Tom Brady says more Hollywood projects are in his future after producing debut ’80 for Brady’

Anything Tom Brady touches produces a lot of headlines, and that trend stayed intact after a Hollywood Reporter story in February about 80 for Brady, his debut feature film as a producer.

What's the deal?

Confirmed when Brady was set to retire from the NFL—he’s since rejoined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to further cement his GOAT status—the film stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field for director Kyle Marvin and Paramount Pictures. The story follows four best friends and New England Patriots fans who take a trip to 2017’s Super Bowl LI to see their hero Brady in action.

In an interview for his latest Hertz campaign, Brady shared how the project landed on his lap, what it signals about his Hollywood ambitions and why he always aims to “over-deliver” on any project he touches: "I definitely see that as a part of my future and being involved in media and producing different projects and helping bring them to life. I’ve always loved being able to tell these stories, and I’ve told ’em personally, I’ve been a part of a lot of ’em I’ve been on camera for a lot of ’em, and off camera. I like to be involved."

The bottom line:

Added Brady, "I don’t know what the future holds for that, but at the same time I know that I have a very proactive group of people that are working hard to bring great things to life."

Read: Hollywood Reporter

Ally Bank pledges equal opportunity ad spend for men's and women's sports

Ally Financial, which is already a major advertiser in women’s athletics, has committed to closing the gender gap in its sports ad spending over the next five years. By next year, the bank plans to spend 40% of its sports advertising budget on women’s sports. Ally plans to reach parity between men’s and women’s sports by 2027.

“We believe that women’s sports provide outsized returns for business, and every dollar invested helps the Ally brand grow alongside it,” the spokesperson said. “Women’s sports fans are willing to engage with authentic brand sponsors and are more likely to listen to messages from brands that support their passions.”

Read: Adweek

Peacock to stream Kansas City Royals-Detroit Tigers game without announcers

NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood realizes that game telecasts without announcers have been attempted a couple times, mostly without success. He is hoping the July 3 game between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers on Peacock will reverse that trend. Peacock will not have any announcers in the booth for its streaming coverage of the AL Central matchup from Detroit's Comerica Park. Instead, reporters will take fans around the ballpark and view the game from different vantage points.

"The whole idea of this is treating a game completely different. We're going to take you out to the ballpark," said Flood, who is also the network's president of production. "We just want to be the ultimate fan's experience and spend it like anyone else. It's an American holiday celebration weekend. We're going to lean in and treat baseball like fans do." "MLB Sunday Leadoff" host and in-game reporter Ahmed Fareed -- who grew up in Michigan -- will be joined by Bally Sports Detroit analyst Craig Monroe and NBC Sports' Britney Eurton.

Read: ESPN

See you at Hashtag Sports 2022 in 2 weeks?

Hashtag Sports 2022 is the industry's can't-miss conference for sports x entertainment's doers and creators. Enjoy three days and nights of learning, networking, and celebration dedicated to the future of fan engagement.

Speakers include Iris Diaz (CMO, Dallas Mavericks), Les Green (CEO, SLAM), Kori Davis Porter (SVP Content Operations, NBA), Matt Leinart (Hall of GOATS, Co-Founder), Andrea Brimmer (CMO, Ally), and over 75 of the brightest minds in sports, marketing, and content. Book a limited time Buy One, Get One Free and join us July 12-14 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

How top NBA draft picks leveraged college marketing deals in their rise to the big leagues

The first anniversary of the NCAA enacting its NIL (name, image, likeness) policy is approaching, and student sports stars entering the NBA will take a valuable lesson with them: They know their worth.

Case in point: Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren were drafted first and second, respectively, in last week's NBA Draft. Both college stars signed several NIL deals during their lone amateur seasons, and the experience has invaluable for both as they become pros. Banchero and Holmgren joined other NBA draftees Jaden Hardy and Jalen Williams as partners for Philips Norelco’s Team OneBlade roster of incoming rookies.

Read: Adweek

Pokémon Go developer Niantic is making a real-world NBA game

Niantic has announced yet another new game, this time with its first foray into the world of sports. It’s called NBA All World, and it’s — as you’d expect from Niantic — a location-based game that also has augmented reality elements. The developer describes it as “NBA lifestyle meets the real-world metaverse.”

NBA All World looks a lot like Niantic’s other releases, filling up the map around you with various points of interest. The difference here is that they’re all basketball-themed instead of Pokémon-related. “We’re enveloping the world around you into a basketball universe, or what I personally like to call turning the real world into a basketball theme park,” senior producer Marcus Matthews explained in a presentation for the press. “Now, places and objects in the real world will become video game items; the convenience store near you has become a location to pick up stamina for your NBA player, the sporting goods store around the corner is the place to pick up the latest brand name shoe to customize your players.”

Read: The Verge

NHL partners with nostalgia sportswear brand Mitchell & Ness

The Details

The NHL, Fanatics and Mitchell & Ness announced an agreement giving Mitchell & Ness official rights to create apparel and accessories for the NHL and its 32 teams. Mitchell & Ness is an international lifestyle nostalgia brand that dates back to 1904, offering fans authentic throwback jerseys, licensed lifestyle products, street fashion apparel and headwear. It was acquired by Fanatics and a celebrity ownership that includes rapper Jay-Z and TikTok stars the D'Amelio family in February. "They [Mitchell & Ness] are an originalist, they look at the history of brands in sport and are very detailed about how they bring that history to life," NHL senior vice president of consumer products and licensing Jim Haskins said. "For hockey, our history is so rich. When you look back to the '60s, the '70s, the '80s, the class of '67 teams, the logos and the brands that came to life and the stories that were behind them, it is so rich with tradition and a lot of fun stuff." The NHL collection will launch in November and consist of lifestyle and streetwear products, including fan jerseys, outwear, fleece, headwear, tops and bottoms.

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