LEADING THE CHARGE

At ESPN’s Media Day, Chairman Jimmy Pitaro proclaimed that ESPN is more than a network. And with the sports giant growing its presence on digital and social platforms, the stats back it up. From October 2023 to September 2024, ESPN social accounts recorded 8.5 billion engagements, its digital platforms recorded 111.8 million monthly uniques and ESPN+ had its most-watched days of college football, NHL game, college event and women’s college basketball regular season.

The spread across multiple platforms was a response to the linear cable bundle’s decline, prompting ESPN leadership to get its branding anywhere and everywhere. That’s a challenge considering how much competition is out there, so marketing and campaigns are a key component of the ESPN machine.

Which is where VP, Sports Marketing Curtis Friends comes in. Friends oversees ESPN and ESPN+ marketing efforts for NFL, college football, ACC Network, SEC Network, NBA, NHL and combat sports. He was previously with Procter & Gamble as a brand manager, notably working on the Head & Shoulders campaign with former Steelers great Troy Polamalu. We spoke with Friends about his strategy, and the changes he’s seen over the course of his career. Edited excerpts from the conversation are below.

What’s your approach to overseeing ESPN marketing efforts, especially since you oversee a wide range of sports properties?
There’s a fun part of it, and then there’s a regimented part of it, which is also fun to me, but I think that’s a little bit because I’m a sports marketing nerd. The fun part is just finding out where the fan is, and the reason why it’s fun is because we’re all fans, right? We’ll go through and in any call that we have, we’ll just start out and talk about sports. It’s just interesting to hear about different parts of sports—whether that relates to the time of day, whether that relates to the region or whether that relates to the specific team of a player or the players’ contract, or whatever it is off the field [such as] culture, music, how that intersects where that player is from, how that impacts his play. There’s so much to talk about, and I think our marketing has to start with that, and that gets to the regimented part of it. Everything we do has to be authentic … the moment that you lose that authenticity is the moment that a fan picks up the wrong logo, you’re trying to fake something in terms of a team or whatever it is. That part always stuck with me and really carried us

How do you ensure campaigns resonate with fan bases across different leagues and sports?
Each sport is unique. Each team is unique. Maybe it is a universal insight that we have to arrive at—but in sports, it’s almost right in front of you. It’s not even an insight, there’s no real tension, it’s just truths. So going through and finding the truth. And how do you do that? Consuming sports … when you do that, then you can start to connect with fans where they are … I do see myself in the work, but more so like I see my team and the diversity of my team within the work too.

What are the differences between campaigns that are focused on a platform like ESPN+ versus something that’s linear?
We’ve seen over the last decade people are consuming sports in different ways, and it’s becoming more fragmented. I still think by and large, live sports people prefer—whether it’s a stream or broadcast from their cable package—[to watch] on the big screen like a big screen in the living room. But I think that the fan mindsets are still the timeless piece of it … I have to think about my promotion in different places. Maybe that’s on social, maybe that’s out-of-home or whatever it is, I have to think about the media placements a little bit differently. And then maybe there’s an adjustment in messaging just based on that platform.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro talked a lot about personalization at ESPN Media Day. What does personalization mean for ESPN from a marketing perspective?
Without sounding too redundant, I think that comes back to authenticity again. The way that sports fans prepare for games and the way that there’s specific parts of music—not even a specific song, but specific clips of music to get hyped up for a game or for work or whatever that is. That’s the tweak in terms of customization. It’s not AI customization that’s necessarily there, but it is a specific type of attribute of the fan journey all the way to the event and through the event that we try to tap into and then customize it. Some of my favorite videos are 90-second compilation clips, and we’ll go through every single clip and just talk about what that means and how that represents the fan base. If I’m going to shoot something, for instance, I make sure that the actors and actresses are sports fans and can talk it, because the way that they may say a cheer or not say a cheer, that cadence is totally different

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

The latest twist in the Diamond Sports bankruptcy saga could bode well for the beleaguered company. Diamond announced that it reached a long-term commercial partnership with online gambling company FanDuel that’ll see the former Bally Sports RSNs be renamed to the FanDuel Sports Network. The deal’s details include the 16 regional networks as well as the Bally Sports direct-to-consumer product, linear and digital media placement and integration opportunities across all live NBA, NHL and MLB games on FanDuel Sports Network, a shared commitment to looking at a unified DTC app experience with the ability to syndicate FanDuel TV programming across FanDuel Sports Network and FanDuel to have reseller designation for Diamond’s DTC product and additional economic and equity elements. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

“Collaborating with FanDuel provides a tremendous pathway for Diamond to elevate the fan experience and deepen the incremental value we provide for our team, league and distribution partners,” Diamond Sports CEO David Preschlack said. “This partnership reinforces opportunities to further strengthen the close connection our RSNs have with local fans, including enhancing our DTC offering for a growing digital audience. In the meantime, having finalized agreements with the NBA, NHL and our key distributors, we remain focused on moving our business forward and driving value for our team partners and our stakeholders.”

Up next for Diamond Sports and its bankruptcy process: a hearing on Nov. 14 to determine if its amended plan will be approved.

SUPER BOWL PLANS

FOX Deportes and Telemundo will air Super Bowl LIX live in Spanish. The two reached an agreement to broadcast the event on Feb. 9 from New Orleans, giving it the broadest Spanish-language distribution in the U.S. for any Super bowl in history. The network will produce separate broadcasts for the game. Coverage details will be announced in the lead-up to the game.

We caught up with Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing for Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch, to talk about the sponsorship and what Anheuser-Busch hopes to achieve with the collaboration.

What is Busch Light’s goal with the sponsorship?
Busch Light has had roots in cowboy culture dating back to its commercials in the 1980’s featuring the beloved ‘Head for the Mountains’ jingle. Through the brand’s partnership with PBR and sponsorship of Derek Kolbaba, Busch Light is honoring those deep roots while continuing its support of our country’s farmers and ranchers. Getting in the arena was a natural fit.

How does Derek Kolbaba align with the brand?
Not only is Derek a rising star in the world of professional bull riding, capturing the hearts of fans with his impressive performances – but he also has the same passion for championing the country’s agricultural community as Busch Light. When we learned that Derek supports our country’s farmers and ranchers as much as Busch Light, we were so proud to partner with him!

What kinds of fan experiences can we look forward to?
Busch Light’s sponsorship of Derek Kolbaba and partnership with PBR reflects the brand’s commitment to investing in experiences that authentically resonate with its fans. Busch Light will be showing up at PBR events across the country while fans sip on their favorite beer, providing access to the fastest-growing, high-action athletic competition in the US like never before. We’re looking forward to working together as a team with PBR and Derek to find innovative ways to use our platform to spotlight the sport Derek and our commitment to the fans – and can’t wait to crack open a cold one to celebrate his big wins this season!

GETTING TECHNICAL

WMT Digital is integrating WSC Sports’ in-app stories product into its tech stack. The move will allow social-first content experiences for its partners’ sports applications. BYU will be the first college to utilize the offering for its official BYU Cougars mobile app. In-app stories allow organizations to insert a vertical video experience within O&O digital platforms, letting fans engage with content in a familiar style. Additionally, fans will get opportunities to consume personalized content in real-time.

TeamLinkt launched an AI assistant for youth sports. Called “Emi,” the product will help automate time-consuming tasks that sports administrators and volunteers deal with such as scheduling games and tournaments, to team communications, content creation and payment collections. Organizations that are pioneering Emi include Under Armour Rise Flag Football and Football Canada.

MEDIA RIGHTS MAYHEM

TNT Sports and the professional 3-on-3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled signed a multi-year media rights partnership that’ll have live games aired on TNT and truTV while also having all games streamed on Max. The deal will kick in for the league’s inaugural season, which begins Jan. 17. More than 45 regular-season games are set to air in primetime across three nights per week. Games will air on TNT on Mondays and Fridays, with additional truTV broadcasts coming on Saturdays. Also part of the deal is TNT Sports agreeing to invest an undisclosed amount in Unrivaled.

BY THE NUMBERS

The WNBA drove a record $136 million in sponsor media value during the regular season, according to Relo Metrics’ 2024 WNBA Brands Insight report. Brands were beneficiaries of various improvements like WNBA-branded TikToks having a 470% increase in engagement per post compared to 2023 in addition to a 571% increase in WNBA mentions across digital channels. That’s mainly thanks to a rookie class led by Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink. Speaking of Clark, 45% of total broadcast value came from Indiana Fever games. Eleven of 12 WNBA teams saw an uptick in engagements per social media post compared to the previous season. The full media value of all WNBA team social accounts increased by $49 million due to the engagement boom. Brands that earned the highest social media value for the 2024 season include Nike (over $30 million), AT&T ($12 million) and Michelob Ultra ($9.3 million). On the broadcast side, TV viewership increased by 60% for ABC, 47% for CBS and 156% for ESPN. The most popular regular-season game came Aug. 18 when the Fever-Storm contest was viewed by more than 2.7 million people.

ESPN wrapped up the 2024 WNBA season with its most-viewed WNBA Finals in 25 years. The finals averaged 1.6 million viewers on ESPN platforms, up 115% compared to 2023. That followed the most-viewed regular season ever on ESPN platforms with an average of 1.2 million viewers—up 170% vs. 2023. Other ratings milestones the league accomplished this year include the WNBA Draft having 2.4 million viewers (up 328% YOY) and “WNBA Countdown” averaging 429,000 viewers (up 80% YOY).

Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State had the largest primetime audience for a regular-season Big Ten football game since 2008. The game averaged 10.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Digital. Viewership peaked at 13.4 million in the game’s final minutes (10:45-11pm). Top markets included Columbus, Cleveland, Portland, Cincinnati and Detroit.

MAHOMES’ BASEBALL COLLAB

Chiefs and NFL star Patrick Mahomes and adidas released the Mahomes 2 x NLBM Collection with the Kansas City-based Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The collection honors the 100th anniversary of the first Negro League World Series, which was won by the Kansas City Monarchs in 1924. Each part of the collection is inspired by the uniforms and colors that were worn by legendary Monarchs players, including a new NLBM colorway of the Mahomes 2 training shoe and a retro-style Monarchs jersey, hoodie and hat. Proceeds from the collections’ sales will benefit the NLBM.

PARTNER UP

The New York Jets signed a multi-year deal with Visa and Cash App to promote the Cash App prepaid debit card, with Visa and Cash App serving as the presenting partners of the Jets Rewards platform. Visa and Cash App branding will be included in all promotions of Jets Rewards on the Jets app. It’s the first-ever sponsorship for Cash App within the NFL.

LIV Golf signed a three-year partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency to form sport-for-protection programs for refugees and internally displaced people and their host communities. As part of the partnership, LIV Golf committed $10 million to increase access to sport and education for up to 1 million forcibly displaced people in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. It will also create golf and play-based activities focused on improving the quality of life for those at risk.

“We have seen firsthand that it can provide displaced children and youth with a sense of purpose and inspiration at a time of great personal upheaval,” Khaled Khalifa, UNHCR’s Senior Advisor and Representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, said. “Sports bridge communities and fosters team spirit, well-being, and community cohesion, especially for people who have been forced to flee their homes and their host communities.”

Campbell’s Chunky Soup is working with the Bengals on a special edition collection of soup cans. The team will have its logo and team colors on the cans, which will be available in-store only in the greater Cincinnati area from now until the end of 2024.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Phil Simms is partnering with Balance of Nature and Arthritis Knee Pain Centers. Simms will be a national spokesperson and goodwill ambassador for the former while also serving as goodwill ambassador for the latter.

NBC Sports and America’s Navy announced a new title partnership for the All-American Bowl that will see America’s Navy reach high schools across the country through a jersey presentation tour. All 100 All-Americans will have live and virtual jersey presentations released weekly through NBC Sports social platforms.

DEALING IT OUT

ESPN and SiriusXM are giving their respective subscribers a gift. Select SiriusXM subscribers in the U.S. are now able to get up to a six-month subscription to ESPN+, and new and existing ESPN+ subscribers in the U.S. will be eligible for a six-month subscription to SiriusXM’s streaming-only service. ESPN+ subs will have access to SiriusXM’s full library of content. For SiriusXM users, the offer will begin with Platinum VIP customers before expanding to additional tiers next month.

MERGERS & MOVEMENT

Sony acquired KinaTrax, which boasts motion capture technology for sports that collects in-game biomechanical performance data on athletes. KinaTrax will be integrated into Sony Sports’ businesses. KinaTrax joins other entities including Hawk-Eye, Beyond Sports and Pulselive as members of the Sony Sports portfolio.

TALENT MOVES

ESPN signed former NFL MVP Cam Newton to join “First Take” alongside Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim.

Elsewhere in ESPN’s world, the net found its replacement for the now-retired Adrian Wojnarowski. It wasn’t necessarily the biggest surprise that the sports giant landed Woj’s scoops rival Shams Charania, who’s now ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider. He’ll report on news and information across ESPN platforms, including ESPN.com, ESPN+, “SportsCenter,” “Get up” and other programs. Charania was previously with FanDuel TV, Stadium, The Athletic and Yahoo Sports.

Get ready for CES 2025 with the Cynopsis Industry Newsletter—your go-to source for daily recaps and breaking news from the biggest event in tech and media. Our newsletter will be hitting inboxes from January 7-11, providing concise, must-read updates in true Cynopsis style. With 85,000 opt-in users, 4 banner ads, and guaranteed editorial mentions, it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand with 100% Share of Voice (SOV). Lock in your sponsored ad spots now and make sure your message stands out during CES!

Contact Albert Nassour to reserve your premium placement.

Dude Perfect, the entity that skyrocketed to fame for its trick shots, announced its next CEO. Andrew Yaffe will take the reins and build upon the community and fan relationship the company has built for the last 15+ years. Yaffe previously held several leadership positions at the NBA, with his most recent role being EVP, Head of Social, Digital and Original Content.

Jo Fox is joining ESPN as SVP, Marketing. She’ll manage strategic leadership for the marketing team and help drive brand awareness, fan engagement and the growth of revenue across ESPN platforms. She comes from Comcast NBCUniversal where she was SVP, Consumer and Content Marketing.

ON THIS DAY

1960: Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) made his professional boxing debut. He won a six-round bout against Tunney Hunsaker. Clay/Ali would go on to post a 19-0 record over the next three years before finishing his career with 61 total fights, 56 wins (37 by KO) and just five losses.

2008: The Phillies defeated the Rays in Game 5 to clinch the team’s second World Series title. Cole Hamels earned that year’s World Series MVP award after winning Game 1 and pitching six innings in Game 5.

2014: The Giants defeated the Royals in Game 7 to win the team’s third World Series in five years and eighth overall. Madison Bumgarner, who shut out the Royals in Game 5 and then tossed five scoreless innings in the series’ final game, won the World Series MVP.

2018: Klay Thompson broke the NBA record for the most three-pointers made in a game (14) as the Warriors defeated the Bulls 149-124. The record was previously held by Thompson’s then-teammate Steph Curry.