SPONSORSHIP & PROMOTION
Pop Warner Little Scholars and DICK’S Sporting Goods are teaming up for a new partnership in a move that makes DICK’S the Official Sporting Goods Retailer, Official Football Uniform Provider, Official League Registration Provider, Official National Data Center Provider and Official Technology Provider of Pop Warner and its teams, squads and participants. DICK’S will also become Participating Sponsor of the Pop Warner Regional Championships and Pop Warner Super Bowl, as well as the National Cheer & Dance Championships.
The LA Clippers and Smart & Final Stores are teaming up on a new deal that makes the chain the official grocery and warehouse partner of the team as part of the West Coast-based retailer’s “ongoing efforts to place food, community and people at the forefront of its unique shopping model. The warehouse grocery store recently invited Clippers forward Sam Dekker to its Downtown Los Angeles location to surprise shoppers as part of the announcement, with other activations set to include an ongoing series of in-store promotions and contests.
TaxSlayer inked a deal to pick up naming rights to the Illinois Quad City Civic Center Authority’s 12,000 seat multi-purpose arena and conference center located in Moline, Illinois. The venue, formerly known as the iWireless Center, will be renamed TaxSlayer Center starting Oct. 1. The deal, brokered by Impression Sports &Entertainment, has a total term of 10 years for a full value of over $3.3 million.
Virgin Sport detailed its lineup of activations for athletes and fitness fans from title sponsor ASICS at the upcoming Festival of Fitness, Virgin Sport San Francisco, taking place on October 14 & 15. Participants will be treated to a slate of unique experiences at the ASICS pop-up in the Go Fit Yourself Lineup at Civic Center, including a carnival style race activation, novelty shop and lounge. ASICS athlete and top CrossFit coach Rosario Rios Aguilar will also make an appearance to lead a "Butts & Guts" workout. Heading into the festival weekend, ASICS will be hosting a participant bib customization station at Sports Basement, where attendees will be able to put their own take on the #IMOVEME brand tagline.
DIGITAL & STREAMING
Facebook and ASBN locked in a partnership to live stream 17 high school football games this fall to fans on Facebook’s Watch platform. The first game will be tonight’s matchup between two California powerhouses in De La Salle and Bishop O’Dowd. Other teams that will be featured include Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Each broadcast will feature interactive elements such as live curated chats with a social production team and correspondents present at each game and work to interact with the Facebook audience.
DraftKings announced its first integration with Amazon’s Alexa. “Ask DraftKings,” serves as a free DFS-oriented service to be offered this NFL season, bringing real-time and historical DraftKings’ fantasy stats to millions of sports fans’ homes through Amazon’s voice service. Through this integration, customers in the US and UK can ask DraftKings Skill for Alexa questions about specific players including DraftKings fantasy points earned, touchdowns scored, net yards and overall stats both in real time and historically.
ESPORTS
NRG Esports was the recipient of some high-profile investment, announcing on Twitter that Jennifer Lopez, Marshawn Lynch, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Strahan were now investors. ESPN reports the team is closing a $15 million Series B financing round. Other names investing include Twitter chief operating officer and former NFL chief financial officer Anthony Noto, Sacramento Kings minority owner and Sacramento Republic owner Kevin Nagle, and Fortress Investment Group chairman Pete Briger, all of whom are based in the Bay Area.
Twitch inked a partnership with North for an exclusive streaming alliance. The multiyear deal will see some of the World’s best CS:GO players start streaming on the platform. As part of the deal, North’s players will be streaming from their practice facilities in Telia Parken, as well as from home. “Media rights and live content are cornerstones in the professional sports business, as well as in esports. In Twitch we have found a strategic partner that share our vision for the future of livestreaming” said North CEO, Christian Sorensen.
The Electronic Gaming Federation recruited the state of Connecticut for the company’s high school esports league, EGFH. Dot Esports writes that the decision by the Connecticut Association of Schools will mark the first state to enroll in the league. “It ‘s been an honor to work with CAS to bring esports to schools across the state in a way which creates new opportunities for students who love gaming,” says EGF’s CEO and founder Tyler Schrodt. “There’s still a lot of work to be done but we’ve seen incredible support from students and administrators and we’re excited to use Connecticut as the example as we work with other states and cities to do the same.”
WorldGaming opened registration for its upcoming Madden NFL 18 Canadian Challenge sponsored by Xbox. The tournament will feature a $20,000 cash prize with qualifying games starting tomorrow. The top 16 players will advance to the online playoffs on October 21, 2017. The final eight winners will be flown to Toronto for an all-expense paid trip for the Live Championships on Nov. 5. “Passionate gamers love the Madden NFL series, a legacy unmatched in competitive gaming, which is why we’re so excited to present the Madden NFL 18 Canadian Challenge,” says Wim Stocks, General Manager of WorldGaming. “This is where the best and brightest Madden gamers go all-out on the field. Players can expect a competitive tournament experience they won’t find anywhere else!”
ROSTER MOVES
Time Inc. promoted Daniel Leonard to Director of Brand Communications for Sports Illustrated Group and Life VR. In this role, Leonard reports to Lenore Moritz, who recently joined as Vice President, Publicity for Time Inc.’s video and television divisions.
THE MAIN EVENT
Clemson/Virginia Tech on ABC on Saturday at 8p.
