Warner Brothers Discovery said that Ford, Harbor Freight and Universal Pictures have signed up as new sponsors for “Shark Week,” the predatory programming event in its 36th year.

Advertisers back for another bite as Shark Week sponsors include Gorilla Glue, PNC Bank, Sherwin Williams and Universal Pictures.

Last year's Shark Week sponsors included Budweiser, Chili's and Domino's

Many Shark Week advertisers receive custom video and promotional elements like tagged tune-in spots, billboards, in-program messaging and streaming collections as part of their sponsorships.

PNC Bank-sponsored billboard will run across Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable networks Discovery Channel, TBS, HGTV and Food Networks.

Sherwin Williams will have sponsored vignettes running on Discovery, TBS and TNT.

“Shark Week is a pop-culture phenomenon that has become synonymous with summer programming, and our viewers  look forward to the entertaining, innovative shark-themed programming year-after-year,” said Greg Regis, executive VP, advertising sales at Warner Bros. Discovery. “It provides an opportunity for our partners to connect with engaged audiences live,  across devices, networks and platforms, to develop integrative messaging that resonates with consumers.”

Shark Week, running from July 7 through July 13 on Discovery Channel and streaming on Max, will feature 21 hours of new programming. 

John Cena will be this year’s Shark Week host.

Programming highlights include the next chapter of Belly of the Beast, Monster Hammerheads: Species X and Great White Serial Killer: Sea of Blood, which investigates a massive shark that  decapitates its victim and terrorizes a local village. 

Last year, Discovery Channel was the top ranked network in all of television with adults 18-49 and men 18-49 on the first night of Shark Week.

More than 5.3 million total viewers watched Shark Week programming across Discovery Channel, Max and discovery plus on its first night. Shark Week accounted for an 18% lift in overall streaming. Shark Week 2023 also generated 191 million total social impressions. 

Relo Metrics said it will integrate VideoAmp’s viewing data into the Relo Metrics sponsorship analytics platform.

Relo Metric said it works with about 55% of top-tier sports leagues including MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS. The platform uses artificial intelligence to enable real-time decision-making by detecting logos on player uniforms, benches, signage and other on-field locations.

"We're creating a new measure  of value based on highly accurate content viewing metrics along with demographic attributes allowing us to present exposure value in terms of impressions, which is critical as the viewership continues to grow while fragmenting," said Jay Prasad, CEO at Relo Metrics. "Being able to now value exposure in terms of household impressions is critical for accurate measurement. Lastly, this integration for the first time will allow the market to understand the total reach of live sponsorships alongside advertising in sports, this will be a big unlock of value for years to come.  

VideoAmp commingling methodology joins various data inputs like set-top box data (STB) with  smart TV data from ACR providers. The integration with Relo Metrics further propels the entire industry towards a more accurate understanding of advertising spend and performance. 

“Sporting events have long captivated mass audience viewership and it’s become increasingly clear that accurate representation of viewership is critically important. We’re thrilled to be working with Relo Metrics in a way that gives brands and advertisers a clearer understanding of what their exposure looked like for a given event and what the value of that exposure was. We look forward to further developing this relationship and creating even more value for all parties in the advertising ecosystem,” said Michael Parkes, President at VideoAmp. 

Over Memorial Day weekend, retailer Ashley Furniture sponsored a collection of hot programming titles on Vizio’s home screen. 

The result was a lot of people looking at tables, chairs and couches at the company’s stores, Vizio said.

Ashley had previously bought connected TV ads from Vizio. It found that having a “presented by” sponsorship on the first screen viewers see when they turn on the TV, gave its advertising a boost.

Also Read: NewFronts: Vizio Launches Branded Content Studio and Sponsored Series

Based on foot traffic data from Foursquare, while the home screen sponsorship accounted for only 14% of  Ashley’s total impressions, it generated 57% of in-store visits.

Ashley also enjoyed higher conversion rates and a lower cost per visit with the home screen sponsorship.

“Brands like Ashley Furniture are increasingly seeing the benefit of Vizio’s home screen as a powerful piece of real estate for connecting with audiences through the content discovery process,” Vizio group VP of advertising and data sales Adam Bergman said. 

The sponsorship allowed Ashley to present its brand message in a helpful and positive light, avoiding the pitfalls of interruptive advertising. The Home Screen sponsorship also occupied valuable TV real estate, driving overall brand awareness and creating a more engaging and contextual experience for consumers, Vizio said.

“Whether it’s presenting individual programs or entire categories of themed content, Vizio Ads has created an elegant solution for brands and programmers alike to benefit from the attention the Home Screen receives the moment viewers power up their Vizio TVs,” Bergman said.

K-Swiss, known as a tennis shoe brand, has signed up as a sponsor and the official footwear of the Pickleball Slam, which will be televised on ESPN.

The Pickleball Slam will feature tennis legends John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Michael Chang and Andy Roddick competing for a $1 million purse playing the fast-growing new racquet sport.

The event is being produced by Horizon Sports & Experiences, which is also selling sponsorships.

Sandwich chain Subway previously signed up as presenting sponsor of the event.

"We are excited to sponsor and partner for the 2023 Inaugural Pickleball Slam. We support the sport of tennis, as well as the growing and popular sport of pickleball." said David Malinowski, Director of Tennis for K-Swiss. "It’s an honor to provide our high-performance footwear and apparel to the ball handlers and referee, ensuring they have the support and comfort they need to achieve their roles at the highest level."

As an official sponsor, K-Swiss will provide specially designed footwear and apparel for the Pickleball Slam referee and ball handlers. The collection is available for purchase on K-Swiss.com.

“We are thrilled to have K-Swiss join our growing list of sponsors for the inaugural Pickleball Slam,” said Neal Gluckman, senior VP, head of sales for Horizon Sports & Experiences. “K-Swiss is an iconic brand known for its on-court performance and style. We’re excited to partner with a brand that has a strong heritage in tennis and a growing fanbase in pickleball.”” ■

Season 20 of Bravo’s Top Chef has attracted Delta Airlines, Finish dishwasher detergent and additives, Ritz Crackers and Saratoga Spring Water as new sponsors for the cooking competition series.

Anolon Cookware, BMW of North America, Mastercard, Morton Salt, Universal Pictures and Vrbo return as sponsors for what is billed as a “special edition world all-stars” season, which has its debut on March 9.

Top Chef sponsors are incorporated into the show’s Quickfire and Elimination challenges.

“We are committed to fueling fandom with the best content in the business and at the same time, connecting the modern multidimensional consumer with brands that help shape culture across the world,“ Ann Scheiner, executive VP, advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said. ”And Bravo’s Top Chef is a prime example of that in action.

“During this milestone international 20th season, we were able to open up the aperture and elevate this fast-paced competition series with both new and returning partners — including auto, financial services, food products and more — that are truly embedded seamlessly into each challenge, each meal,  and each ingredient of the show as the cheftestants compete to be crowned the winner of Top Chef World All-Stars,” said Scheiner.

BMW is returning for a sixth consecutive year as exclusive auto sponsor. BMW X3s and X4s will take chefs to the countryside for a picnic where they will try to impress the judges during a custom elimination challenge. BMW is also the presenting sponsor of the digital series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen on Bravotv.com.

Delta is the official airline of season 20, flying chefs from around the world to London to compete. Delta also helps bring the final four contestants to Paris for a Quickfire challenge. 

Finish will demonstrate water conservation techniques during a Quickfire challenge. The winner of the challenge has a chance to win a chase prize of $10,000 and a $10,000 donation to the World Wildlife Fund, sponsored by Finish.

Ritz sponsors a Quickfire challenge in which the chefs will try to create amuse bouches on a Ritz cracker. The prize is $10,000.

Saratoga Water will provide the grand prize of $250,000 to the chef named Top Chef World All-Star.

Universal Pictures is sponsoring a fast and furious elimination challenge with a series of races to mark the May 19 release of Fast X.

Vrbo will provide a vacation home in the English countryside where the chefs will prepare a holiday meal in an elimination challenge.

Sponsoring Top Chef has proved appetizing for marketers over the show’s past season. Sponsors have seen integrations create a 50% lift in brand awareness, a 32% lift in brand favorability and a 36% lift in product consideration.

During last season, 71% of viewers expressed positive brand opinions of integrated partners.

“From foodies to athletes to travel enthusiasts, Bravo’s Top Chef has found the perfect trifecta of blending together storytelling, innovation and inspiration with a roster of world-leading brands to deliver a delicious and engaging viewing experience for decades,” Jamie Cutburth, executive VP, creative partnerships, NBCU Advertising and Partnerships, said. 

“And for the first time, this flagship season shot entirely abroad in London and Paris allowed our NBCU Creative Partnerships team to think outside of the box with each and every one of our partners to bring imaginative, innovative and authentic integrations to the table that are enticing to our viewers, important to their businesses and critical for cheftestants in the kitchen themselves,” Cutburth said. ■

More than 60 brands will be in the lineup as The Walt Disney Co. presents five National Basketball Association games on ABC and ESPN Christmas Day.

State Farm returns as the NBA Christmas Day presenting sponsor for all five games, which will be simulcast on broadcast and cable. NBA player Boban Marjanovic stars in State Farm’s latest commercials and will appear as an announcer in the second quarter of an alternative telecasts of the noon Philadelphia-New York game hosted by Stephen A. Smith. The Smithcast is presented by Cricket.

NBA Countdown is presented by DraftKings Sportsbook and Toyota is the halftime sponsor for the noon and 10:30 p.m. ET games.

Other brands advertising during the games are Energizer, Papa Johns, Caesars, Universal Pictures, LVMH, Adidas, Hilton, New Balance, Under Armour, Coinbase, Coca-Cola, Netflix, Lionsgate, Adobe, Rakuten, Burger King, Paramount and Bacardi.

Additionally, NBA official sponsors NBA2K, DraftKings Sportsbook, Google Pixel and Meta Quest will all have in-game integrations across ESPN’s Christmas Day slate.

With Christmas falling on Sunday, the big NBA slate will be facing formidable competition from the National Football League.

“NBA Christmas Day has always been a tentpole event for Disney and we are thrilled to have so many brands see such great results from advertising on our networks,” Danielle Brown, senior VP, Disney Advertising Data Enablement & Category Strategy, said. “Year after year, Christmas Day with the NBA proves to provide engagement from viewers that exceeds expectations and demonstrates that we are the ideal place for all advertising categories.” 

Disney Ad Sales points to research showing that sponsoring NBA telecasts is a slam dunk for marketers.

According to research and analytics company EDO, viewers who saw State Farm ads on Christmas Day last year were 99% more likely to engage online with State Farm than viewers who saw the insurance company’s ads on other networks.

EDO also found that viewers were 72% more likely to search for Toyota after an airing during the NBA 2022-23 regular season compared to ads in other programming. ■

During NBC’s coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Google will be serving up commercials showing how its Pixel 7 phone can clean up holiday pictures.

As part of a sponsorship deal, Google worked with the Creative Partnerships @ NBCU team, which produce three 15-second commercials. The spots demonstrate to viewers how the smartphone’s Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur can give users perfect pictures of holiday moments.

The spots will run throughout the live broadcast of the parade on NBC and will be livestreamed on Peacock as the lead-in to new creative from Google as part of its Fixed on Pixel campaign. 

“This is truly a picture-perfect partnership – and its coming together at NBC’s Super Bowl of the holiday’s, which is all about families uniting to make everlasting memories,” said Mark Marshall, President, Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “By combining the incredible content of this NBCU tentpole, the creativity of our Creative Partnerships @ NBCU team, and spotlighting advanced technology with our partners at Google, we’re connecting our advertisers with the multidimensional consumer, whenever and wherever they are at scale, while reimagining the viewing experience." 

The parade will feature  Paula Abdul; Big Time Rush; Cam; Jordan Davis; Blue’s Clues & You! Host Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Mario Lopez and family; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street®; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; Betty Who; and Santa Claus.

Balloons are a big part of the parade and this year making their debuts r are Bluey by BBC; Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Abrams Books; DINO and Baby DINO by Sinclair Oil; Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star by FOX Sports; and Stuart the Minion from Illumination.

The marionette stars of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on Apple TV Plus will appear throughout the special.

The final performance of the morning features Mariah Carey singing her omnipresent it All I Want for Christmas Is You! 

Before the parade, NBC will air an hour long special, Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Wednesday night at 8 p.m. The special is hosted by Amber Ruffin and features Paula Abdul, Lauren Alaina, Jon Batiste, Darren Criss, Jordan Davis, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Grammer, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Gene Simmons, Jordin Sparks and Rob Thomas.

NBC will air the National Dog Show directly after its parade coverage. Thanks in part to the big parade lead-in the dog show attracts more than 20 million viewers annually.  ■

NBCUniversal will be marking National Family Caregivers Awareness Month with on-air acknowledgements of the dedication of these selfless individuals.

The Mayo Clinic, which backed NBCU’s first caregiver effort last year, is joined this year by Haleon, the consumer healthcare company that sells brands including Advil Centrum and Sensodyne.

The event began with a segment on The Kelly Clarkson Show spotlighting high-school sweethearts facing unexpected challenges, which led to one stepping into the role of caregiver.

NBC’s Today and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen will also run dedicated segments recognizing caregivers and telling their stories.

“NBCU’s year-long celebration of Caregivers is inclusive and diverse, and reflects the nuances of the multicultural, multigenerational caregiving experience,” Mark Marshall, president, advertising and partnerships at NBCU, said.

“In collaboration with Mayo Clinic and our new partner, Haleon, we are proud to bring Caregivers back for a second year in a row,” Marshall said. “At NBCUniversal, we always make it a priority to use our platform for good and we thank those who allow us to do just that.”

To reach multicultural audiences, the initiative will include Pregúntale al Doctor segments on Telemundo’s En Casa sponsored by Haleon. In the segments, viewers can ask questions on behalf of both caregivers and family members who need assistance.

NBC News Brand Studio and Mayo Clinic will be rolling out articles as part of “The Caregivers Digital Resource Guide.” The guide will be available in Spanish on Telemundo.com.

Comments about Caregivers month can be found on social with the hashtag #GivingBecauseWeCare. ■

 A splashy  episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen is being shot aboard Celebrity Cruises’ new ship, the Celebrity Beyond, as part of a sponsorship deal hatched by NBCUniversal’s advertising and partnership unit.

The episode–scheduled to appear November 1, will feature all five captains from Bravo’s Below Deck franchise, as well as Kate McCue, captain of the Celebrity Cruises ship.

“The partnership opportunity with NBCUniversal and Bravo was meant to be from the start. We both wanted to do something that hadn’t been done on a cruise ship before, so using our newest ship, Celebrity  Beyond, as the backdrop, filming Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on our ship was the perfect opportunity,” said Celebrity Cruises’ Chief Marketing Officer Michael Scheiner. “Leveraging the fanfare of the show along with our own content to  use in advertising across NBCUniversal really gives us a great opportunity to market our brand.” 

Also Read: Big BravoCon Throng Shows Ways To Keep Cable Networks Vital

The special episode of WWHL will appear after the series premiere of Below Deck Adventure on Bravo. During the episode, the captains will spend an evening with cocktails and nautical-inspired games. During an aftershow on Twitter, Capitan McCue will tend bar.

As part of the sponsorship, Celebrity Cruises will also get custom content promos produced by the Creative Partnerships @ NBCU team and an NBCU Picture-in-Picture commercial. 

The episode will be able to stream the next day on Peacock.

“At NBCUniversal, we are constantly looking around every corner to find new, unexpected ways to share genuine stories with our audiences in collaboration with powerful, world leading brands,” said Jamie  Cutburth, senior VP, One Platform Creative & Development, Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “And when we partner together over that same shared goal, we achieve the ultimate authentic result. With Celebrity Cruises, NBCU and Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen – we’re delivering our fans a new, entertaining experience like never before.” 

Celebrity Cruises isn’t the only marketer floating NBCU’s boat.

In a few weeks, The Kelly Clarkson Show will be expanding its partnership with Norwegian Cruise Lines with a unique integrated segment rewarding  an exceptionally deserving teacher aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’snew ship, Norwegian Prima. ■

As ESPN starts its second season of its new National Hockey League contract, it has added American Express and Mercedes-Benz to its list of sponsors for its game telecasts.

Disney Ad Sales said it has a roster of more than 130 sponsors in 70 categories that will run ads in hockey across ABC, ESPN, ESPN Plus, Hulu and its owned social channels. 

Returning sponsors include Apple, Discover, EA Sports, Expedia, Honda, Lexus, MassMutual, Navy Federal Credit Union, New Amsterdam Vodka, Progressive, SAP and Taco Bell.

Fidelity also returns as presenting sponsor over overtime periods and shootouts for regular season games on linear TV. Last year it had that entitlement for games streamed on ESPN Plus and Hulu.

“We are incredibly proud of the sponsorship success we saw in the inaugural year of the NHL back on Disney,” Disney Advertising senior VP, Sports Brand Solutions Sean Hanrahan said. “We are excited to continue building on last year’s success and creating more opportunities for brands to engage with NHL fans everywhere through our content.”

During regular-season ABC and ESPN linear games, the Final Five Minutes feature integration will be presented by Expedia and New Amsterdam Vodka. First-period intermission reports will be presented by Lexus and the second-period intermission by Discovery. Navy Federal Credit Union will serve as the title sponsor of the NHL Stadium Series game on Feburary 18.

Across all national games on ESPN Plus and Hulu, New Amsterdam Vodka will serve as the presenting sponsor and first- and second-intermission reports will be presented by Lexus and Discover, respectively.

EA Sports, Progressive and SAP will all have integrated features throughout the telecasts. 

On social media, Navy Federal Credit Union will sponsor Twitter Amplify highlights from @ESPN, @SportsCenter and @ESPNPlus. EA Sports will sponsor ESPN NHL Moments on TikTok. EA will also be the presenting sponsor of The Drop Tuesday. ■

Disney Advertising Sales said Champion, Google and Gatorade have signed up as sponsors for ESPN’s Fifty/50 initiative marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which created more opportunities for women in sports.

The three sponsors will be visible starting during 37 Words, a four-part documentary about Title IX that will premiere later this month.

“The Fifty/50 initiative marks a significant milestone for women's sports, and we are proud to take this moment to celebrate the advancements of women across the industry,” said Deidra Maddock, VP, Disney Advertising Sports Brand Solutions. “We are ecstatic to have such a dynamic slate of sponsors on board to join us in our efforts of continuously pushing the narrative forward.”

Also: TBS To Air Title IX Documentary

Accompanying the documentary will be a digital live show, titled Fifty/50 After Show, co-sponsored by all three brands. Champion will have custom integrations in a Get Up episode and select SportsCenter episodes throughout June.

“Champion stands for inclusion in sports and we’re proud to partner with ESPN's Fifty/50 initiative to honor the civil rights journey of women and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX," said Maria Teza, senior VP, Champion North America. “We see women as a cause for celebration, not a cause. That’s why we’ve been supporting and championing women to feel unapologetically confident in their style and in their game since launching the world's first sports bra in 1977, while empowering all women in sports to play by their own rules.”

Google, Champion and Gatorade will have integrations in the 2022 ESPYs and will be tagged within all Fifty/50 and 37 Words consumer marketing efforts.

“At Gatorade, we believe unequivocally that young girls should have the right to equal opportunity in sports and we’re proud to partner with ESPN to celebrate the profound impact that the historic passage of Title IX has had on female athletes,” said Brandi Ray, Gatorade head of consumer engagement. “We also recognize there’s a long way to go, and we’re dedicated to ensuring Gatorade continues to drive meaningful change and help close the gender gap in sports.”

Google has funded the production of five W. Studios short films directed and executive produced by women. Each film will premiere on ESPN’s linear network and be available on ESPN’s YouTube Channel.

”We‘re incredibly proud to once again partner with ESPN to help produce more long-form content that features the stories of incredible female athletes,” said Kate Johnson, director of sports partnerships at Google. “ESPN's Fifty/50 initiative is just one of multiple ways we’re partnering with the WNBA and ESPN to increase visibility of women’s sports and we hope others will join us in investing in women’s sports beyond just this monumental moment.” ■

Disney Advertising Sales said it has sold out all of the advertising inventory in ESPN’s upcoming docuseries about former Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter called The Captain.

Capital One will be the presenting sponsors of The Captain, which won’t run for several months. American Family Insurance and T-Mobile have signed up as associate sponsors.

“We’ve found that ESPN’s original content is extremely attractive to sponsors,” said Sean Hanrahan, senior VP, Disney Advertising Sports Brand Solutions. “Across both digital and linear, brands have been able to successfully develop cool and innovative ways to connect with consumers through our original content offerings.” 

Capital One will sponsor a digital live after show that will air after each episode's premiere, in addition to having custom sponsored features that will be integrated within episodes of The Captain. The credit card company will also promote the show across MLB programming on Disney networks including Sunday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight, as well as sponsored segments for SportsCenter.

“We’re thrilled to be the presenting sponsor of The Captain and to take the lead in celebrating such a legendary player in Derek Jeter,” said Roger Ferguson, managing VP, sponsorship at Capital One. “This sponsorship also allows us to amplify our position as the official Bank and Credit Card Partner of Major League Baseball and further support the passions of our customers.”

American Family Insurance collaborated with Disney CreativeWorks to develop custom content that will air during each episode of the series and live on social media and across ESPN linear properties. The spot, entitled Grati2ude, will showcase Jeter thanking some of the important people in his life.

“As a challenger brand, we are always looking for creative ways to engage the hearts and minds of consumers and encourage them to insure carefully as they dream fearlessly," said Sherina Smith, CMO of American Family Insurance and Main Street America. “Since 2016, American Family Insurance has partnered with Derek Jeter in his commitment to protecting the pursuit of dreams and empowering the community. We are confident that the original branded content and social activations developed for this partnership will serve as further testament to the fact that with the right support, any dream is possible.”

T-Mobile will sponsor SportsCenter on Snapchat takeovers and segments previewing upcoming episodes in addition to having custom integrations during the series. ■

Fox said its “She’s a Hero” campaign will return with content highlighting stories of real-life female doctors and nurses appearing during the medical drama The Resident.

Bank of America has signed on as sponsor of the campaign.

The campaign is timed to International Women’s Day and is being done as a partnership with the #SeeHer movement. Bank of America is a member of #SeeHer.

“Fox is proud to once again work with the #SeeHer movement to promote gender equality and further amplify the important mission of accurately portraying women and girls in media,” Suzanne Sullivan, executive VP of ad sales at Fox Entertainment, said. “We value and appreciate the opportunity to partner with Bank of America as we highlight the incredible achievements of female doctors and nurses through our ‘She’s a Hero’ franchise. The Resident is the perfect series to align this contextually relevant custom content celebrating the achievements of these amazing medical professionals.”

The ”She’s a Hero“ content will air in primetime on Tuesday (March 8) during The Resident as part of a Fox Fast Break commercial pod. To add reach to the campaign, Fox will also distribute custom content featuring female doctors and nurses across The Resident’s social platforms.

“At Bank of America, we believe that our diversity makes us stronger, and we are better able to meet the needs of those around us when we mirror the communities where we live and work,” B of A chief digital officer and head of global marketing David Tyrie said. “Representation matters, and that’s why we support ‘She’s a Hero’ to elevate stories and achievements of women like these doctors and nurses, who are making an impact. Our company is cultivating an inclusive workplace, supporting our female teammates through benefits and programs to empower them to thrive, and providing products and services to help all clients achieve their financial goals.” ■

Disney Advertising Sales said it has sold all of the commercial inventory for the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The tournament will be televised by ESPN’s networks from March 16 through April 3.

Disney Ad Sales said the tournament drew 14 sponsors, including Capital One, which returns as the presenting sponsor. The sponsors lineup also includes Adidas, Buick, Champion, Cooper Tires, Ivesco, Nissan, Orgain, Principal Financial Group, Sirius XM, Target, Unilever and Werner Ladder. 

Other advertisers include Apple, AT&T, Credit Karma, General Motors, Golden Corral, Indeed, Jersey Mike’s, Merk, National Automotive Parts Association, Nissan, Quicken Loans, Subway, Taco Bell, T-Mobile, Wendy’s, Whirlpool and Workday.

“ESPN is dedicated to amplifying women in sports, and we are looking forward to this year’s NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Tournament,” said Sean Hanrahan, senior VP , Sports Brand Solutions. “We are excited to see that our sponsors and advertisers have really leaned into our commitment to diversity in athletics and have flocked to these offerings.”

As part of its sponsorship package, Capital One will have numerous feature integrations throughout the tournament. The brand will bring fans the Starting Lineup, a Rewarding Performance feature and the Women’s Tournament Challenge. 

Unilever will be the halftime entitlement sponsor.

Target will sponsor alternate camera angles throughout the Women’s Final Four broadcasts and Werner Ladder will sponsor the net-cutting ceremony during the postgame show. ■

Disney Ad Sales announced that it has locked in 13 brands as sponsors for its telecasts of College Football Playoff and other post-season bowl games as the rise in COVID-19 cases cancels some contests and raises questions about whether others will be played.

Disney said that AT&T is returning as sponsor of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 10.

Allstate, Capital One, Capital One Venture X, Chick-fil-A, and Playstation will be title sponsors of the six bowl games that will be played on New Year’s Day on ABC and ESPN.

Disney said other sponsors include Cheez-It, Dr. Pepper, Gatorade, Mercedes-Benz, Modelo, Ram Truck and Taco Bell.

Meanwhile at least five college football bowl games have already been cancelled because of COVID-19. 

The canceled games are the Hawai’i Bowl, the Military Bowl, The Fenway Bowl, the Arizona Bowl and the Holiday Bowl.

Some teams have been forced to withdraw because of the virus. Miami and Boise State had to drop out of the Sun Bowl and now Central Michigan will be the opponent for Washington State in the December 31 game.

Texas A&M said it couldn’t play in the Gator Bowl and was replaced by Rutgers, which will play Wake Forest.

If the entire slate of bowl games got wiped out because of the virtual, Disney and ESPN could lose as much as $400 million in ad revenue, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

But as of Wednesday, Disney Ad Sales remained upbeat, citing unmatched excitement about the games.

“We've seen tidal waves of excitement with each matchup announcement as fans get ready to cheer on their teams and we’re excited that our sponsors are at the center of the fanfare and celebration,” said Sean Hanrahan, senior VP, Sports Brand Solutions, at ESPN. “We make it a priority to surround fans with a variety of content to make the viewing experience fun with the expectation that they will extend the amount of time they spend with the game.” 

ESPN said sponsors will be featured in custom branded content during the games. The content is being created by Disney CreativeWorks, the company’s content studio and agencies.

The sponsors will also be involved in on-site activations and other televised integrations.

Goodyear will be providing aerial coverage of the News Year’s Six Bowl games and College Football Playoff Games. New for this year will be tire sculptures of team mascots at the Cotton Bowl and the National Championship Game.

Capital One Venture X will be the presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl Game, with Capital once serving as the presenting sponsor of the Championship Drive Show airing on January 10. 

Allstate returns as title sponsor of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Allstate nets will be behind the goalposts during kicks and an on-site Allstate sponsored bus will be shown at the Capital One Orange Bowl  and the National Championship game. ■

L’Oréal and NBC are teaming up for a second year on a special honoring 10 women leaders of non-profit groups.

L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth airs Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. and will also be available the next day streaming on Peacock.

The show is set in Paris and features L’Oréal celebrity spokespeople Camila Cabello, Helen Mirren, Eva Longoria, Kate Winslet, Gemma Chan, Katherine Langford, Andie MacDowell and Aja Naomi King. The title of the special refers to L’Oréal’s “Because You’re Worth It” slogan.

“Year after year, the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth program has championed community-driven initiatives that serve the needs of marginalized populations across the nation and celebrate the women who are committed to positive change in their communities,” said Ali Goldstein, president of L’Oréal Paris USA. “Through our partnership with NBC, we’re bringing their stories into the homes of Americans across the country, further extending the reach of their organizations. We’re thrilled to be returning to primetime this fall to celebrate a new class of women who bring to life the true meaning of ‘worth.’ We can’t wait for you to meet them.”

The 2021 L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honorees are: Amanda Munz, founder of The Fashion Foundation; Ashley Rhodes-Couter, founder & executive director of Sustainable Families LLC; Briana Daniel, founder of Street Team Movement, Inc.; Lara MacGregor, founder of Hope Scarves; Marian McCord, co-founder of CHADS Coalition for Mental Health; Michelle Tran, co-founder of Soar Over Hate; Natalie Guo, founder of Off Their Plate; Natalie Wilson, co-founder of Black & Missing Foundation; Pooja Chandrashekar, founder & CEO of ProjectCSGIRLS; and Starr Davis, founder of The Starr Institute, Inc.

They will be interviewed in Paris and shown in their hometowns during the special. 

Each woman will receive a $20,000 grant, mentorship from the L’Oréal Paris network and a national platform to share their story, L’Oréal Paris will also tell their stories through a podcast, on TikTok and social and digital livestreams that will include exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Based on a vote during November, the public has picked one National Honoree, who will receive an addition $25,000 for her cause. The winner will be named by L’Oréal after the broadcast.

“These inspiring women, in their determination on making changes for the better, have given their time and energy to substantially help the lives of millions of people across the country,” said Doug Vaughan, executive VP, special programs, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “We’re honored to showcase them and motivate others to do the same.”

The L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth special is executive produced by Creative Partnerships @ NBCUniversal with Penny Lane Entertainment in association with Motion Content Group and Wavemaker. ■

ESPN said that TaxAct will be the title sponsor of the Texas Bowl and the Camellia Bowl as part of an agreement with ESPN Events, which owns the games.

The deal also calls for TaxAct, a provider of digital and downloadable tax preparation products, to be the presenting sponsor of the Myrtle Beach Bowl and for TaxAct to be featured in ESPN Events bowl telecasts across the ESPN networks.

“We know our customers are passionate about college football and enjoy celebrating big wins, which is why we are excited to support these communities and bring all consumers affordable tax filing products that allow them to file with confidence and maximize their refunds,” said Curtis Campbell, president of TaxAct. “We look forward to seeing the competition and excitement play out on the field in December and January.”

Last year, the title sponsor of the Texas Bowl was Mercari. The Camellia Bowl previously didn’t have a title sponsor.

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“TaxAct will have a significant presence across our ESPN Events Bowl portfolio throughout the college football postseason as a result of this unique and comprehensive agreement, including title sponsorship of two marquee events with the Texas and Camellia Bowls,” said Clint Overby, VP of ESPN Events. “We are thrilled to have TaxAct’s support and look forward to working with them, along with our local event organizers, in preparation for these upcoming events.”

The TaxAct Texas Bowl will be played Jan. 4, 2022 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The 2021 TaxAct Camellia Bowl will be played Dec. 25 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. ■

Capital One has signed up as presenting sponsor of NBC’s revival of the quiz show College Bowl.

The new Capital One College Bowl will be hosted by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning. Cooper Manning, a host of The Manning Hour on Fox NFL Sunday, will be his brother’s sidekick.

The premiere is set for June 22 at 10 p.m.

The original College Bowl was sponsored by General Electric, which used to own NBC. It ran from 1959 to 1963 on CBS and from 1963 to 1970.

“We’re excited to be a part of the reboot of this classic quiz show that brings our customers and viewers alike entertainment they can enjoy with family and friends this summer,” said Byron Daub, VP of sponsorships and experiential marketing at Capital One. “At Capital One, we’ve always been passionate about supporting college students and we’re proud to be donating one million dollars in scholarships to the diverse and talented set of students participating in the Capital One College Bowl.” 

In each episode of Capital One College Bowl teams will compete in a four-round bracketed tournament. Participating schools include University of Alabama, Auburn University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Ole Miss, Morehouse College, University of Tennessee, University of Southern California, UCLA, University of Virginia and Xavier of Louisiana.  

All competitors will receive tuition assistance for participating in the series. Members of the Capital One College Bowl champions get a bigger scholarship.

Capital One will also be giving scholarships to four students who have made an impact outside of the competition in recognition of their character, leadership and involvement in activities that benefit the community.

Capital One has made a commitment of $1 million in combined grants for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and The United Negro College Fund to support HBCUs and create pathways to greater opportunity for the graduates of these vital institutions. In addition, through Capital One Cup, which recognizes excellence in collegiate athletics, Capital One has donated more than $4 million to student-athlete scholarship funds, half of which have gone to support women’s athletics programs.

“Our collaboration with Capital One to bring this unscripted series to life for viewers is the pinnacle of true partnership," said Peter Lazarus, executive VP, advertising sales and partnerships at NBCUniversal. "By bringing in Capital One to curate the in-show and out-of-show advertising experience, from student scholarships to the Champion trophy to social moments and more, we’ve created a next-level, premium viewing experience for our consumers.”

From Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Village Roadshow Television, Capital One College Bowl is executive produced by Peyton Manning, Cooper Manning, Eli Manning, Richard Reid via Richard Reid Productions, Inc., and Mark Itkin via his Tough Lamb Media. David Friedman serves as showrunner for the series.

The College Bowl Company, creator of the original College Bowl, currently produces other decades-long academic competitions, including University Challenge for BBC2 in the UK and Honda Campus All-Star Challenge for America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

New York Life, which was a founding sponsor of ESPN’s ACC Network in 2019, has re-upped with a new three-year sponsorship deal, the companies said.

As part of the renewal, New York Life will return as title sponsor and exclusive presenting sponsor of the New York Life ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Games from the tournament are televised on ESPN and the ACC Network.

“We are proud to continue the long-standing partnership between New York Life and the ACC,” said David Williams, corporate VP, brand advertising and sponsorships at New York Life. “Beyond the obvious athletic excitement, we’ve succeeded in serving a variety of organizations and communities over the course of our relationship. We look forward to further collaboration as we continue this impactful work.” 

Financial terms were not disclosed.

“New York Life has been instrumental to ACC Network as a founding sponsor and has long supported the ACC. We’re delighted to deepen our relationship with New York Life across ACC Network and the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament, said Theresa Palmieri, VP, sports brand solutions, Disney Advertising Sales.

The agreement also includes in-arena signage and in-game promotional tie-ins., as well as TV, digital and social media ad inventory on ACC Network and ESPN platforms.

Disney Advertising Sales said that M&M-maker Mars is sponsoring a series of seasonal short films called Bite Size Holiday.

The films were created by Disney’s 20th Digital Studio, working with emerging filmmakers. Two are being posted on ABC’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Two more are on the Facebook and Twitter pages for Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas.

“We’re thrilled to partner with 20th Digital Studio again, this time to spread some holiday cheer through their first-ever Bite Size Holiday series, sponsored by M&M’s,” said,” said Ray Amati, media director for Mars Wrigley. “Mars Wrigley is committed to creating better moments and more smiles for consumers, and what better way to do that during the season than reaching people with holiday content that they can enjoy with their families.”

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The project follows Mars sponsorship of Disney’s Bite Size Halloween, which featured spooky shorts created by young filmmakers..

“Following the success of Bite Size Halloween, Mars is returning to sponsor 20th Digital’s Bite Size Holiday to help families celebrate the season and bring on the holiday spirits,” said Danielle Calnon, VP, Entertainment Brand Solutions, Disney Advertising Sales. “Disney’s social properties have shown to be a great platform for brands to reach their audiences and authentically engage in timely conversations while also providing a stage for emerging creators to showcase their talent and tell their stories.” 

20th Digital said that if their films resonate with audiences, their work on this project could be further developed into long-form content, such as a TV series or feature films.

“I’m thrilled by our continuing partnership with Mars, which allows 20th Digital Studio to bring forward these charming holiday stories from talented rising filmmakers,” said David Worthen Brooks, executive VP of 20th Digital Studio. 

Science Fair Santa was directed by Christopher Leone, Come In was directed by Jan Livingston, Santa Won’t Leave was directed by Chris Modoono and Gil Zabarsky and Swapsies was directed by Kerry Collins.

Telemundo said that Mazda, Oreo, T-Mobile and Verizon will be first-time sponsors of the 2020 Billboard Latin Music Awards when the show airs on Wednesday.

Returning sponsors include Garnier Fructis, State Farm, Toyota and Comcast’s Xfinity brand. Comcast is also Telemundo’s parent company.

The sponsors are integrated into the telecast and many will also be involved in digital and social media activities around and during the awards show.

“There is a very high level of interest in big events like this on Telemundo,” said Carrie Stimmel, executive VP, Lifestyle and Hispanic Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal. “We’ve been sold out for the awards, but there are so many opportunities for our marketing partners to get involved with this great event.”

The Billboard Latin Music Awards were originally scheduled to take place in April, but were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The awards show is being produced live with presenters and finalists appearing at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Telemundo said that to protect the health and safety of talent, the production crew and other employees, mandatory protocols have been put in place, including testing, daily temperature checks, mask wearing, enhanced cleaning, and sanitizer stations. 

The production was designed with “bubbles” and multiple stages to reduce the number of people in any one place at a time. 

The production protocols also help make the integrations as creative, robust and engaging as possible.

"We absolutely have made it our mission to pivot with advertisers," Stimmel said. "Marketers need to be nimble, they need to be flexible and they need to reach consumer who are going to buy their products."

She added that NBCU is seeing heightened conversations around talking to diverse and multicultural audiences.

"Engaging U.S. Hispanics is critical for any marketer looking for growth for their business," Stimmel said, citing a survey that found that 65% of Hispanics say they will stop purchasing products from brands that have not supported the community during times of need.

"The great thing about partnering with a big event on Telemundo is that you can also reach across the entire NBCU platform where we reach 91% of all adult Hispanic," she added. 

Mazda will be emphasizing performance with a picture-in-picture moment during the telecast and will bring viewers buzz-worthy events on social media.

Oreo will offer "Oreo Playful Prediction" and play along by guessing what’s coming next on both linear and social platforms.

Viewers will be able to unlock a 3D-like augmented experience from Verizon during the show, featuring musical icon Wisin. With Verizon 5G rolling out nationwide, fans will be able to take part wherever they are. Verizon is also offering augmented reality during NBC’s series Connecting and will have custom content on MSNBC and CNBC highlighting their digital transformation effort for small businesses.

Garnier Fructis will be showing off head-turning effects of its Sleek and Shine Line from the Red Carpet and spotlighting an award winner during the telecast.

Toyota is returning to the stage with Lali, Silvertre and Nauel Turizo, who let the 2021 Toyota Camry TRD, and their music, take them places.

State Farm will be sponsoring a pre-show Red Carpet and a post-show highlights livestream for fans, in addition to a special celebratory moment during the telecast.

Xfinity will present The Song of The Decade Award. It will extend the moment with a first-ever Facebook Live Look-In and continue to engage fans throughout the night across Twitter.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards will coincide with Billboard’s Latin Music Week, a three-day virtual experience dedicated to Latin music, culture, and entertainment that kicks off October 20th. The Billboard Latin Music Awards will air throughout the Americas via Telemundo Internacional, and simultaneously on Spanish-language entertainment cable network, Universo.

CNN International has signed a multi-year partnership agreement with the U.K.’s McLaren Technology Group. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The news network’s logo will appear on the technology company’s MP4-30 Formula 1 racing car, co-sponsored by Honda, for the duration of the 2015 season. Additionally, CNN International will have use of McLaren’s Technology Campus in Woking, Surrey, where it will produce programming for global distribution.

Rani Raad, chief commercial officer for CNN International (pictured, right, with McLaren chairman and CEO Ron Dennis), said the partnership is part of “an expansive consumer engagement initiative” through which the network expects to gain “additional business, broadcasting and cross-marketing opportunities.” McLaren is known for its automotive technology and competitive motorsports.