05/20/19: NBC hits overdrive for Indy 500

Good morning. It’s Monday May 20, 2019 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

NBC continues its countdown toward its first-ever Indianapolis 500 this week, with the race shifting channels after a stories run on ABC on Sunday, with NBC Sports Group lining up eight hours of programming that includes a pre-race show on NBCSN at 9a; race coverage at 11a on NBC; and a post-race show at 4p on NBCSN. The company has also been going big on the marketing front, running promotion for the race since January and more recently including a barrage that ran during the company’s Kentucky Derby coverage, with an eye to wrangle the casual fan.

Cynopsis Sports asked Jenny Storms, CMO and EVP, Content Strategy, NBC Sports Group about the race and its campaign.

On the addition of the Indy 500 to the NBC portfolio: The Indy 500 is a great addition to NBC Sports for two reasons. First, this iconic event is now part of our brand portfolio where we make big events bigger. Second, the 500 fits perfectly into our Championship Season, which includes The Players, Triple Crown, French Open, Premier League Championship Sunday, Stanley Cup Final, Tour de France and The Open Championship. The Indy 500 champion will be part of an integrated campaign as we crown champions from May through July.

On strategizing: We are very fortunate to have been the cable partner of IndyCar prior to this new agreement, so it afforded us the opportunity to build data, insights and strategy around this consumer and property. We had a good foundation when it came to starting the marketing plans. But the Indy 500 is also a different event; it is beyond sports as it encompasses entertainment, celebrity and culture. So we are building plans that appeal to both the core racing fan as well as the entertainment consumer. It has been fascinating to learn and understand the different reasons why people connect with the Indy 500 and how we can reach them with the most relevant content.

On the campaign? To start, we had to build awareness that the 500 is on NBC as it was on another network for 54 years. And a great way to do that early was through our NFL Playoff games in January. From that point, we have implemented an integrated campaign including on-air, digital, social, regional, and local market activations. We are also having some fun with out of the box ideas that include iconic elements of the race such as the milk and bricks.

On making the campaign unique: Two things really make what we are doing unique. The first is the power of NBCUniversal. Our Company platforms reach 93% of Americans every month, and it is a great opportunity to generate reach and frequency around this event. We have had drivers featured in various telecasts as well as partnerships with the TODAY Show and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon in the past few weeks. Our NBCU family of celebrities will be part of the month–long festivities as well. The second is our focus on the drivers to communicate the speed, skill, versatility, and bravery that goes into this amazing race. Bringing those personalities to life in unique ways has been a key to success this first half of the season.

On Tokyo 2020: Our marketing preparation for Tokyo 2020 is in full force and will continue to ramp up as we get to the One Year Out mark. You are seeing us once again implement the Persona Plans where we are building and distributing the athlete stories, so you will start to see new names and faces. And with our new partnership with LA 2028, we are working more together as this is an opportunity for us to engage the U.S. over the next decade as we prepare for the first Games on U.S. soil in a generation.

PROGRAMMING

Saturday night’s Warriors victory over the Trail Blazers came in to rank as ESPN’s second highest rated NBA Conference Finals Game 3 ever, according to Nielsen, with a 5.4 metered market rating, up 17% over its 2017 Western Conference Finals Game 3, which was the last time ESPN carried the Western Finals in addition to being up 6% over ESPN’s Eastern Conference Finals coverage last year. Through 27 games, ESPN and ABC’s 2019 NBA Playoffs coverage is averaging a 3.6 metered market rating, up 3% from 2018 and up 9% from 2017.

Speaking of which, Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Finals is tonight at 9p, with ESPN offering several alternative viewing experiences for fans tuning in to watch the game. Overall, there will be eight alternative viewing experiences, including:

”ESPN Mode” with Second Spectrum: featuring on-court graphics that take the viewer’s eye to locations of high interest, bring together the best of Second Spectrum’s “Coach Mode”, “Player Mode” and “Mascot Mode”.

Below The Rim: the opportunity to watch the game from the eye-catching views of ESPN wide angle lens cameras located underneath the basket.
Above The Rim: the opportunity to watch the game “from above” with ESPN robotic cameras located directly above each basket with a full coverage of both ends of the court.
Layup Lines: the pre-game layup lines and warmups for both teams.
Hoop Streams: ESPN’s innovative, new NBA Twitter and YouTube pre-game show hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth, courtside in Portland, previewing the game with special guests.
At The Mic: the post-game players and coaches press conferences.

Turner Sports’ saw coverage of this year’s PGA Championship on Thursday deliver all-time records across PGA Digital assets – PGA.com, PGAChampionship.com & the PGA Championship App. The PGA suite of digital products on Thursday generated an all-time single day high for live hours of consumption, up 22% vs. 2018. This year’s coverage also produced PGA.com’s best Thursday on record for video views, up 27% vs. last year’s opening round coverage. TNT’s opening round coverage is up 13% over last year and matched its top-rated PGA Championship opening round since 2015, based on a 0.9 overnight rating.

With the Bruins locked in, the NHL revealed its schedule for the 2019 Stanley Cup Final with all games starting at 8p. Game one begins on May 27, with subsequent games in May 29, June 1 and June 3. If necessary, Game 5 would take place on June 6, with other potential matches on June 9 and 12.

Today sees beIN SPORTS en Español celebrate the 1000th episode of its studio show, The Locker Room, with the ep set to feature a look back on the most memorable moments, interviews and features as told by the show’s current and previous hosts. beIN SPORTS journalists will share their favorite show memories including top moments from Monday’s hosts, Pablo Marino, Jose Hernandez, Carlos Ruiz, Jaime Macias and Jose Bauz, as well as previous show talent including Ana Cobos, Carmen Boquín, Fernando Cevallos, Ignacio García, Juan Fernando Mora and Miguel Serrano.

The Connecticut Sun, New England’s WNBA team tied up a deal with NESN for a partnership to televise 23 Sun games on NESN and NESNplus during the 2019 season. NESN will begin televising Sun games on Tuesday, May 28 at 7p when the Sun host the Indiana Fever.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Esports Tempest Awards

The only recognition program that shines a spotlight on the industry’s most innovative esports companies, with categories that span production, marketing, talent, and technology.

Winners will be announced live at the HyperX Esports Arena during the Esports Business Summit and promoted across social media, and digital assets—reaching over 300,000 key Esports business industry players.

ENTER BY JUNE 6

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

The Professional Fighters League entered a partnership with GEICO to serve as the “Official Insurance Partner of the PFL.” “PFL partners with leaders and we are proud to align with another premium brand in GEICO as we continue to grow in just our second season,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “Through Thursday night fight events on ESPN, real-time delivery of fighter performance data and analytics and our PFL Live app, we are engaging with fans throughout our Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship, providing partners with countless ways to reach a passionate and ever-growing community.”

DIGITAL, DATA & TECH

NBC Sports Groups’ SportsEngine is teaming up with USA Volleyball in a deal that kicks in on Sept. 1 and makes SportsEngine the member management technology provider of the NGB, which boasts more than 370,000 members and 4,500 active clubs. USA Volleyball and its 40 affiliated Regional Volleyball Associations (RVAs) will have the opportunity to use SportsEngine’s member management suite of tools to manage their regional, club and athlete membership data.

ESPORTS

With the NCAA bowing out of involvement with esports at this time, Riot Games will subsequently announce the founding of a governing body for collegiate League of Legends esports in the United States, per SBD, wholly owned and controlled by Riot Games and structured as a separate division.

After the League of Legends Championship Series instructed Echo Fox ownership to take “corrective action” after Rick Fox and others accused a stakeholder of racism, the team released a statement noting that plans were already underway to remove the investor, stating, ““We are working with the highest level of urgency to remove the investor from the Echo Fox organization. Our internal timeline has always been shorter than the one announced yesterday by Riot Games, with whom we have been in close communication. Diversity has been a hallmark and point of pride for Echo Fox since our inception and we share Riot’s desire to erase intolerance from esports. This is a company made up of amazing staff, talented players, dedicated fans and focused ownership. We will move through these challenges and be stronger for it.”

Following a viewership surge for the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational this past week, Riot announced dates for the 2019 Summer Splits in League’s 13 recognized regions. The action will begin in the first two weeks of June around the world, with the LoL Championship Series and LoL Pro League starting June 1 while the LoL European Championship starts June 7.

INDUSTRY/ROSTER MOVES

UFC announced that former light heavyweight champion and winner of season two of The Ultimate Fighter Rashad Evans will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the class of 2019. The 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires, will take place on July 5, at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

The Premier Lacrosse League cemented a partnership with Jim Brown, a Hall of Famers for both the NFL and US Lacrosse, that will see the PLL name its Most Valuable Player award after the famed player. The first-ever award will be presented during PLL Championship Weekend on Sept. 21.

THE MAIN EVENT

Warriors/Trail Blazers on ESPN at 9p.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Here’s to Top Women in Media.

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we CELEBRATE them.

Cynopsis Top Women in Media Awards Gala

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

This will be the biggest gala event celebrating women in the industry.

ON THIS DAY in 1920: Police raid the bleachers at a Cubs game and arrest 24 fans for gambling.

In the Know: Before being known as the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, who was the award named after? (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 CC Sabathia’s first name? Answer: Carsten. Kudos: Keith Marder-Halstead Team Estate/NY; Joe Brucia-AMC Networks/NY; Matthew Willence-ITN Networks/NY; Art Salisch-SMRC/East Windsor; Mike Seidel-CSI Sports/Jersey City; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Dan Weiner-Conde Nast/LA; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank

Later — Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
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