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| Wednesday February 5, 2020 |
| Sportradar is broadening its run with MLB, launching a brand-new virtual baseball in-play offering for licensed gaming operators in the US and across the world. The virtual baseball in-play game is the first Sportradar virtual gaming solution developed in association with a major US sports league. Featuring official MLB team names and logos, this game gives fans yet another way to engage with Major League Baseball and allows licensed gaming operators to add extra value to their offering, combining fast-paced betting for mobile and online users, with longer betting cycles for retail. “We are very excited to work with Major League Baseball in bringing a virtual baseball gaming solution to the market,” said David Lampitt, Managing Director, Sports Partnerships at Sportradar. “Leveraging MLB’s official content, we are confident that we have an enticing product that consumers will love and that bookmakers will benefit from. As with all of our virtual sports offerings, our aim was to bring the most realistic look, feel, and betting experience to the market.”
PROGRAMMING
World Long Drive confirmed its 2020 schedule, complete with a new venue for the World Long Drive Championship in addition to more than a dozen qualifying events throughout North America and around the world that will include four televised events airing live on GOLF Channel. World Long has partnered with Cog Hill Golf & Country Club outside of Chicago in a multi-year agreement that will designate Cog Hill as the host venue for the 2020 World Long Drive Championship with Cog Hill constructing a custom “hitting grid” that will be utilized for competition in September, which will culminate live and under the lights in primetime on GOLF Channel. Events tee off on April 17 with the Clash in the Canyon. Top Flite was also named the new official ball of World Long Drive while New Amsterdam’s Stratusphere Gin is now the official gin.
ESPN announced that its collegiate softball schedule will swell to a record 1600+ games across its TV and digital networks, including more than 200 televised. Games will be available across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network, SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ESPN+, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network+, with all games accessible in the ESPN App. ESPN will once again be home to the Women’s College World Series and the entire NCAA Division I Softball post-season. The NCAA Selection show will air on Sunday, May 10, with Regional coverage May 12/13-17, Super Regional Coverage May 21/22-24 and every pitch from the WCWS May 28-June 2/3.
TNT delivers the 2020 NBA All-Star Draft presented by Jordan Brand as part of an expanded one-hour TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader on Thursday at 7p as teams are selected by captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. New for this year, TNT’s draft coverage will feature contributions from the Inside the NBA studio team of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and host Ernie Johnson.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will play two of their NFL home games at Wembley Stadium next season, taking place across consecutive Sundays in London. The announcement will make them the first team in NFL history to play two home games outside of the United States in the same regular season.
MotorTrend Group and NASCAR announced a new partnership to launch NASCAR All In: Battle for Daytona, a new sports documentary series chronicling the “commitment, struggles and sacrifices of drivers, their teams and families” in the chase to win the Daytona 500. The limited series produced by NASCAR Productions will world premiere every Monday beginning Feb. 10 on the MotorTrend App.
Upcoming listings see Kevin Durant’s and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures feature the newest ep of The Boardroom, featuring super-agent David Falk sitting down with Kleiman to examine the business of sports representation and Falk’s impact on the industry’s evolution over the course of nearly five decades. The duo also explored the business behind Michael Jordan, the initial thought process behind the “Air Jordan” x Nike collaboration, what it’s like to represent basketball’s most elite talents and “brands” ever, the ins-and-outs of sports representation/contract negotiation and more
Meanwhile, an all-new edition of the unscripted series The Shop, Uninterrupted, starring Maverick Carter, debuts Friday at 9:30p on HBO. Joining Carter will be Megan Rapinoe; Whoopi Goldberg; Sue Bird; politician, Stacey Abrams; Malcolm Jenkins; and actor Hasan Minhaj.
Bryant McBride and Laurence Mathieu-Leger, producers of the documentary “Willie,” announced a partnership with ESPN to air the film this spring in celebration of Black History Month. The film will be available through the month of February on ESPN Streaming On Demand, and will have four airings on ESPN2, with a first TV broadcast on Feb. 17 at 7p.
The Jan. 31 wrestling battle between No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 2 Penn State became the most-watched wrestling telecast in BTN history as well as the day’s highest-rated college sporting event across all networks. The Big Ten dual averaged 342,955 viewers, according to Nielsen. Digital consumption from the event featured an additional 802,574 minutes of streaming via the FOX Sports app and 2.2M minutes watched for social content across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Through 12 broadcasts, BTN’s average audience for wrestling telecasts this season is 116,043 viewers, an increase of +67% from the 2018-19 season.
ACC Network announced its schedule of ACC baseball games for the 2020 season with more than 70 contests, including 41 conference matchups. Play opens on Feb. 19 at 4p with the season leading into the semifinals of the ACC Baseball Championship on May 23 live from BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. ESPN2 will cover the ACC Baseball Championship game on May 24.
Today from 3-6p will see BTN highlight the complete football recruiting classes for all 14 Big Ten programs across three hours of recruiting coverage on BTN Live: Signing Day Special. Mike Hall, Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will once again be joined by Allen Trieu, Midwest Football Recruiting Analyst for 247 Sports, as they provide in-depth analysis of each school’s class.
Meanwhile, Pac-12 Networks kicks off this week’s national football signing day today with a special installment of Inside Pac-12 Football: National Signing Day at 3p PT. Fans will get a first look at the new 2020 commits and exclusive insight at what each Pac-12 team will look like heading into the spring. |
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“Women tend to be overlooked because they’re often in the background. Women are problem solvers but don’t generally raise their hand for acknowledgement. This award is shining on those of us who are often below the radar.”
-Stefanie Rapp, SVP, Revenue Strategy – Bleacher Report
Last year, Cynopsis shined a light on Ms. Rapp during the Top Women in Media Awards. Enter yourself, or someone you know who deserves the right to be seen, appreciated, and applauded. Sponsored by Turnkey Search.
Entry deadline>April 16 / Start the entry process > |
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SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION
ESPN’s 13th annual V Week for Cancer Research set a new record, raising more than $8.8 million for the V Foundation for Cancer Research to mark a boost of 6% year-over-year. “We broke the V Week record thanks to the passion of those who work on the various initiatives here at ESPN, as well as support from the Disney TV networks, and the generous response from fans,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “In particular the new aspects of V Week, including a campaign with Andy Grammer and Stuart Scott Day, connected with viewers and drove awareness and donations.”
NASCAR and Cometic Gasket are expanding their multi-year official partnership, designating the company the sponsor of the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series pole award. “For years, Cometic Gasket has been a committed partner and has supported all levels of NASCAR racing,” said Scott Miller, senior vice president, competition, NASCAR. “Their expanded relationship to sponsor the Cometic Gasket Pole Award will enhance the value of the program and elevate their brand in our sport.”
DIGITAL, DATA & TECH
Bleacher Report’s Super Bowl stay in Miami for B/R Gridiron paid off as the property became the number one digital sports publishers on NFL Sunday, drawing 198 million cross-platform engagements, according to the company. The platform registered 1.3 million cross-platform engagements recorded from the B/R Gridiron social accounts stands as the most ever in a single day, while the B/R App on Super Bowl Sunday saw app engagements up 186%.
The XFL introduced the official XFL league app on Google Play and the Apple Store, offering a mobile experience for fans that offers real-time scores and stats, insider videos, and the latest XFL news from across the league. Fans can customize the app for their favorite team, or follow all eight XFL teams.
ESPORTS
Quibi is gearing up for FaZe Up, a new interactive series with esports heavyweight FaZe Clan, produced by entertainment and sports media company Whistle. Utilizing its interactive mobile technology, Quibi – along with key members of the FaZe Clan – will open up one potential spot on the FaZe Clan team. Then, Quibi subscribers will uniquely be able to submit a video pleading their case for a chance to join the team. Quibi subscribers will then vote through the Quibi app for six people that deserve a shot at gamer glory. From there, contestants will travel to the FaZe Clan mansion to go through a series of real-life competitions. “Over the past 10 years, FaZe Clan has not only contributed to the growth of the gaming lifestyle and the esports community, but we have broken barriers and are not afraid to disrupt the status quo,” said FaZe Clan Head of Content Oluwafemi Okusanya. “In 2020, we plan to do the same with content creation and media distribution. The ‘FaZe Up’ show represents our next chapter in content creation with our first premium production effort and in collaboration with innovative partners like Whistle and Quibi.”
DreamHack is hosting the Madden 20 tournament over the course of its three-day festivals in Anaheim (Feb. 21-23) and Dallas (May 22-24). The events will be open for any competitor over the age of 16 attending DreamHack Anaheim or DreamHack Dallas with prizes totaling $25,000. “We are so thrilled to include this event in our Anaheim debut in February, and for our return to Dallas in May,” said DreamHack Co-CEO Marcus Lindmark. “Both of these cities have such great passion for both esports and traditional sports, which will make these epic events.”
INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES
The sports division of the Creative Arts Agency confirmed the company’s pickup of Kauffman Sports Management, an LA-based basketball talent representation agency that specializes in the representation of NBA and NCAA coaches and executives, with CAA retaining Kauffman Sports’ managing partner Spencer Breecker, according to the LA Times.
Digital combat sports platform FITE announced that Ben Halabi will be joining the company as SVP, International Business Development. “The content world is changing rapidly. I see new sports opportunities opening up in the UK on a daily basis, and this is the optimal time to be joining an exciting digital platform like FITE,” noted Halabi. “FITE has built a first-class scalable global platform and I can’t wait to contribute to the company’s expansion plans.”
THE MAIN EVENT
Villanova/Butler on FS1 at 6:30p. |
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JUST ANNOUNCED
Cynopsis Measurement & Data Conference
Tuesday, June 2, 9:00AM – 4:15PM / Edison Rooftop, NYC
Sponsored by: Gamut – Tubular Labs – Tunity
Register by March 13 to lock in the super early bird rates!
VIEW FULL AGENDA / VIEW SPEAKER ROSTER / REGISTER YOUR TEAM |
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On This Day
1989: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becomes the first NBA player to score 38,000 points.
In the Know
Name an NFL player who has won Dancing with the Stars. (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Which Bears running back was known as The Galloping Ghost? Answer: Red Grange. Kudos: John Ferlazzo/London; Andrew Feingold-FOX News/NY; Bob Ruggiero-Nielsen/NY; Tammy Dorman-Nielsen/NY; Sean Walker-OMG/NY; Mike May-PHIT America/Wellington; Mark Lehman-Braves/Atlanta; Larry Kahn-GOLF Channel/Orlando; Stephanie Ann-Freelance Sports TV Director/Baltimore; Tom Perry-IEG/Chicago; Dan Wilhelm-Caddo Lake Capital/Dallas; Jason Brist-Outdoor Sportsman Group/Chicago; John Ward-Gamut/Chicago; Rich Wolfe-Lone Wolfe Press/Scottsdale; Greg Moloznik-GLM Media/Scottsdale; Rick Pike-InterMedia Advertising/Woodland Hills; Larry Hutchings/Nipomo; Bruce Trotter-Cox/LA; Jim Himmel-TCB Media/San Clemente |
DIR, ENDEAVOR ANALYTICS (IMG MEDIA & EVENTS)
Endeavor
NY
seeking a Dir to lead our business data and analytics team for the IMG Events portfolio. This role partners with brand mktg, growth mktg and finance to dev strategic rev plans that drive growth. Must be passionate about growing and dev a team that promotes an insights-driven, data culture. 7 yrs exp in advanced analytics and 5yrs exp leading data teams. Full info HERE (2/18)
AD SALES PLANNER >>
Tennis Channel/NYC: Support sales team & their accts to maximize sales efficiencies, increase revenue & enhances customer srvc. Embrace all plan’g, prep/fulfillment related tasks that take place pre-& post-sale for the Ad Sales team. 2-4 yrs exp in media sales plan’g or agency buying is req’d. Full info HERE (2/18)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE>>
PAC-12/SF: seeking candidate who will engage with advertisers and their associated agencies to sell sponsorship and advertising across Pac-12 Networks media and sponsorship assets. 3-5yrs of media sales or ad agency exp working on media planning or client/adv relations. Sponsorship sales exp required. Full info HERE (2/18)
SALES PLANNER>>
PAC-12/SF: Seeking individual to create sales proposals for integrated marketing/media campaigns that include balancing linear, digital, and sponsorship assets. Serve as the primary contact for accounts and create and dev ongoing business relationships with clients/ad agencies. 1-2yrs of sales planning, ad agency buying/planning, or other relevant exp. Full info HERE (2/18)
SUPERVISOR/AMD, OUT OF HOME>>
EVERGREEN TRADING/NY: Seeking candidate to lead Out of Home media strategy, development, analysis and execution across Evergreen’s portfolio of clients, while at the same time managing media vendor investments and a high caliber staff. Min 5yrs of media planning & buying exp with a focus in OOH. Full info HERE (2/18)
GROUP MEDIA MANAGER, LOCAL INVESTMENT>>
EVERGREEN TRADING/NY: Seeking individual to supervise local broadcast staff and negotiate spot broadcast buys by negotiating, placing, and maintaining all broadcast buys, merch and promo within boundaries of specific market list. Min 6yrs of local broadcast buying exp including 1yr in supervisory capacity. Must include exp in buying top 15 mkts. Full info HERE (2/18)
DIR, MEASUREMENT STRATEGY AND DATA ANALYTICS >>
NBCUniversal/NY: Bravo and Oxygen Digital is seeking an individual to help drive the growth and evolution of its suite of products across digital platforms. Ideal candidate must have 5+ yrs exp in analytics implementation with a knwl of client-side dev in JavaScript, native mobile apps and front-end debugging. Full info HERE (2/17)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE >>
Palomino Media/NYC: Palomino is the exclusive seller of advertising for Walmart’s OTT – Vudu. Serve as lead sales contact to grow/maintain the nat’l advertising revenue derived from a specified group of ad agencies. Team oriented nature & Min 3 yrs exp working in an ad sales role across digital and video. Full info HERE (2/14)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER >>
Stadium/Chicago: Work to develop/manage the programming strategy, prod efficiencies & to ensure that the content being created by Stadium matches the company vision and revenue strategies. Strong knowledge TV & digital media; The ideal candidate should be familiar with syndication. Full info HERE (2/14)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, SALES >>
ION Media/NYC: Responsible for developing, generating and maintaining new and existing business for ION Television. Minimum of 5 years of national television experience. Full info HERE (2/14)
ASSISTANT DIGITAL PLANNER >>
Blue Plate Media/Summit NJ: Assist in digital media strategy and plan development for top tier clients. Responsible for planning and buying digital campaigns across mobile, desktop and tablet (Video, Display, Native, Gaming, SEM). 2-3+ years Digital and Social Media mktg exp req’d. Full info HERE (2/14)
DIGITAL MEDIA ANALYST >>
Blue Plate Media/Summit NJ: Responsible for Campaign setup across digital and paid social platforms. 3+ years relevant experience in an analytical digital media role. Self-starter who is motivated and can work with urgency. Full info HERE (2/14)
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/RESEARCHER >>
Monumental Media/DC: Research and sometimes produce and shoot documentary, news, studio, live / as-live, social & digital productions. Minimum 1-3 yrs exp in an editing, shooting and producing environment. Experience in live & digital streaming a +. Full info HERE (2/14)
SHOOTER/EDITOR >>
Monumental Media/DC: Shoot documentary, news, studio, live /as-live, social & digital productions. Shooter/Editor for short-form and long-form creative content focusing on e-sports. Minimum 1-3 years of experience in an editing, shooting and producing environment. Full info HERE (2/14)
ON CAMERA HOST >>
Monumental DC Based Media Company/DC: Washington, DC based media company is looking for a female on camera host for an upcoming weekly digital video series. At least 1yr brdcst or digital/social on camera exp. Interest in/knowledge of gaming & esports a major plus! Full info HERE (2/13)
SR. SPECIALIST, ADVANCED ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS >>
A+E/NY: Execute day-to-day objectives of AAS assisting w/product dev & specializing in QC, UAT & optimization of ad products across A+E brands on web, mobile & OTT. BA/BS Degree, 1-3 yrs exp in prod dev, analytics & revenue mgmt in an ad tech or media environment. FreeWheel ad server exp. Full info HERE (2/13)
MGR, DOMESTIC RESEARCH >>
Sesame Workshop/NYC: Focus on Sesame Workshop’s domestic initiatives- incl video, digital & outreach projects for Sesame Street and other properties. exp in a social science rsrch lab & working directly with preschool-age children. Full info HERE (2/13)
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DR >>
Marathon Ventures/NYC: Maintain/develop our DR acct business while working in collaboration w/internal depts to minimize risk & maximize revenue on current & future business transactions. Success record selling TV inventory to nat’l advertisers in the branding & DR marketplace. Full info HERE (2/12)
VP MARKETING >>
Spirits Network/NBTV/NYC: Responsible for leading mktg strategy w/goal of strengthening our brand and accelerating membership sales. 5-7 yrs of social media and content management experience, with a record of accomplishment developing and implementing social media strategies. Full info HERE (2/7)
VP, FINANCE >>
NBTV/NYC: Finance business partner, capable of providing accurate, timely & value-added operational support, who can thrive in a fast-paced envir w/minimal supervision. Strong Knwlg Finance & Accounting principles incl financial modeling. Outstanding judgment, analytical and critical thinking skills. Full info HERE (2/7) |
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