| TikTok is going all in on a partnership with the UEFA EURO, signing on as a Global Sponsor of this year’s slate. The deal marks the first time a digital entertainment platform has sponsored a major international tournament for UEFA and will see TikTok “provide a place where fans can follow their favorite football content creators, share the best TikTok football content, and create their own special moments, reactions and celebrations around the tournament.”
“We are delighted to welcome TikTok as a UEFA EURO partner, a company that has become one of the most talked-about digital entertainment platforms within the last year,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA. “Over the coming months, we are really looking forward to working closely with TikTok in order to provide fans globally with a unique and innovative UEFA EURO experience, which will give them the opportunity to connect and share their passion around one of the world’s premier sporting events.”
PROGRAMMING
NBC Olympics announced “unprecedented” coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23, creating a full day of Olympic programming on NBC. The day will begin with the network’s first-ever live morning broadcast of an Opening Ceremony, followed by a special edition of TODAY with reaction and athlete interviews and then NBC’s first-ever Olympic Daytime show on the opening Friday of the Games. The NBC primetime version of the broadcast will feature special coverage of Team USA, along with the performances, pageantry, and Parade of Nations, the heart of any Opening Ceremony. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT on NBC, while the Tokyo Opening Ceremony will also be broadcast live on NBC across all time zones starting at 6:55a. This marks the first time NBC Olympics will broadcast an Opening Ceremony live in the morning.
Turner Sports and CBS Sports revealed game windows and the programming schedule for upcoming live coverage of all 67 games from the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – with all games streamed on NCAA March Madness Live. CBS will televise the NCAA Final Four National Semifinals on April 3, and then the National Championship on April 5, at 9p. The Regional Final games will once again be split by TBS and CBS and each of the Elite Eight games will be played in primetime. CBS will air the games on March 29, beginning at 7p and TBS will televise the games on March 30, with coverage starting at 6p. The First Round will take place on March 19 and 20, with coverage beginning at Noon each day.
Until then, CBS Sports and Turner Sports will present the NCAA March Madness Bracket Preview on Saturday at 12:30p on CBS. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee will offer teams and fans an in-season look at the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship bracket with NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee Chair and University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt joining remotely for the reveal of the nation’s top 16 seeds, identifying the top four teams in each region as they stand on Feb. 13. Greg Gumbel hosts along with analysts Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis.
Major League Baseball locked in game times for its master 2021 regular season schedule, which will begin with all 30 Major League Clubs playing on Opening Day on April 1. ESPN will provide extensive Opening Day coverage beginning with the Blue Jays/Yankees at 1:05. FOX will begin its 2021 national coverage on April 3 when the Phillies host the Braves at 4:05p on FS1. MLB on TBS live game coverage will return on Sunday, June 20th and will continue each Sunday through the end of the regular season. The final day of the 2021 regular season, which features 12 divisional match-ups, is scheduled for Oct. 3. The 2021 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, to be hosted by the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, is scheduled for July 13 on FOX.
The NFL may be looking to lock in its new media deals sooner rather than later. CNBC’s Jabari Young reports that the NFL wants to “finalize frameworks” of new TV deals before locking in the 2021 salary cap. The Monday Night Football package runs through 2021. The remaining deals will span through 2022. According to Young, the new deals would see FOX and CBS likely keep the Sunday afternoon packages with NBC retaining Sunday Night Football while ESPN would be “the wildcard,” potentially bringing the Sunday Ticket package to ESPN+.
The new FOX Sports app is set to offer exclusive bonus coverage of the 63rd Daytona 500, which is set for Sunday. This weekend, viewers can stream live in-car feeds on demand and participate in an interactive Watch Party. During the race, the FOX Sports app takes viewers behind the wheel with four of the sport’s top drivers, offering in-car camera streaming options of reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, two-time defending Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, new 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace, and 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman.
NBC Sports will premiere Doc Emrick – The Voice of Hockey, Presented by Discover – showcasing the career of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and eight-time Sports Emmy Award winner Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick on Feb. 21 at 2p on NBC, leading into coverage of the NHL outdoor game at Lake Tahoe featuring the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. The special will feature interviews with 20 NHL players and broadcasting colleagues discussing Emrick’s long-lasting impact on the sport of hockey.
All Sports Television Network will feature the television special “Salute to HBCU Marching Bands” in celebration of Black History Month. The special, which is produced by Webber Marketing and sponsored by Pepsi, is scheduled to run on the platform starting Feb. 15.
Sports USA reached an agreement with NBC Sports to present live play-by-play coverage of the National Hockey League for the 2020-21 regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first game broadcasts under the deal will be the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20. Other NHL games to be broadcast by Sports USA will include all of the Eastern and Western Conference Final games and the entire Stanley Cup Final series. Additionally, Sports USA will air select games throughout the early rounds of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Facebook and Religion of Sports announced a new Facebook Watch Original docuseries titled “Simone vs Herself,” offering a look into the life of gymnast Simone Biles. The series is directed by Gotham Chopra and will air exclusively on Facebook Watch this summer.
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| SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION
Jay DeMarcus‘ Red Street Records signed on to sponsor NASCAR driver Natalie Decker now that she is part of RSS Racing for five races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Decker will be running the #23 Chevy Camaro for five races to start the year, and will be making her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the Daytona Road Course. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Team Decker,” said DeMarcus, owner of Red Street Records. “Natalie is on the cutting edge of the racing industry; her meteoric rise continues to be amazing and unprecedented! She is the next generation. We here at Red Street view our journey in much the same way: innovation, and “outside the box” thinking, have set us apart, in the same way that Natalie has been set apart as one of NASCAR’s youngest female drivers in history. That makes Team Decker and Red Street Records the perfect combination!”
Fan Controlled Football revealed a new partnership with Susan G. Komen to help Komen’s life-saving work by raising funds throughout the league’s inaugural season. The FCF season officially kicks off on Saturday at 8p. All FCF games will be livestreamed on Twitch and broadcast live on the gaming network, VENN. Officials, outfitted complementary by Smitty’s Officials Apparel in support of the program, will sport pink shirts, black caps with pink ribbons, and throw pink flags in the event of a penalty. Each team’s Coaches’ Challenge will trigger a fan-voted “Replay for the Cure” in which fans decide whether or not to overturn the ref’s call, and including a call to action for fans to donate; and fans can earn more weighted voting power by learning about the cause in the days leading up to game day. In addition, during halftime and the postgame show, FCF will replay a key “moment” from the game, with another call to action for fans to donate.
Supersapiens announced that they will be partnering with IRONMAN in 2021 as the official Real-Time Energy Management System Sponsor in Europe. “The old adage still applies – a race car with no fuel will lose to the horse that had a solid breakfast. Energy management is a critical piece of IRONMAN race day success. Supersapiens helps open the door to not just managing your energy on race day, but also learning about how your nutrition and training mix together to create success,” added Earl Walton, Global Director, Training and Coaching at IRONMAN.
DIGITAL, DATA & TECH
Amazon Web Services entered into an agreement with the National Hockey League to become the Official Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Infrastructure Provider of the league. With the deal, the NHL will be able to automate video processing and content delivery in the cloud and leverage its Puck and Player Tracking System, which runs on AWS cloud infrastructure, to better capture the details of game play for its fans, teams, and media partners. The NHL will also build an enterprise video platform on AWS to aggregate video, data, and related applications into one central repository that will enable easier search and retrieval of archival video footage, give broadcasters instant access to NHL content for syndication and licensing, and facilitate the creation and delivery of new in-game analyses, predictions, and video highlights to enhance mobile, online, and broadcast experiences.
Rotoworld relaunched as NBC Sports EDGE, offering fans with a new look and feel across its digital catalog and fantasy sports magazines.NBC Sports EDGE+ premium products include four available subscription tiers with an array of Draft, Season-long Fantasy, DFS, and Betting-focused tools.
CBS Sports HQ drew new viewership records on Super Bowl Sunday and throughout the week from Tampa. The platform set a single-day record with 3.5 million unique viewers on Sunday, February 7, beating its prior record of 1.2 million viewers. CBS Sports HQ also set a new single-day record for time spent with 105 million total streaming minutes on February 8.
ESPORTS
The Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition, Presented by Verizon become the most-viewed event in Madden NFL history on digital platforms. The event was streamed on Twitter by 27 NFL teams, NFL social channels and EA Madden NFL Twitch. Across digital, the Pro Bowl generated 3.5 million live views with 121K combined average minute audience, while the Pro Bowl also brought in younger fans to NFL Network with the reair of the event up 36% in 18-34 viewership compared to last year.
In an effort to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the nonprofit sector, the National MS Society has partnered with Immortals Gaming Club to leverage esports and gaming as a fundraising tool. “The Society officially launched Stream to End MS in May 2020 and it has shown great success,” said Rachael Nuwash, Associate Vice President of Emerging Events, National MS Society. “Immortals Gaming Club is helping the National MS Society bring this new and innovative fundraising campaign to the next level, meeting our constituents where they are and taking the Society into the future of fundraising.” As part of the partnership with the National MS Society, IGC Events will plan and host a series of online tournaments and charity activations across multiple game titles in 2021.
Baxby’s renewed its deal with Misfits Gaming Group’s Florida Mayhem and added a partnership with the Florida Mutineers. “The Florida Mayhem & Florida Mutineers are, no doubt, the best in their class and we’re looking forward to expanding our partnership with one of the best organizations in the game,” said Joel Bulger, CMO of Zaxby’s. “As the esports and gaming industry continues to flourish, we are grateful to be able to connect Zaxby’s to its highly engaged audience.”
Beasley Esports revealed details of the Overwatch League’s Houston Outlaws’ First Annual Most Wanted Content Creator Search Awards Show. The event, sponsored by H-E-B, Samsung and Zenni, will be broadcast live on the Outlaws Twitch Channel and YouTube channel on Feb. 15. The Finals are a culmination of a three-month effort to find up to three content creators, selected from the final contestants that will join the Outlaws in helping the team entertain and capture key video moments throughout the year as well as expand and provide more insider access to their players and gamer lifestyle. The show will be hosted by Malik Forte.
BLAST Premier renewed and its expanded partnership agreement with skin trading platform CS.MONEY for 2021. The announcement marks the third partner renewal BLAST Premier has secured for the 2021 season and comes after last month’s Global Final set a Counter-Strike record for the most watched online game of all time.
All-Pro LA Chargers safety Derwin James is teaming up with All-Pro Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster to square off against All-Pro Giants RB Saquon Barkley and his teammate Sterling Shepard on ELEAGUE’s TBS finale of Madden Championship Series Derwin James vs. The World. The show airs tonight at midnight.
INDUSTRY & ROSTER MOVES
Evolution Development Group announced that NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Alexander Rossi became an investor in the company in addition to joining EVO’s advisory board. In his role as an advisor, Rossi will participate in the selection process of choosing talented drivers and will help mentor drivers who join EVO and provide invaluable information he’s learned over the years as being one of the top race car drivers on the scene today.
SPORTS BROADCAST JOURNAL w/David J. Halberstam
The thunderous voiced Kevin Harlan called the Super Bowl on national radio. His description of the zany fan who ran onto the field was epic. It’s a must listen. We have a couple other snippets too, including Vin Scully’s 1976 description of two fans at Dodger Stadium who ran onto the outfield and were about to set the American flag afire. Cubs’ outfielder Rick Monday yanked it away.
A fan busts onto the field: It’s Kevin Harlan at his best; Entertaining? Yes; Does it warrant coverage? Yes
Ken Levine is a Hollywood comedy writer and ex MLB play-by-play voice. He wrote a humorous review for us of the Super Bowl telecast.
Ken Levine: “Even the 30,000 cardboard cutouts in the stands looked bored the last two hours”
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo did a nice job on the CBS game broadcast. We break down why. They did the best they can with a game that wasn’t competitive. As they say, you can’t make a steak out of chopped liver
Super Bowl didn’t live up to its hype; Nantz and Romo get an A+ for delivering the emotion and strategy
Psychiatric visits are breaking records during the pandemic. Sports media aren’t spared. Industry group SVG is teaming with the Hazelden-Betty Ford Center to help to those who’ve become addicted to alcohol and drugs.
SVG and Hazelden Betty Ford Center partner to help media members challenged by substance abuse
Happy Birthdays
Ryan Lefebvre, 2/12 KC Royals, radio and TV
Bill Mercer, 2/13 Ex-Texas Rangers broadcaster
Howie Rose, 2/13 NY Mets, radio
Pat O’Brien, 2/14 Ex-CBS Sports reporter
Ken Levine, 2/14 Ex-Orioles, Padres, Mariners radio
Dave Sims, 2/14 Seattle Mariners, radio and TV
Mick Hubert, 2/16 U Florida, football and basketball
Sean McManus, 2/16 CEO CBS Sports
Buster Olney, 2/17 ESPN, baseball reporter
Darren Pang, 2/17 St. Louis Blues, TV analyst
Judy Rankin, 2/18 Golf Channel, analyst
Sports Broadcast Journal
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Help Us Name the Winners
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On this Day
1994: The XVII Winter Olympic Games open in Lillehammer.
IN THE KNOW
Who is the only driver born outside of the US to win the Daytona 500? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city).
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question
Who was the first woman to race in the Daytona 500? Answer: Janet Guthrie. Kudos: John Ferlazzo/London; Tori Gallarello-Alcock-Little Roosters, Inc./NY; Michael Ritz-Lenox Advisors/NY; Aymon DeMauro-ADM Media & Marketing/NY; Michael Dittelman-Dedicated Sports Marketing/NY; Matt Sautter-WideOrbit/Harrisburg; Synda Kollman-Charter Marketing Group/Boca Raton; Mike Evranian-NASCAR/Richmond; Paul Brewer-TV Talent Agents/North Augusta; Kathi Gillin-JamLoop/Philadelphia; Kyle Krebs-Intersection/Dallas; Nick Monroe-Monroe Photography/San Diego; Miriam Aardahl-OMD/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG•AFTRA Credit Union/Burbank
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GENERAL SALES MANAGER
NEXSTAR/WPIX-TV
NYC
Proven performance record of revenue and share growth, new business development and innovative solution-based selling. Non-traditional revenue development along with best-in-class client services and unparalleled client relationships a must. Minimum of five years of sales management experience at a commercial broadcast television station with accompanying digital assets required. Full info HERE (2/26)
OTT PLATFORMS EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT >>
CASTIFY/REMOTE: Castify.ai, a global leader in CTV content distribution, allows video content owners to publish & monetize their content as a native app or channel, across multiple CTV and OTT platforms, is looking for a well-connected media consultant who can liaise with OTT and CTV distribution partners. The consultant will have the primary responsibility to extend the reach and lead the relationships with our OTT and CTV partners. Full info HERE (2/26)
SENIOR DIRECTOR, CONTENT ACQUISITIONS >>
FILMRISE/NYC or LA: Develop licensing and distribution partnership opportunities; Oversee company’s existing servicing partnerships business and identify new prospective partners. Minimum 5 to 7 years of experience in an acquisitions, sales, or business development role at a film or television company. Candidate should have existing network of content relationships across the industry. Full info HERE (2/23)
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS >>
FILM RISE/NYC: Support our IT team and manage our digital assets. We are looking for someone extremely detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. Previous experience with digital asset coordination is preferred, working knowledge of Premiere Pro required. Full info HERE (2/23)
VP ORIGINAL SERIES DTC >>
discovery+/LA: This D+ Original Content role will serve as a key member of the DTC Content Team, driving original content strategy and execution for discovery+. Must have at least 2 years streaming experience, excellent analytical skills, strong creative judgement, and be a great collaborator. Full info HERE (2/22)
LINE PRODUCER >>
JV PRODUCTIONS/REMOTE: Experienced PM or Line Producer needed to help command the production process for a new unscripted Reno & Build Series. You’ll manage logistics, balance vision with time & money, and strategize with others to ensure an efficient, fun, safe and high-quality production. Full info HERE (2/22)
SENIOR COUNSEL >>
FILM RISE/NYC or LA: Looking for New York or California bar member for drafting and negotiating content acquisition and distribution agreements, television contracts, releases, agreements with streaming platforms, software licenses, vendor agreements and NDAs. Must possess solid understanding of digital streaming platforms and contracts, and substantive knowledge of contract law principles. Full info HERE (2/20)
COORDINATOR, SOCIAL MEDIA >>
MEDIA CROWN FAMILY NETWORKS/STUDIO CITY CA: Will support Social Marketing initiatives through creating and gathering compelling content, assets, and graphics for all segments and platforms of our Social Media presence. Responsible for writing post/tweet copy to go with created assets, scheduling content, and making sure all assets are up to date. Liaise with other internal departments and agencies on all trafficking of assets, media buys, and fulfillment of giveaways. 1-2 years of experience in entertainment. Full info HERE (2/19)
MANAGER, LOCAL SALES >>
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP/INDIANAPOLIS: Development of new business and achievement of revenue goals. Makes decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion, and termination of account executives and sales assistants. 3-5 years of television sales management experience is preferred. 5+ years television sales experience mandatory. Full info HERE (2/19)
DIRECTOR OF BRAND PARTNERSHIPS >>
TEAM WHISTLE/NYC/REMOTE: Win Revenue– prospect, connect with, and secure partnership from agency-led and client-direct branded partners. Educate the media market on the Team Whistle product line and generate revenue via selling video, branded content, and white-label solutions. Experience selling branded content, familiarity within the larger sports/entertainment media landscape, and 5+ years partnering with ad agencies and clients directly required. Full info HERE (2/19)
NEWS DIRECTOR >>
NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP – KTLA/LOS ANGELES: Manages all aspects of the News Department (other than Production), plans and manages staffing, training, and performance evaluations for the News Department. Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience required. Full info HERE (2/19)
MANAGER, A&E STRATEGIST, SHORT FORM MONETIZATION >>
A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Digital content strategist to drive distribution and revenue for video content across key digital platforms, primarily A&E’s YouTube Channel. Strong project manager who will leverage data to drive decision making. 3-5 years’ experience working with digital video strategies at the brand/publishing level. Full info HERE (2/18)
SENIOR TALENT BOOKER >>
THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA/NYC: Procure talent – research, invite and secure the highest-level speakers/panelists and moderators; book and produce unique and influential programs. 10+ years of programming experience securing high profile talent for industry, entertainment, sports and media programs and other special events on time and within budget. Full info HERE (2/18)
NATIONAL BUYER >>
ANCHOR TRADING/NY: National Linear Buyer, negotiate and strategize to obtain maximum ROI. Collaborator with strong analytical skills, media relationships and buy management. At least 3 years relevant prior work experience in National Media. Full info HERE (2/18)
SALES PLANNER >>
FIRST MEDIA/NYC: Sales Planner, manages and executes the completion and fulfillment of RFPs, works cross-divisionally to help fulfill client requests and compiles, maintains, and distributes weekly booked business report. At least 2 years relevant prior work experience in the advertising industry and Analytical and able to take a strategic approach when creating proposals required. Full info HERE (2/17)
SENIOR DIRECTOR, DATA SCIENCE >>
NBCUNIVERSAL/NYC: Lead and manage a team of Data Scientists in the development of high-impact tools for ad hoc projects and on-going operational analytic platforms, partner with business leaders across NBCUniversal to identify, build, and implement capabilities to leverage advanced data science. Advanced Degree (PhD strongly preferred) with a specialization in Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, Mathematics, Operations Research, or other equivalent quantitative fields. Full info HERE (2/17)
SALES PLANNER >>
UPTV/NYC: Work with advertising agency contacts and other advertising sales personnel to ensure that administration aspects of accounts are in order, build, revise and maintain all sales proposals for AEs. Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university; at least 1+ years related cable experience preferred. Full info HERE (2/17)
MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING >>
A+E NETWORKS/NYC: Dynamic digital marketer to drive growth in A+E’s Digital business by acquiring OTT, mobile, and website video streamers for A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime brands. Leverage owned, earned, and paid marketing tactics. 5 years’ experience with direct response digital marketing. Full info HERE (2/16)
LEARN/UPDATE/REFINE YOUR EXCEL SKILLS >>
MY SOFTWARE TUTOR: MST offers three levels of real-time, online courses in Excel with a live instructor: Fundamentals, Basics, and Intermediate. These courses deliver practical, functional business skills to increase your marketability. Use promo code CYNOPSIS20 to unlock a 20% savings. Full info HERE (2/16)
MEDIA EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT >>
AROUND ROBIN PRODUCTION COMPANY/WASHINGTON, DC: Looking for a Media Executive Consultant who can connect a content creator with distribution partners. Will be tasked with consulting production company on strategy of selling content. Must have experience in sales, traditional and digital media, and distribution strategy Full info HERE (2/16)
KEY ART DESIGNER/SENIOR DESIGNER >>
SJI ASSOCIATE/REMOTE: Looking for a passionate designer, enthusiastic about working on creative and conceptual design projects. The designer will work within a team of Art Directors and Designers to create high impact key art, and streaming platform product art. Candidates should be well versed in design principles for both print and digital deliverables. 7+ years agency experience, background in entertainment design preferred. Full info HERE (2/16)
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