SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION
In Olympics news, Nabisco is making preparations as the Official Cookie and Cracker Sponsor of Team USA ahead of as the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Launching a theme of "Can't Miss Moments,” the brand is teaming up with two 2018 Team USA hopefuls, veteran alpine skier and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ted Ligety, and snowboarder Chloe Kim. Meanwhile, OREO, RITZ and Chips Ahoy! will each sport their own Team USA looks starting Jan. 21 with Team USA-themed packaging, with the iconic OREO cookies embossed with Team USA-themed emblems for a limited time as well as a #BitetoWinSweepstakes along with TV, digital and social media content campaigns and in-store recipe sampling.
Continuing the theme, Deloitte announced its sponsorship of 10 Team USA athletes and the United States National Sled Hockey Team ahead of the Winter Games. Athletes will include: Brittany Bowe (speedskating); Jason Brown (figure skating); Shani Davis (speedskating); Gus Kenworthy (freestyle skiing); Hilary Knight (ice hockey); Mikaela Matthews (freestyle skiing); Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled); Rico Roman (sled hockey); Nic Taylor (bobsled); and Danelle Umstead (alpine skiing).
Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment locked in a deal with the Western Athletic Conference for a multi-year, exclusive marketing and sponsorship rights partnership. VWSE’s Collegiate Services division will manage and market the multimedia rights associated with the WAC, as well as serve as the conference’s corporate sponsorship representative. “It was very important to partner with an innovative, aggressive company that also had a great understanding of the conference landscape and the assets of the WAC,” WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd said. “After a few conversations it was obvious that Van Wagner checked all of the necessary boxes, and we look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial relationship.”
Raycom Sports announced that GEICO has renewed as an Atlantic Coast Conference Official Corporate Champion. “GEICO has been an outstanding long-time partner of our league and we appreciate its support as one of our valued ACC Corporate Champions,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford.
Bill Murray’s golf lifestyle and apparel brand William Burray Golf announced its first-ever investment round, with investors that include tennis player Andy Roddick, Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, actors Ed Norton, Mark Paul-Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer, country music star Jake Owen, actress/model Brooklyn Decker, real estate magnate Mike Meldman and jewelry designer Kendra Scott. Their investment will help provide additional capital and raise awareness for the brand and support William Murray Golf, which has formed its own entity separate from its original parent company Chive Media Group.
DIGITAL & STREAMING
ATP and ATP Media announced that Amazon Prime Video will now serve as an official streaming partner of the ATP World Tour. The new deal covers the worldwide distribution of the Next Gen ATP Finals through Amazon Prime Video. Beginning in 2017, Amazon will have worldwide OTT rights (excluding China), and the full exclusive rights in the US, to distribute the Next Gen ATP Finals, outside of ATP’s OTT channel, Tennis TV and includes a commitment from Amazon to show all Next Gen ATP Finals matches produced by ATP Media.
Major League Baseball and Game Theory Group announced a partnership to offer post-playing career transition services and resources to Major and Minor League Players via the “Game Plan” platform. The alliance includes access to Game Plan’s platform that contains a career and mentor marketplace as well as assessment tools and on-demand learning modules that focus on life after sport and career development. The customized Game Plan platform will also be accessible to Major League Club personnel and other groups throughout the league.
The National Women’s Hockey League unveiled the “NWHL Twitter Game of the Week” schedule for the 2017-18 season, lining up 16 regular season games, the NWHL All-Star Game and two games of the pre-season NWHL/Team Russia Summit Series. The 19 games will be produced by the NWHL and will be exclusive to Twitter in the live windows beginning Oct. 15 with Team Russia/Connecticut.
MSG Networks and DIRECTV announced today that MSG GO, MSG Networks’ live streaming and video on demand platform, will be available to DIRECTV subscribers who receive MSG Networks as part of their pay television subscription in time for the upcoming NBA and NHL seasons. “We are pleased to expand our relationship with DIRECTV to include MSG GO, which provides DIRECTV subscribers with access to all of MSG Networks’ live game content, including our unparalleled lineup of NBA and NHL games in time for the upcoming seasons, as well as our other award-winning programming wherever they are,” said Adam Levine, executive vice president, business affairs and distribution, MSG Networks.
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced that WCHA.tv – the Association’s official online streaming platform – will feature up to 182 games featuring conference schools during the 2017-18 college hockey season with certain subscription packages offering multiple screen layout options for desktop users. A season pass runs $104.99 with single team packages running $89.99.
ESPORTS
ESL announced the launch of brand-new esports tournament platform Xbox Arena, available across Xbox consoles, Windows 10 PCs, Android and Apple iOS. The new features will allow competitive players and teams to browse through and sign-up to a variety of online competitions beginning with ESL’s European 1v1 Community Cup for Injustice 2.
The opening volley for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite’s esports tournament will see the winners of each qualifier be granted an “infinity stone” that will allow them to have abilities the go beyond typical in-game skills. The contest, dubbed Battle for the Stones, will see Capcom offer up $30,000 for the competition with 16 players in contention. In the announcement, tournament officials noted that if a player with the stone loses, that player’s opponent will then inherit the ability.
ROSTER MOVES
World Golf Foundation named James Cramer as Vice President of Communications. In his new role, Cramer will work closely with Steve Mona, CEO of WGF, on both GOLF 20/20 – a collaboration of leading industry organizations – and WGF public relations programs, including strategic planning, industry research and WE ARE GOLF – the game’s government affairs coalition.
THE MAIN EVENT
TCU/Oklahoma State on ESPN on Saturday at 3:30p.
