09/13/18: NBC Sports fuels NASCAR Playoffs

Good morning. It’s Thursday September 13, 2018 and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.

NBC Sports Group is revving up for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, preparing over 16 hours of trackside coverage this weekend from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, culminating Sunday at 3p on NBCSN, with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing. With the 16 drivers officially locked in, Sunday’s race day coverage begins at 1:30p with NASCAR America, followed by Countdown to Green, at 2:30p. NBC Sports’ lead race announcer Rick Allen will call the action alongside Jeff Burto with analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte offering additional insight from NBCSN’s second broadcast booth.

Meanwhile, the NASCAR playoffs will take center stage for a new marketing campaign featuring live-action television creative and digital content across all 10 weeks of the NASCAR Playoffs. The first television spot previews the campaign leading into the NASCAR Playoffs kick-off race and – for all 10 playoff races – NASCAR will capture drivers and teams to document storylines of the NASCAR Playoffs as they happen. NASCAR on NBC will release weekly topical creative highlighting the 16 playoff drivers across its digital and social media channels. In addition, fans have access to customized Twitter emojis and hashtags for all 16 playoff drivers using #NASCARPlayoffs to activate the official the emoji.

ON THE AIR

The inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur has found a home, locking in a deal with NBC Sports Group that will see the best female amateur golfers in the world competing at Augusta National Golf Club, with NBC carrying the final round on Saturday, April 6 at noon. Golf Channel also will utilize its digital and news platforms to cover the championship, including debuting Golf Central’s Live From the Masters on April 5. Coverage will include showcasing the ANWA field’s experience during their practice round at Augusta National Golf Club, and recapping their first two competitive rounds at nearby Champions Retreat Golf Club.

CMT locked in a partnership with Bonnie Bernstein to produce a new multiplatform series that celebrates college football through the eyes of country music. The series, titled Country on Campus, will go behind-the-scenes with five artists, exploring the history behind the stars’ football loyalties and capturing their unique access to their favorite teams. Bernstein will host and executive produce the series, which debuts on Saturday on Hot 20 Countdown at 9a and features country superstar and lifelong University of Florida fan Dustin Lynch. Extended cuts will be distributed on CMT.com and shared via CMT and Hot 20’s social media channels.

Undefeated super featherweight and former amateur standout James Wilkins will make his live television debut on ShoBox: The New Generation on Sept. 21 immediately following the Showtime premiere of Cradle of Champions, a documentary chronicling Wilkins and the 2015 New York Golden Gloves boxing tournament. The back-to-back programs will begin at 8p.

NBC Sports delivers coverage of three marathons over the next month – Berlin, Chicago, and Amsterdam – beginning Sunday with live coverage of the Berlin Marathon at 3a on NBCSN. Live, commercial-free coverage of all three marathons will be streamed with a subscription to NBC Sports Gold’s “Track and Field Pass.” Paul Swangard calls the race alongside analyst Josh Cox on NBCSN.

MSG Networks announced that Erika Wachter is joining the MSG Networks broadcast team this season as its new host for New Jersey Devils telecasts. Wachter joins MSG Networks after working for the last two years as a sports reporter and host for FOX 5 New York and will now host all pre-game, intermission and post-game Devils coverage on MSG+, teaming up with former Devils captain and 14-year NHL veteran Bryce Salvador.

In Beta Research Corp’s annual Cable Subscriber Study, cable and telco TV, ESPN again ranked first or statistically tied for first on percent of adult and male viewers. ESPN was the No. 1 or statistically tied for No. 1 network in perceived value by network viewers who are men, adults 18-34 and 18-49, and total adults with household income $100,000+. Results from the June 2018 Beta Cable Subscriber Study were generated from an online survey across a national sample of cable TV and telco TV subscribers.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 2^nd Annual Cynopsis Short Form Video Festival

The Cynopsis Short Form Video Festival is searching for the most cutting-edge creatives from individuals and teams worldwide, including: production companies/studios, producers, networks, composers, lyricists, animators, video game developers/producers, website developers, mobile & app developers/producers, marketing companies, PR firms and more . Submissions will be judged by a panel of industry experts and finalists will be announced in mid-November.

SUBMIT VIDEOS

SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION

US Open winner Naomi Osaka is reportedly poised to land the biggest deal Adidas has ever made with a female athlete, following her win over Serena Williams. According to a report from The Times, the 20-year-old is expected to sign the deal on Thursday that is worth an estimated $8.5 million annually.

JBL expanded its footprint among NBA players and teams. In addition to welcoming back three-time NBA Champion and two-time MVP, Stephen Curry, two-time NBA All Star Andre Drummond and Kristaps Porzingis, JBL is also adding Giannis Antetokounmpo as an ambassador. Meanwhile, in addition to adding to current team deals with the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, the brand is announcing partnerships with the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat starting during the 2018-2019 season.

Stewart-Haas Racing partnered with Autodesk, to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 00 Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer and fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the Nov. 3 race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

DIGITAL & STREAMING

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association gave its website a makeover, revealing the new-look version yesterday. The modernized look highlights top stories around the WCHA, optimizes video content, provides real-time social media feeds, streamlines historical archives and features upgraded team and statistical data, while offering access to the Association’s live streaming and e-commerce platforms.

Puerto Rico’s premiere men’s professional basketball league BSN partnered with WSC Sports, for automated creation and distribution of video highlights. “We are excited to have the opportunity to use this platform to greatly improve our digital coverage and get our product out to our fans instantly,” said Fernando Quinones, President of BSN. “We thank WSC for reaching out to us during this difficult time, their impact has been overwhelmingly positive to our efforts as we continue to recover. This gives us an opportunity to effectively display our product, catch up with current technological needs and get noticed around the world.”

ESPORTS

In this week’s edition of Cynopsis Esports…

Twitch and FACEIT play London duos
Announcing this year’s Hall of Fame honorees
ESL unveils plans for season eight of Pro League
Breaking down NA LCS numbers
PUBG’s seven-figure year
August’s most viewed esports events

ROSTER MOVES

The Professional Fighters League hired Peter Vesey to serve as SVP, Global Brand Partnerships and Media Sales. Vesey joins the league after a career in the sports industry that includes NASCAR, UFC and most notably FOX Networks where he headed up ad sales for the UFC.

THE MAIN EVENT

TNF kicks off with Ravens/Bengals on NFL Network at 8:20p.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Cheers to the Tempest Finalists & “The Watch List” Honorees!

Winners to be announced at the Tempest Esports Business Awards Gala:

OCT 2 | 7PM – 9:45PM | The Luxor Esports Arena, Las Vegas

In addition to our talented category finalists, the event will spotlight “The Watch List” honorees. These are the esports executives whose creativity and innovation have put them at the forefront of the industry. Don’t take your eyes off these esports game-changers (click here to view “The Watch List”).

VIEW FINALISTS AWARDS EVENT REGISTER TODAY

ON THIS DAY in 1965: Willie Mays knocks 500th home run.

In the Know: Which network was the NBA’s first national broadcast partner? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)

Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: In which movie did Brett Favre portray Cameron Diaz’ ex-boyfriend? Answer: There’s Something About Mary. Kudos: Dev Sethi-Instagram/NY; Brian Schweibert-Publicis Media/NY; Jamie Euster-Endeavor/NY; Traci Liner-Endeavor/NY; C.J. Bottitta- BPPC, LLC/Apex; Lino Garcia-Amistad Entertainment/Miami; Peter Lasser-Lasser Productions/Atlanta; Jonny Codalata-CSM Sport & Entertainment/Zionsville; Randy Ingram-WISH/WNDY-TV/Indianapolis; Joe Lyons-ESPN/Dallas; Matt Fumagalli-NBC/Chicago; Kevin Micklo-Pinnacle Advertising/Chicago; Latrise Deruise-KDAF/Dallas; Wendy Holmes-KCNC-TV/Denver; Rich Wolfe-RichKraft/Scottsdale; Tom Tyrer-Circle Change Media/LA; Jeff Mirkin-Atari Studios/Santa Monica; Brian McAloon-The Jim Jeffries Show/LA; Tara Aviel-Access Media Services/LA

Later – Chris

Chris Pursell @VegasandVine
Roberta Caploe Publisher @robertacaploe	Diane K Schwartz Senior Vice President Media Communications Group	Cynopsis Ad Sales Mike Farina \| 203-218-6480 VP, Sales	Cynopsis Job Listings Sales Trish Pihonak \| 203-899-8459 Director of Operations

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OF THE DAY

SR MGR, DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION & GROWTH
NBC SPORTS
Stamford

Work w/internal/external partners to help drive the strategic digital initiatives. Coord modeling w/finance. Lead evaluation process; outline value exchange; 5 yrs exp media.

Full info/apply HERE

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/The Weather Group/NYC: Dvlp sales plans/packages for clients that meet the needs of the network, clients & sales staff. 2-3 yrs of ad sales ind exp (agency and/or sales) Media math req’d. Potential growth into Sales position. Full info/apply HERE (9/20)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL ADVERTISING SALES (Remote)ScoutPuppy Local: Nat’l digital advertising seeks sales reps & acct mgrs in multiple cities. Dependability, self-motivation, know how to sell & close deals a must. 2 yrs sales exp req’d. Dedicated co. growth oriented professionals only. Resumes to: [email protected] (9/20)

JOB OPENING: NATIONAL SECURITY & FINANCE REPORTER/NBC NEWS & MSNBC/NYC: Dvlp orig investigations cover breaking & dvlpng news & dvlp story ideas sources in multiple areas including law enforcement, security, and finance. 8 yrs+ exp investigative reporter, writer, producer and/or editor at a news org. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: SR PRODUCER/ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES/NBC NEWS/NYC: Resp for creating, producing & supervising segments. Asst in the supervision of the editorial vision of each day, incl suggesting stories & guests for the show. 7+ yrs exp live TV + 3+ yrs control room exp. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: SR MGR, DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION & GROWTH/NBC SPORTS/Stamford: Work w/internal/external partners to help drive the strategic digital initiatives. Coord modeling w/finance. Lead evaluation process; outline value exchange; 5 yrs exp media. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: SR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/The Basement/Indianapolis: Responsible for being primary strategic account lead. Work w/clients to gather direction, determine objectives, provide insight and manage budget. Results driven with great problem-solving skills. 10+ yrs account or agency exp. Full info/apply HERE (9/19)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH DIRECTOR, CONSUMER INSIGHTS/Showtime/NYC: 8+ yrs exp, Oversee mkt rsrch projects supporting mktg/advertising/strategy initiatives. Dvlp quantitative solutions (statistical analysis, segmentation) to address bus. questions. Exp working directly w/consumer data. Exc comm/presentation skills. Full info/apply HERE (9/18)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR/GSN/Santa Monica: 2-4 yrs. Dig Mktg exp. BA/BS. Dig mktg initiatives and social community management. Knowledge of Social Content Management Systems, Google Analytics & Social Analytics & Microsoft suite. Apply directly on www.gsntv.com/careers (9/18)

JOB OPENING: INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER/NBC NEWS INVESTIGATIONS/NYC: Exp’d producer w/ at least 8 yrs exp as an investigative reporter, writer, producer and/or editor at a news organization. Able to work under pressure, turn stories and thrive in a deadline-driven environment. Full info/apply HERE (9/18)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/WGN America/NYC: Build sales proposals to client and internal specifications. Monitor delivery of sales guarantees and steward appropriately. 1-2 years experience as a sales asst. Wide Orbit Network knowledge a plus. Full info HERE. Resume to [email protected] (9/15)

JOB OPENING: LIVE TV NEWS HEADLINE WRITER/MSNBC/NYC: Be on the front lines of producing and reporting the news for MSNBC by writing creative/ compelling live lower-third banner chyrons for dayside programming. 6+yrs exp in live TV (i.e. morning shows, cable shows, broadcast TV, etc.) or digital journalism. Full info/apply HERE (9/15)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/XUMO/NYC: Oversee mkt rsrch projects w/eye to identifying & crafting stories that support mktg, ad, business & sales initiatives 2+ yrs @ fast-paced web publisher, media agency, OTT or TV Network. Proficient w/synd media rsrch & analytics tools. Full info HERE. Resume to: [email protected] (9/15)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/XUMO/NYC: responsible for growing advertising revenue from an assigned list of ad agencies and regional territories.Mng, grow & maintain the nat’l advertising revenue derived from a specified group of ad agencies and assigned regional territories. 4+ yrs Nat’l TV or dig ad sales exp. Full info HERE. Resume to: [email protected] (9/15)

JOB OPENING: SR ANDROID ENGINEER/XUMO/Irvine CA: Exp’d Android engineer resp for writing code that adds capability & utility, but you’ll also take an active role in ensuring all aspects of your work can be achieved at massive scale. 3+ yrs of work exp building Android apps in Java using Android SDK. Full info HERE. Resume to: [email protected] (9/15)

JOB OPENING: SERVER ENGINEER (JAVA)/XUMO/Irvine CA: Design/create best-in-class, highly scalable backend server components using the latest development principles and tooling. 3-5 yrs Java with JEE and/or Spring, Spring Boot. Exp w/JMeter or similar load testing frameworks. Full info HERE. Resume to: [email protected] (9/15)

JOB OPENING: OPERATIONS ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST/A+E/Stamford, CT: Support content distribution, VOD,TV Everywhere, SVOD, OTT; research dev tech requirements, Metadata UAT, tech liaison to distribution, engineering, digital. 5-7 yrs studio, media supply chain and/or digital distribution exp. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)

JOB OPENING: REGIONAL ACCOUNT MGR/TLMD/PHOENIX: Develop sales revenue from new advertisers as well as maximize revenue from assigned list (active & non-active accounts). Min 3 yrs exp in the area of Media Sales. Ability to function in a confidential, fast-paced, multi-cultural environment. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/Owned Stations, Affiliate Relations, NBCU/McAllen TX: Generate revenue to the station and its web/digital product from both traditional and non-traditional prospects in the Rio Grande Valley market. Min 2 yrs exp in business development & direct sales. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)

JOB OPENING: SCHEDULING SPECIALIST, NETWORK OPERATIONS/TV One/Silver Spring MD: Maintain operational modules of programming database; assist in mngmnt of all the inherent processes of receiving/approving/preparing program material for air. 4 yr of Brdcst Ops exp a must. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, SCHEDULING & ACQUISITIONS/TV ONE/Silver Spring: Implement scheduling strategy across linear & non-linear platforms. Dvlp schedules & stunts that achieve ratings goals, assist in ntwrk acquisition strategy & meet both internal & ad sales goals. 5 yrs TV exp req’d cable ind pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)

JOB OPENING: MGR, NON-SCRIPTED DEVELOPMENT/JUMA ENTERTAINMENT/Bucks County PA: Exc opp for show dvlpr who wants to help grow co while in trenches of show. Support dvlpmnt team. Mult yrs exp non-scripted rsrch, casting, & writing req’d. Strong editing skills a+. 3+ yrs exp unscripted TV dvlpmnt &/or prod. Full info/apply HERE (9/14)