01/30/20: Barstool gets elevated

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Penn National Gaming is buying in on Barstool Sports Inc., picking up a minority share of the company for $163 million. The 36% stake would give Penn National exclusive rights to use the Barstool brand in its sports-betting products with plans to increase its stake to around 50% for a payment of $62 million in future years, per the WSJ. Penn National and Barstool have options that would increase the casino company’s stake to control or full ownership.

PROGRAMMING

FOX Sports is serving up Super Bowl LIV on an Ultra High Definition (UHD), High Dynamic Range (HDR) platter for the first time ever. The production will be available through the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps via select 4K streaming devices. In addition, the UHD broadcast will be available through several FOX Sports distributors, including DIRECTV, DISH, Comcast Xfinity X1, Altice Optimum, Verizon FIOS and FuboTV. UHD/HDR content will include the FOX NFL Kickoff Show (1-2p), FOX NFL Super Bowl Pregame Show (2-6p) as well as the game itself at 6p, including the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Terry Bradshaw is bringing The Bradshaw Bunch to E!, which greenlit a docueseries about the former QB and current FOX Sports personality that will air later this summer. The description reads: “From real-life hijinks to juggling football, fame and farm life, unpredictable hilarity ensues as Bradshaw and family gives viewers a peek into rural living in Oklahoma. Alongside his playful and pranking wife Tammy, entrepreneurial and talented daughters Rachel, Lacey and Erin, and his loveable grandkids, the four-time Super Bowl Champion Quarterback and true country boy finds his most important job is father to his three kids.”

Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca and pay-TV operator Televisa unveiled plans to deliver this year’s Olympic Games in a new deal. Coverage out of Tokyo will run on Azteca7 in the country, with Televisa showcasing top competition and the opening and closing ceremonies. The deal covers digital rights on an exclusive basis in Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Speaking of Mexico, the NFL confirmed plans to return to the country for one game in each of the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The date and time of the 2020 Mexico City game, along with the details of the NFL’s 2020 London games, will be determined in conjunction with the release of the NFL schedule this spring. The continued success and growth of the NFL’s Mexico initiative is further testament to the league’s commitment to growing the game beyond the borders of the United States.

ESPN carries the 2009 ESPN Films and Spike Lee collaboration Kobe Doin’ Work, tonight at 7 in honor of the Laker icon. The documentary is an 84-minute exploration of “Kobe Bryant’s work ethic, his in-game mentality and the bluntness that made him a great competitor.” Spike Lee and 30 cameras were given access to his life for one day during the 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season. Kobe: Doin’ Work premiered on ESPN on May 16, 2009.

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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

Once again catching up on the lineup of Super Bowl activation… Pepsi unveiled its music-video inspired Super Bowl commercial featuring Missy Elliott and breakout artist H.E.R. The 30-second spot features Missy and H.E.R. writing and collaborating for the first time ever on a new, reimagined version of the song, “Paint it Black.” The new track was co-produced by Missy and long-time collaborator Timbaland, and features guitar and vocals by H.E.R.

Audi is hitting the big game with the message, “In order to change where we’re going, we need to let go of the past.” The campaign will run during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s broadcast, featuring Game of Throne’s Maisie Williams behind the wheel of an Audi e-tron Sportback and offering her interpretation of the hit song “Let It Go.” The ad was created by global partner agency 72andSunny Amsterdam, and marks Audi’s eleventh appearance advertising during the Big Game.

Finally, Doritos will put the spotlight for the first time on the Cool Ranch flavor in a 60-second 2020 Doritos Super Bowl commercial, running in the third quarter, and featuring Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus teaming with Sam Elliott in a dance battle for a bag of the chips. Fans will have the chance to join the battle online with a “first-of-its-kind dance app” called Sway, which scans your body and augments it over data of a professional dancer, allowing you to do all the moves from the commercial.

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

ShotTracker and Learfield IMG College are teaming up in a move to proliferate ShotTracker’s sensor-based system. As a result of the partnership, schools can integrate the technology into their app or website, giving fans access to the same data coaches are seeing. Officially approved by the NCAA, ShotTracker already has relationships with more than 30 Division I Basketball programs, including 22 Power 5 schools and the entire Mountain West Conference.

Meanwhile, Digital Seat Media and Learfield IMG College cemented a multi-year relationship designed to improve fan experience and increase engagement with sponsors at live collegiate sporting events. As part of this relationship, Digital Seat’s platform will be installed at select college venues nationwide, such as Virginia Tech, UConn and SMU. Digital Seat Media’s platform utilizes uniquely programmed digital tags that deliver custom content – all the way down to the individual seat level – as opposed to the traditional method of delivering static content to each fan at an event.

The Philadelphia Flyers announced the launch of their brand new Flyers Broadcast Network, a suite of Flyers-focused digital audio content available to listeners and fans for the first time ever. The network, available to listen now at FlyersBroadcastsNetwork.com, includes five new exclusive podcasts and the team’s round-the-clock livestream Flyers Radio 24/7.

ESPORTS

In this week’s edition of Cynopsis Esports…
· 100 Thieves’ Halftime Show
· Spying on CDL’s first date with YouTube
· ESL Pro League takes 24
· B Site warms up
· Super Bowl’s esports energies
· LCS’ opening numbers
· Rogue welcomes s8n
· Atari’s hospitality play

THE MAIN EVENT

Jazz/Nuggets on TNT at 10:30p.

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On This Day
1924: The first Winter Olympics is held.

In the Know
Which team once scored 35 points in a single quarter in the Super Bowl? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Super Bowl XLV saw an appearance by a mini-Darth Vader in a spot for what brand? Answer: Volkswagen. Kudos: Karen Van Vleet-Scout 360/Horizon/NY; Elizabeth Corda-WarnerMedia/NY; Phyllis Toss-Wavemaker Global/NY; Mike Polvere-Optimum Sports/NY; Paul Brewer-TV Talent Agents/North Augusta; Jim Snider-jVISION/Toronto; Brad Ruppert-Visual Impact Group/York; Daniel R. Tunnell-Broadband Cable Association of PA/Harrisburg; John Kukla-KDFW/KDFI/Dallas; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; John Tingue-hulu-Chicago; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank

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