01/09/19: Clemson's title produced big numbers for ESPN

Good morning. It’s Wednesday January 9, 2019 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama-Clemson, despite not being competitive on the field, held, the attention of millions on ESPN’s networks. The game scored cable’s highest overnight in 12 months (January 8, 2018 – January 7, 2019), as Clemson’s victory earned a 14.6 overnight across ESPN’s presentation. The CFP National Championship rating peaked at a 16.2 overnight in the first half when the Tigers extended their lead to 15 points. Birmingham led the way among local markets, with an impressive 56.6 overnight.

ON THE AIR

The overall numbers from NFL Wild Card weekend were a continued sign of the NFL’s value as a property. The Indianapolis at Houston game on ABC+ESPN+ESPND averaged 22.8M viewers; Seattle at Dallas on FOX+FOXD averaged 29.5M viewers; the LA Chargers at Baltimore game on CBS averaged 25.4M viewers and the Philadelphia at Chicago game on NBC averaged 35.9M viewers. Overall, the 2019 Wild Card average across four games was 28.4M viewers, up +12% respectively versus last year’s 2018 Wild Card average (25.3M viewers).

The ESPN networks will televise 31 matches during the 2019 Major League Soccer regular season. Twenty-five matches will air on ESPN and six will air on ESPN2. ESPN Deportes will offer Spanish-language coverage of all 31 matches; all matches will be streamed live on the ESPN App. In addition, ESPN+, the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN, returns as the exclusive home of MLS out-of-market games. ESPN’s schedule kicks off Sunday, March 3, with a doubleheader featuring the 2018 MLS Cup champion Atlanta United.

NBC Sports announced its full slate of Motorsports coverage, fueled by the network’s new media rights agreements with INDYCAR and International Motor Sports Association. They will have more than 1,500 hours of coverage spanning NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, Mecum Auctions, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Monster Jam, and more.

The NBA will premiere a new spot ahead of the Saturday primetime games on ABC, which begin on Jan. 19, featuring theme song “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” by Grammy-nominated rock band Panic! at the Disco. As part of the league’s fourth installment of the This Is Why We Play campaign, the spot highlights former players, celebrities and fans, including Hall of Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Grammy-nominated hip hop artist and Houston native Travis Scott, sports personality Rachel DeMita and social media influencer Famous Los, sharing what they think makes for a memorable Saturday night.

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2019 Cynopsis TV Awards

Wednesday, FEB. 6^th | NYC

In addition to our talented TV Awards finalists and Rising Star honorees, we’re proud to announce that one of the industry’s most distinguished executives, Henry Schleiff, Group President of Discovery, will be receiving the prestigious Luminary Award. Don’t miss this gathering of television’s best and brightest!

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Barilla will return to the Australian Open this year after a successful debut at the tournament in 2018. As part of the deal, Barilla’s Masters of Pasta restaurant will also return to the Vineyard precinct of the Grand Slam Oval. Twenty-time grand slam winner Roger Federer will be back as Barilla’s Official “Masters of Pasta” Ambassador.

Vikings star Adam Thielen is partnering with Hormel Chili on a brand-new promotion that will send a pair of fans to the Super Bowl next year in Miami. Thielen gained even wider recognition on and off the field with entertaining touchdown celebrations, and Hormel wants to build off of that excitement by challenging fans nationwide to come up with their very own “Chili Dip Touchdown Dance.” Through Sunday, Feb. 3rd, fans will be encouraged to submit their best Chili Dip Touchdown Dance via social media by tagging @HormelChili on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter incorporating a can of Hormel Chili and using the hashtag #ChiliDipDanceContest for judging. Hormel Foods will select one Grand Prize winner.

Intel unveiled a partnership with Alibaba in which the two IOC TOP sponsors will collaborate on 3D athlete tracking technology slated to debut at the ’20 Tokyo Games. The partnership will combine Alibaba cloud computing with Intel hardware and AI, creating a video-based system to analyze athletes’ real-time biomechanics. The new alignment builds upon prior collaborations Intel and Alibaba had during the ’18 Pyeongchang Games.

The Players’ Tribune has teamed up with insurance and financial services company, MassMutual to launch a new video series titled, Stories of Mentors and Mutuality. Episodes will explore the stories of eight athletes and the people they relied on to become the leading sports figures they are today.

NHL legend Martin Brodeur is back in full pads as part of a new ad campaign for Enterprise. The campaign consists of a TV spot as well as digital shorts debuting this month. The television ads will feature Brodeur – who appeared in a similar campaign in 2017 – in a quick-hitting series of scenarios that highlight Enterprise’s range of services.

DIGITAL AND STREAMING

HTC VIVE announced new hardware, software, and content offerings including VIVE Pro Eye, a new headset with built-in eye tracking, the high-end VR experience from VIVE Pro just got even better. Vive Pro will have integrated eye tracking – giving users new levels of accessibility, including gaze-oriented menu navigation and removing the need for controllers. With the inclusion of eye tracking, the new Vive Pro Eye will allow businesses and developers to gather more data about their training environments, help optimize computer and VR performance, and offer product design and research groups unprecedented levels of feedback. Major League Baseball debuted eye tracking this week into the “MLB Home Run Derby VR” video game experience, allowing users full menu control without a traditional controller. Fans can experience the new Vive Pro Eye starting in 2019.

San Francisco-based Scrum Ventures and Japan’s Dentsu’s Sports Tech Tokyo, launched in November of 2018, announced the first 14 companies accepted into its program. The initial wave of companies can apply and potentially benefit from new funding opportunities and exposure in the Asian region. The Sports Tech Tokyo program’s overall goal is to provide emerging sports tech companies a gateway to the sports-biz’ under-served, but highly passionate Asian sports market.

FOX Sports, the official FIFA World Cup U.S. broadcast rights-holder through 2026, and Twitter, announced an expanded relationship for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019. The FIFA World Cup NOW show returns as FIFA Women’s World Cup NOW, live from Paris every match day, broadcasting exclusively on Twitter in the United States. The show features FOX Sports’ roster of bold experts and personalities, plus more highlights and fan interaction. During live matches, FOX Sports’ Twitter feeds will again post every tournament goal just moments after it is scored. Pre-tournament content is new to this year’s agreement, offering one-of-a-kind access to the U.S. Women’s National team’s SheBelieves Cup journey in March.

Audio continues to rise. ESPN announced its podcast business compiled 411 million IAB Certified downloads, as measured by Blubrry, an increase of 43% over the previous year. The most downloaded show was The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, with more than 91 million IAB Certified downloads. On the heels of this success, the Le Batard and Friends Podcast Network will be launching in early 2019 with new shows. First Take was next with more than 31 million IAB Certified downloads. Among original podcasts, 538: Politics enjoyed another strong year with more than 26 million, followed by Fantasy Focus Football with more than 21 million. The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast was the year’s biggest mover, increasing downloads 250% while 30 for 30, First Take and ESPN FC all more than doubled downloads.

ESPORTS

Nintendo is launching Splatoon 2, a new website to help fans find a competitive team and take part in future tournaments hosted by the company. The website is only open to those in Europe, with no U.S. version at this time. Players can learn strategic tips about the game on the website. The company partnered with the Japanese professional baseball scene to create an esports league last year and is currently preparing for the EU championship finals.

Alienware was named the Official Competition PC and display partner for the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), as well as in four international competitions: NA vs EU Rift Rivals, the Mid-Season Invitational, the World Championship, and the All-Star Event.

Fortnite Summer Smash at the Australian Open is scheduled for Jan. 26-27 during finals weekend at the Australian Open 2019. Top Fortnite players in Australia will compete with 100 personalities from the sports, entertainment and gaming worlds in a ProAm duos tournament for$350K+ (U.S.) in combined prize money and charitable donations.

TCL, The Creative Life, announced it will return as the official TV of the Call of Duty World League (CWL), the esports league for the world’s top Call of Duty esports players. As an official partner, TCL will be featured in tournament broadcasts, as well as have branding in original Call of Duty World League programming. TCL will also engage with fans through on-site gaming lounges at Fort Worth, TX, Anaheim, CA, and CWL Finals, as well as the Call of Duty World Championship in August.

ROSTER MOVES

The recipients of the NBA Team Sales & Marketing 2019 Awards were announced at the league’s annual sales and marketing meetings in Miami. All 30 teams were invited to submit a nomination in each category for awards recognizing leaders and innovators across key areas with a committee of league and team experts choosing the winners. The Atlanta Hawks received the NBA Inclusion Leadership Award, the Sacramento Kings earned the NBA Inclusion Innovation Award, and the LA Clippers were honored with the NBA Team Innovation Award.

In addition, Garrick Amos, Vice President of Season Ticket Memberships and Assistant General Manager for the Miami Heat and American Airlines Arena, was the recipient of the Pete Winemiller Guest Experience Innovation Award and Junior Moyo, Manager of Marketing Partnerships for the Philadelphia 76ers, was recognized with the Values of the Game Award.

The WNBA L.A. Sparks named Clippers Dir of Business Operations Danita Johnson President & COO, effective immediately.

THE MAIN EVENT

The Nashville Predators visit the Chicago Blackhawks at 8:00 pm on NBCSN

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ON THIS DAY in 1903 Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase the American League’s Baltimore baseball franchise for $18,000 and move it to NYC (later the NY Yankees).

In the Know: With CES taking place in Las Vegas this week, we ask: Who was voted the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four for the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ only men’s national basketball championship? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: The Golden State Warriors will move back to San Francisco to play in the new Chase Center next fall. What building did the Warriors first play in when they relocated from Philadelphia to the Bay Area? Answer: The Cow Palace Kudos to: Chris Dougan, Genius Sports, Rich Wolfe, Lone Wolfe Press, Kyle Helm, CBS Sports, Andy Pittman TAMU, Dave Sikula, Christian Matthews Washington Redskins, Roger Furman, Brian Ricco, MultiVision Media, Denis Barry CBS, Rick Pike InterMedia Advertising, Matt Meachem Gracenote, and Tom Moore Kalt Productions.

Later — Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
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