian Robin-Pechanga Resort Casino/Temecula; Nick Monroe-Monroe Photography / San Diego

Later — Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Kerry Smith Division President Access Intelligence Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina 203-218-6480 Albert Nassour 917-545-3129	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

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MARKETING MGR/CLEAR CHANNEL OUTDOOR/NYC: work closely w/sales team to develop and lead dynamic media presentations to grow our client partnerships across the NE region NY specific. 3-5 yrs mktg and/or Advertising experience. Media experience preferred. Full info and apply HERE (6/11)

WRITER/E! People’s Choice Awards (E!)/Universal City: Write daily articles for PCA’s website on E! Online. Voting preparation in coord w/mktg on categories, celebs selection, voting tool entry & updating nominee’s lists. Min 1yr prior writing and/or editing exp pref an online ent news org. Strong knwldg pop culter ent news. Full info HERE (6/7)

MEDIA MGR, NATIONAL ACCOUNTS/Ad Council/NYC: Responsible for building/managing relationships w/existing & potential media partners that will help us drive impact for Ad Council’s 40+ social impact campaigns. Prospect new business w/a focus on growth areas such as streaming audio, OTT & new video platforms etc. Full info/apply HERE (6/6)

SALES PLANNER/UP TV/NYC: Resp. for dev/implementing media proposals and working directly with Acct Execs. and Pricing & Planning. College deg. & 1+ yrs cable exp. in ad sales ind. Strong Microsoft Office & DealMaker skills a +. Good comm, interpersonal & organzt’l skills. Send Resume: HERE (6/6)

SR SYSTEMS ENGINEER/GSN/SM: 8+ yrs. Active Directory, Azure, VMWare, Veeam, Office 365, Power Shell, OS: Server 2012, 2016, Windows 10, Mac OS, Storage Area Networks, telephony, network routing, and switching, OS and network security. Lead and mentor other Engineers and IT staff. Full info and to apply HERE (6/5)

PROJECT MANAGER/WideOrbit/NYC: Partner closely w/clients, overseeing large, complex implementation projects. 5+ yrs exp managing/delivering enterprise software or IT projects, Media indstry exp, Knwldg of proposal & inv mngmnt systems used by nat’l cable networks is highly desirable. Full info HERE (6/5)

FREELANCE STRATEGIC PLANNING & OPS COORDINATOR/Nickelodeon Velocity/NY: Support VP in all strategic planning ops, communications & training initiatives for Nick team that dvlps custom mktg campaigns for Advertising partners. Proactive/strategic thinker with excellent comm skills. 2-4 yrs of mktg or strategy plan’g exp. Full info HERE (6/4)

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BRAND DIRECTOR/NBC 7 & TELEMUNDO/San Diego: Ensure all platforms are consistent with the overall voice and tone of our stations’ images. BA deg or equivalent work exp. Min 5 yrs of mktg, brand development, or creative prod exp. Working knowledge of editing platforms, final cut pro. Full info HERE (5/31)

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CBS SPORTS SENIOR WRITER/PRODUCER, ON-AIR PROMOTION/NYC: Write/produce all wkly promos for CBS Sports with particular knowledge of NFL, College Football, NCAA BB Tournament, PGA & the Masters. Pressure player with superior conceptual skills. Min 7 yrs exp as promo producer req’d. Full info HERE (5/30)

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