Disney sees streaming gains, autos increase Super Bowl ad presence and Oak View Group expands its London footprint.
David Albright:
If you stayed up very late to watch the Olympics, your time was well spent, with spectacular gold medal performances by Nathan Chen in the free skate and Chloe Kim in the women's halfpipe, not to mention the start of the men's hockey tournament, where Team USA begins play this morning against China. But now it's time to buckle up and power through, because the NBA trade deadline is today at 3:00 PM Eastern.
Good morning, it's Thursday, February 10th, and this is your SBJ Morning Buzzcast. I'm David Albright filling in for Abe Madkour. Disney reported quarterly earnings after the markets closed Wednesday, and CEO Bob Chapek confirmed the company will be bidding for the NFL Sunday Ticket package. The news comes on the heels of recent reports that Apple was aggressively going after the same package. Chapek's acknowledgement of the Sunday Ticket bid comes as Disney reported that costs at all of its streaming and linear businesses were on the rise, driven by increasing production costs and sports rights. Disney reported that ESPN+ added 4.2 million subscribers last quarter to reach 21.3 million subscribers, up from 17.1 million previously. Disney+ gained nearly 12 million subscribers and now sits at just under 130 million.
Meanwhile, Peyton and Eli Manning also have extended their relationship with ESPN on the heels of the Manning Cast success story. The brothers will add a fourth year of their Monday Night Football telecast to extend through the 2024 season. The agreement also calls for the creation of similar programs alongside UFC matches, college football and golf, using other hosts and produced by Omaha Productions in collaboration with ESPN.
Much of the retail licensing for Super Bowl Week in LA is being handled by Legends, which is administering merchandise and food and beverage sales with a total of 3,000 workers across SoFi Stadium, and 12 trailers outside the venue. There's also NFL shop stores at 30 hotels, four popup retail sites, and a massive 30,000 square foot detail emporium adjacent to the Super Bowl Experience at the Downtown Convention Center, which Legends Hospitality president Dan Smith tells our Terry Lefton will have thousands of SKUs, 40 points of sale, and see various licensees customizing products.
Five auto brands are currently set to run ads during Super Bowl 56 on NBC, which sees the category improved from last year when only three ran ads, according to our Mike Boylan. Kia makes its return after skipping out on 2021, running a 60 second spot during the third quarter that promotes its new EV6 electric vehicle. GM and Toyota continue their ad streaks at three and five years respectively, the GM spot features actors Rob Lowe, Mike Meyers, Seth Green and Mindy Sterling returning to their roles from the Austin Powers films.
Toyota will highlight Canadian Paralympic skier Brian McKeever in its 60 second spot. Also, returning to the game are Nissan and BMW, who both last ran Super Bowl ads in 2015. Nissan is running a 60 second spot during the fourth quarter that features actors Eugene Levy, Bree Larson, and Catherine O'Hara. BMW will air a 60 second spot featuring Arnold Schwartzenegger and Selma Hayek promoting the brand's electric vehicle. Check back with SBJ's Daily Edition on the latest regarding new advertisers and new creative for the Super Bowl, as well as a rundown on where each advertiser will have spots during the game.
The NFL formally announced it will play its first regular season game in Germany during the 2022 season. The game will take place in Munich at Bundesliga Club, Bayern Munich Stadium. The participating teams and the date of the game were not announced. The league also has committed to a four year deal to play an annual game in the country. Munich will host two games, while Frankfurt will get the other two. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also said the league will return to Mexico City in 2022, after not playing in Mexico this past season.
The English FA has hired Oak View Group to expand and diversify Wembley Stadium's sponsorship content, and other opportunities. OVG also revealed that it is partnering with the Jacksonville Jaguars to represent the team on its UK based commercial opportunities when it plays in England. The Jags will play at Wembley this fall for an eighth time. OVG previously worked with the Saints to sell the naming rights of the Superdome to Caesars. OVG's presence in England also includes its work developing Co-op Live in Manchester, as well as partnerships it has with Royal Albert Hall, Ascot Race Course, and Silverstone.
Evil Geniuses continues to hire seasoned sports execs to grow its business, with the eSports team now adding Leonard Edwards as VP and Head of Global Partnerships, reports our Trent Murray. Edwards was most recently with the New York Islanders and helped the team bring on big brands like Hyundai to sponsor the team's new UBS Arena. Edwards in his new role will lead all of Evil Geniuses' sales efforts. The eSports team also recently added Caroline Young, previously with the WNBA LA Sparks, as Director of Corporate Partnerships, and Daryl Vales, previously with the Lakers, as Partnerships Manager.
We'll end on a public service note. Sports Business Journal's 2022 Celebration of Service Award recognizes the power sports has on improving society and in building community. This award honors those organizations who have led the way in exemplifying how sport is a catalyst for social change, who have both demonstrated innovation and provided inspiration through the power of sports. Do you know an organization using the power of sports as a vehicle for good? Go to sportsbusinessjournal.com and search Celebration of Service Award. Nominations will close on March 14th. And that's your SBJ Morning Buzzcast for Thursday. I hope everyone has a great day, and we'll see you back here tomorrow morning.