Editor's Note
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NESN, which broadcasts Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games, is the first regional sports network in the U.S. to launch a direct-to-consumer service outside the cable bundle.
What's the deal?
The option from NESN will allow subscribers to watch live games without paying for a cable subscription. The first deal of its type comes as millions of Americans are canceling pay TV subscriptions each year amid the growing popularity of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. NESN will charge $29.99 a month for streaming access to its network’s programming, which includes live games featuring MLB’s Red Sox and the Bruins of the NHL. The first month will cost $1 as a promotional price. An annual subscription costs $329.99 and includes eight tickets to any Red Sox game in 2022.
“We believe the direct subscription option will build on NESN’s reach in the region,” said Sean McGrail, NESN’s president and chief executive officer. NESN, which is majority owned by Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group, is seeking to win over a younger audience by offering a digital streaming alternative for Red Sox and Bruins games. But the service will be pricey relative to existing streaming services. Netflix and HBO Max, the most expensive global streaming services, have standard plans that cost about $15 per month in the U.S.
The bottom line:
Regional sports networks have to charge a significantly higher price for an out-of-cable service because of their agreements with cable TV providers, such as Comcast, Charter, and DirecTV. Cable providers have agreed to pay NESN a flat monthly fee based on estimates about viewership.
Read: CNBC
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The "Nickelodeon Slime Cup" is a fun, kid-centric golf event featuring some of the biggest names not only in professional golf but also in professional sports. Taking place on June 25, people who tune in can expect to see a seven-hole match on a tricked-out golf course made specifically for the viewing pleasure. Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, and Lexi Thompson will lead the four teams and partner up with other athletes, actors, and Nickelodeon stars. Joining the four captains are NFL superstar Justin Herbert who will play with Rahm as well as New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley who will compete alongside Thompson.
"Nickelodeon delivers a tee-rific golf competition with Nickelodeon Slime Cup, a brand-new special produced with key members from the team behind the popular made-for-TV golf franchise, The Match," Nickelodeon stated. "The hour-long special will feature four teams as they compete on a 'Nick-ified' golf course to reach an unpredictable final round taking place inside the iconic Rose Bowl stadium. Nickelodeon Slime Cup will simulcast on Saturday, June 25, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and Nicktoons."
Read: CBS
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One of the most concerning realities in women’s sports is that a crisis can swiftly destroy years of progress. While the men’s leagues weather storms with little impact on viewership, broadcast deals, sponsorship, and player compensation, women’s organizations don’t have that luxury, especially not when confronting deeper systemic problems, which can put the league, team, or governing body at risk of extinction. We saw this with USA Gymnastics, the NWSL and the NCAA, where the “go public and go loud” approach was deployed by athletes because there seemed to be no other option. The reverberations from this approach can damage delicate partner and broadcast relationships, and have potential generational impacts on the youth system.
The answer is clear: transparent communication processes, durable commitments from partners, ubiquitous operational strategy, and thoughtful choreography between players, teams, leagues, broadcast partners, and more. Major strides made by U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone and her focus on athlete institutional stability through transparency cannot be too soon forgotten or hailed as a merely positive moment—it is the bedrock of all future success. This foundation must and can be strong in the future to manage through difficult periods.
Read: Sportico
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The Hashtag Sports Awards presented with Budweiser recognize engagement excellence across content, campaigns and creators. This year's shortlist represent more than 150 brands, agencies, properties, and media companies spanning sports and entertainment.
We look forward to announcing winners at our live show's return to in-person, hosted by WWE Superstars Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods on July 12 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Grab your table or tickets today!
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PepsiCo Inc.’s Gatorade is dropping its NHL sponsorship to focus on women’s sports and college athlete deals, its global head of sports marketing Jeff Kearney said in a LinkedIn post. Gatorade signed a five-year deal with the NHL in 2018. Gatorade’s parent, PepsiCo, is refreshing its marketing spending across sporting events. On May 24, it announced that it renewed its multi-year National Football League partnership for its Pepsi, Gatorade, and Frito-Lay brands, but it will no longer sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show. “After ten years,” the Pepsi brand tweeted, “it’s time to pass the mic.”
“For us, the future of sport means continuing to invest in young and diverse athlete communities, cutting edge leagues, and embracing all athletic journeys,” he wrote. He cited the brand's endorsement deals with college athletes Paige Bueckers and Shedeur Sanders and its work with leagues such as Overtime Elite. “We’re already seeing the impact it makes, and there’s a lot more to come.”
Read: Bloomberg
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Cryptocurrency companies helped fuel the NBA’s sponsorship revenue to a record $1.6 billion in the 2021-22 season, according to estimates by IEG, a sports partnerships consultancy. That’s up 13% from the $1.4 billion in the 2020-21 season. In the 2018-19 season, the National Basketball Association raked in $1.2 billion in sponsorship money. Sponsorship agreements can include deals for arena-naming rights and for companies to put their names or logos on players’ jerseys.
“The cryptocurrency category’s sponsorship sending spree is like nothing we have ever seen before,” said said Peter Laatz, IEG’s global managing director. Crypto partnerships are now the second most lucrative sponsorship category for the NBA, behind only the technology category. Among the NBA’s crypto deals this season was a league agreement with crypto trading platform Coinbase. CNBC reported that the deal is worth $192 million over four years.
Read: CNBC
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- SOCIAL: Derek Jeter has finally joined social media, already amassing a huge following and conducting an ask me anything (AMA).
- HIRES: Global sports streamer DAZN has signed BT’s Pete Oliver as their new Chief Marketing Officer.
- CREATIVE: Inter Miami launched Adidas' MLS Primeblue kit with freedive photoshoot surrounded by stingrays.
- CULTURE: Aaron Donald explains why he signed with Kanye's Donda Sports.
- MEDIA: New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum joins ESPN as an NBA analyst.
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- Brand: Highdive
- League: NHL
- Spot: The Handoff
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NHL, NHLPA, Hyundai, Genesis announce multiyear Canadian partnership
The Details
Hyundai Auto Canada, Genesis Motors Canada, the National Hockey League Players' Association and the National Hockey League announced a multiyear partnership, naming Hyundai the Official Automotive Partner of the NHL and NHLPA in Canada, which includes the Genesis brand being the NHL and NHLPA's Official Luxury Automotive Partner in Canada. Launching this fall for the 2022-23 NHL season, the partnership represents the next evolution of Hyundai Canada's ongoing commitment to driving hockey forward. Since 2010, Hyundai has supported community programs that increase access to the great game for youth in underrepresented and marginalized communities.
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Share today's edition with a friend who believes the Warriors really only have a 14% chance of winning the NBA Finals.
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Emily Black
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5 min read
