CYNOPSISSPORTS
10.17.16 Good morning. It’s Monday October 17, and this is your first early morning Sports briefing.
The ascent of action sports entertainment company Nitro Circus has moved higher in recent weeks. Coming off record audiences for July’s Nitro World Games, the company has since released a lineup of announcements that included the launch of Nitro World Games All Access on NBCSN last week, the upcoming partnership with truTV hit Impractical Jokers for a two-hour season finale on Nov. 3 that will be hosted by action sports star/Nitro circus co-founder Travis Pastrana, as well as a slate of licensing deals that have ranged from categories that include clothing, toys and most recently – videogames. The game deal sees the brand partner with Saber Interactive for a new a new video game property that will be available on all major platforms.
Cynopsis Sports spoke with Peter Maule, Nitro Circus’ Global Head of Licensing, about the company’s recent partnerships as well as the ties between fans of its shows and the videogame world.
Maule on launching a licensing division: When I joined the company in February ’15, we were basically starting from scratch. There wasn’t a single license or product anywhere in the world other than our standard tour t-shirts, hats and things. So it was a real chance to come in a build out a strategy that was focused on getting best-in-class partners that had a history of delivering innovation to their articular categories. It also was a chance for our team to find people that we wanted to work with that shared the same passion in the business and would be able to deliver some really cool products, whether it was in toys or apparel or another category.
On challenges: The biggest obstacle we had to overcome was the brand awareness. In our world, the executives at both the licensee side as well as at retail are not 34-year-old Travis fans. So the first eight months was about a lot of outbound presentations and getting the brand on people’s radar. Once they started getting into it, they would think that there was something compelling here but that was the biggest eye-opener for me coming in. Our brand is still not a household name. It is growing by leaps and bounds but I think that generally there is more comfort for people when they are making an investment in the licensing side of it to really know the brand.
On categories: From a brand point of view, it was important for us to get the headwear and apparel side involved because it has always been iconic in action sports what the athletes wear. That creates a great halo effect for us. It was also important for us to great into the video game world, and we just announced our partnership with Saber Interactive, which did Halo. They believe in the brand so much that they are actually going to fund the entire game themselves, which is a landmark deal because usually the brand has to go and hire a Saber to make the game for them. I believe having a presence in that area will be incredible for the brand.
On ties between Nitro Circus and the videogame world: What we do know is that our very core audience – which is includes our riders that’s what they do all day. They are out practicing, then they play video games and then they go out and use social media. We know that they are huge gamers. We are going to be very aggressive marketing to our core fan base. We are also looking to have a lot of fan engagement in the design of the game and it will be very collaborative. Phase two of our interactive strategy will be involve eSports.
The MLB postseason continues to push FS1 upward with Saturday’s NLCS Game 1 averaging over 5.9 million viewers to rank as the third most-watched telecast in channel history, projecting to score its highest-rated Saturday night ever with a 3.9 overnight score. Meanwhile, the Dodgers NLDS clinching win drew an average audience of over 4.5 million viewers on the sports channel.
ABC saw Ohio State’s comeback over Wisconsin drive Saturday Night Football deliver a 5.6 overnight rating, to top the overnight score among all sporting events across all networks on Saturday. The 5.6 overnight now ranks as the third best overnight of the 2016 season. Meanwhile, the noon game on the network pitting NC State/Clemson scored a 3.3, while regionalized coverage at 3:30p averaged a 2.4.
Topping the list of afternoon games on Saturday was the SEC on CBS, with the Alabama/Tennessee game generating a 4.1/9 in metered markets. That is up 14% over last year’s equivalent.
With hockey back in action, NBCSN saw its doubleheader coverage of NHL Face-Off on Wednesday night produce the most-watched regular-season doubleheader in network history. The double bill combined to average 696,000 viewers, up 3% percent over the previous record (679,000; 10/8/14; Flyers-Bruins and Sharks-Kings). The Blues win over the Blackhawks averaged 905,000 viewers, while the Sharks’ victory over the Kings averaged 484,000 viewers.
On the talent front, ESPN’s Chris Broussard declared on Friday that he would be the latest personality to depart for FS1 and would be leaving the network after 12 years. "Had a wonderful 12 yrs @ESPN. Can’t thank them enough for the support & opportunities they gave me. But time for a new chapter in my life,” he tweeted.
ESPN laid out its content plans for MLS’ “Decision Day” on Oct. 23, marking the final match-day of the regular season, ESPN will televise a match live, while ESPN2 will present a live whiparound show with highlights from all MLS matches not shown on Fox Sports 1 or Univision.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
Deadline to enter: Friday, October 21
3 Simple Steps to do Before the Deadline!
1) Select your Social Media Campaign
2) Complete the Entry Form
3) Process your Payment
SUBMIT NOW! .
GEICO signed on to serve as title sponsor of the State Champions Bowl Series, which sees high school football champions from different states face off in post-season bowl games televised live on ESPNU. Participating teams will play in a single game matchup, with a total of two games to take place at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Dec. 23. "The GEICO State Champions Bowl Series gives ESPNU yet another opportunity to showcase the next generation of college athletes," said Dan Margulis, ESPN Senior Director of Content Strategy and Scheduling. "This event, created by Paragon Marketing Group, will give fans more to enjoy during an already exciting time this football season."
The LA Kings penned a partnership with TP-Link, with the brand serving as one of three partners prominently featured on center ice at Staples Center. The China-based company will also host an interactive booth at all LA Kings Fan Fests where attendees can learn more about company’s offerings and play games.
Twitter saw TNF reach 3.1 million combined worldwide viewers for NFL package last week for pregame and the Chargers/Broncos battle. Viewers watched for a minimum of three seconds with that video being 100% in view. The average audience hit 300,000 according to the company.
MLBAM announced that this year’s American and National League Division Series hit record numbers including the Postseason’s highest ever average per game consumption mark with 26.4 million live minutes per game, according to MLBAM’s Live Digital Data Ratings. In addition, the MLB.com At Bat mobile app registered a Division Series record daily average of 8.5 million app starts.
FOX Sports debuts the new series The Rec League on Facebook Live on the FOX Soccer Facebook. Stu Holden and Rachel Bonnetta host at 2p with the show offering player interviews, highlights, soccer news and skits. “We are excited to partner with Facebook and bring our loyal FOX Soccer audience a new digital show that delivers a fresh perspective,” said Schnider. "Bonnetta and Holden are a dynamic and entertaining pair, and we look forward to ‘The Rec League’ becoming a go-to destination for soccer fans.”
FACEIT is opening the doors to Hi-Rez Studios’ Smite, announcing a partnership that launches the MOBA game on the platform this month. SMITE will initially be supported on PC and Xbox One with competitions set to include a slate of daily and weekly competitions. “The team has been working hard during the open beta to gather community feedback and improve the game integration. We are excited to be finally able to release the game on our platform to the whole community and are eager to work with Hi-Rez over the next year to grow their competitive community,” said Niccolo Maisto, CEO of FACEIT.
The Esports Championship Series will see its finals take place from Dec. 9-11, with the last two days of the tournament finals hosted at Anaheim Arena in California to mark the largest ever CS:GO event in SoCal. The top four qualifying teams from both North America and Europe will be vying for a prize pool of $750,000 on top of participation fees with the final streamed live on FACEIT’s official Twitch channel.
Indians/Blue Jays on TBS at 8p.
A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE
[CYNOPSIS TV AWARDS]
Click here
to see if you have what it takes to enter!
Questions?
Contact Sarah Martinez.
ON THIS DAY in 1964: The Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra.
In The Know: Which NFL team has officially retired the most jersey numbers? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company and city.)
Answer to Our Last Sports Trivia Question: What part of the ice was known as ‘Gretzky’s Office’? Answer: Behind the opponent’s net. Kudos: Bill Hirsh-Learfield/NY; Bruce Jackson-Disney and ESPN Media Networks/NY; Margaret LaMura-Dara-The CW Network/NY; Fran Rotella-Embassy Row/NY; Tim McNamara-11Alive/Atlanta; Troy Perlowitz-ESPN/Charlotte; Jerry A. Kapner-Kapner Group/Montclair; Laura Ward/River Vale; Andy Pittman-TAMU/College Station; Thom Sutton-Telemundo/Chicago; Mark Stulberger-Stully’s Broadcasting School/Houston; Jack Neumann-University of Calgary Dinos 5th Quarter football alumni/Calgary; David Hauptman/Denver; Matt Sautter-Imagine Communications/Denver; Judie Henninger-Valentine Productions/Santa Monica; David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/Burbank; Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/LA; Jason Kleinhein-Cox Reps/LA.
Later — Chris
Chris Pursell for Cynopsis | Sports @VegasandVine
10.17.16
Roberta Caploe: Publisher @robertacaploe
Diane K Schwartz: Senior Vice President, Media Communications Group
Cynopsis Ad Sales: Mike Farina | VP, Sales | 203-218-6480
Cynopsis Job Listings Sales: Trish Pihonak | Director of Operations | 203-899-8459
CYNOPSISJOBS – To view our full job listing online, please visit our webpage: cynopsis.com/classifieds/
JOB OPENING: TEMP COORD, AD SALES PLANNING/Smithsonian Channel/NY: Input ad schedules; handle schedule changes & make-goods. Provide admin support & asst w/client presentations. 1 yr ad sales coord exp. Strong orgnztnl/analytical skills & knwlg level PP, MS Word, Excel & Outlook. Apply HERE (10/22)
JOB OPENING: COORD, AD TRAFFIC/Smithsonian Channel/NY: Handle operational functions to support ad team. Prep logs, input spot tape data, deliver commercials to post prod svcs, sched. bdcast logs & coord. w agencies. 1 yr ad traffic exp. Strong comm skills & knwlg of PP, MS Word, Excel & Broadway. Apply HERE (10/22)
JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/FUSETV/NY: Create proposals in Ad Sales sys,monitor/steward accounts, support Nat’l Account Exec w/mktg and rsrch projects. BA, 2+ yrs media/sales plan’g req’d. click on our career page @ www.fuse.tv (10/21)
SITUATION WANTED: SENIOR ADV SALES EXECUTIVE: 20+ yrs exp. management and line, diverse background, broadcast, cable, syn, print [B2B]. Excellent presentation skills, start-up preferred New York/Conn. based, willing to travel or relocate. [email protected] (10/21)
JOB OPENING: SR SALES ANALYST/PLANNER/SIRIUSXM/NYC: Wide Orbit & Media exp req’d. 4+ yrs exp Pricing & Plan’g or sales analysis in media. 2 yrs exp w/inventory and avails reports, max rev, optimize, analyze ad rts, bld scheds. BA deg or equiv exp. Full info/apply HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER, MASS MEDIA/Charter/Stamford: Responsible for the strategic development, oversight and execution of effective advertising plans. This position requires extensive Media knowledge for both Traditional and Digital Media tactics. Full info/apply HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: MEDIA TRAFFIC SPECIALIST/Charter/Stamford: Create and maintain cross channel traffic instructions for internal marketing initiatives. This position ensures marketing advertisements air across various cable networks in accordance to monthly media plans. Full info/apply HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: CROSS CHANNEL MEDIA REPORTING ANALYST/Charter/Stamford: Responsible for data development and tracking for advertising measurement models. Maintain and administer database for enterprise wide mass media placement. Full info/apply HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: ANALYST, MEDIA RESEARCH/Charter/Stamford: Responsible for providing support with Media Research functions within the Media Department. This position is responsible for media research activities that will support media and marketing strategies. Full info/apply HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: FT PROGRAM HOST/QVC/Westchester PA: Friendly, credible & entertaining candidate w/strong exp hosting TV, digital, radio or live events. Intelligent, enthusiastic & a love for products a must. Must be quick on their feet w/ability to improv & engage. Elevated sense of style a must. Resume HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: MGR PARTNERSHIPS MARKETING SERVICES/World Surf League/NYC: Dvlp creative 360 integration ideas and global, regional, and media sales pitches. Mng coord to maintain all materials. 3-5 yrs integrated media/mktg exp. Sports exp a +. Exc PP/key note skills req’d. Resume HERE (10/20)
JOB OPENING: NETWORK ACCT EXEC/Estrella TV/NYC: Provide media and marketing solutions for advertisers and their agencies using EstrellaTV’s television network, social media, digital and event marketing assets. Minimum 3 years’ experience in areas cited above. Apply at [email protected] (10/20)
JOB OPENING: SVP DISTRIBUTION LEGAL/ION/NY: Exec Mgmt talent needed to spearhead strategic expansion through station affiliations nationwide. Resp for assessing risk and overseeing agreements. 5 yr Min law experience in entertainment, intellectual prop, licensing or rel subj matter. Apply (10/19)
JOB OPENING: PROGRAMMING MGR/Discovery/LA: Top notch go-getter to support and execute Discovery Channel programming strategies + oversee completed program acquisitions. Strategic planning, prog/aud rsrch. 3-5 yrs TV sched/rsrch exp req’d. Full info/apply HERE (10/19)
JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/The Cipher Brief/DC, NYC, ATL or Austin: Exp’d exec to help mng/grow long-lasting relationships w/corp sponsors who share interest in global security. Able to maximize rev opps & exceed monthly goals. 2-3 yrs digital sales exp w/strong knwldg future state of mkt. Full info/apply HERE (10/18)
JOB OPENING: SPECIALIST, TALENT MGMT/Discovery/LA: Exp. talent liaison to support talent team, troubleshoot talent issues, build talent + internal relationships. Exp. managing needs of VIPs. Detail oriented, problem solving, eager. 4+ years exp. in ent. Full info/apply HERE (10/18)
JOB OPENING: TALENT MGR/Discovery/LA: Exp talent manager to as primary liaison b/w Discovery on-air Talent & internal depts. Navigates talent issues, supports Discovery content, maximizes talent brands worldwide. Strong time management & interpersonal skills. 5+ yrs talent exp. preferred. Full info/apply HERE (10/18)
To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here.
%%PLUGIN_Unsubscribe: 2193667-unsub-generic%%
Copyright Cynopsis 2016
All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2016
