ESPN Confirms Jimmy Pitaro as Leader of the Future
The Worldwide Leader in Sports has its eyes on continued success in the sports media market, and to do so, it has doubled down on its Chair Jimmy Pitaro. With the three-and-a-half-year contract, Pitaro will help the network strategize how to guide ESPN as viewers reach their channel through a number of different avenues, including cable and streaming platforms, the New York Post reports. This presents new challenges for the network, but Pitaro has been successful in the first phase of this transition. The news comes on the same day that ESPN extended anchor and legal analyst Ryan Smith’s contract. He will take a bigger role on the Sportscenter desk with the new deal.
Barcelona Inks Massive Deal with Spotify
Spotify is having a challenging week following a major controversy. However, the audio streaming giant secured an advertising win, as it inked a three-year deal worth a reported $320 million with La Liga powerhouse Barcelona. With the agreement, Spotify replaces Rakuten as the club’s official kit sponsor for the men’s and women’s teams. It will also become the first-ever naming sponsor of the club’s iconic Camp Nou stadium.
Take-Two Increases Revenue Projections Following $903M Quarter
Take-Two posted a major acquisition to kick off 2022, acquiring mobile gaming company Zynga for $12.7 billion. However, its earnings reports reveal that the company behind wildly popular games such as Red Dead Redemption and NBA 2K had an extraordinarily strong quarter to round out the 2021 calendar year. Take-Two posted a 5% increase in year-over-year revenue with $903 million, raising its revenue projections to $3.46 billion.
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Tom Brady Takes Top Spot on NFL Merch Sales List
TB12 may have officially hung up his cleats, but he still reigns supreme on a key list. The NFLPA released the Top 50 Players Sales, which includes officially licensed jerseys, apparel, collectibles, and memorabilia on Tuesday, and the GOAT took home the top spot. Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, and Brady’s successor, Mac Jones, round out the top 5.
NBA to Award $200K to Howard, Morgan State at All-Star Weekend
Ahead of the first-ever NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T between Howard University and Morgan State University on Feb. 19, the NBA and AT&T are donating $100,000 to each school’s athletic department, Boardroom can exclusively report. In addition, Mountain Dew will award $100,000 in All-Star scholarships and two students will receive $50,000 scholarships to advance their education. Under Armour will be providing custom shooting shirts and sneakers. Merchandise will be made by Pro Standard and Support Black Colleges, and proceeds on product sales will be donated to Howard, Morgan State, and the HBCU community at large.
FTX Set to Give Away Bitcoin with Super Bowl Ad
Super Bowl Sunday marks the greatest night for advertising in the game. And this year, some lucky fans have the chance to win Bitcoin courtesy of crypto giant FTX. While the company has been tight-lipped about its spot, it has confirmed that it will include a Bitcoin giveaway in which four fans will receive a share of the cryptocurrency based on the precise time that the ad airs. FTX is just one of several crypto companies that have developed a campaign surrounding the NFL‘s annual spectacular.
Kansas Jayhawks Launch “Rock Chalk” NFT Platform
NFT and digital collectibles company, Mercury, in collaboration with G3 Marketing, and logo rights from CLC, have forged an NIL partnership to support student-athletes through an NFT platform called Rock Chalk, the organizations announced Monday. KU fans will now be able to buy, sell and trade crypto-powered Jayhawk collectibles beginning Feb. 19, including limited-edition items featuring notable names such as head coach Bill Self and star players David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji, and Remy Martin.
Panini Partners with Senior Bowl for Exclusive NFTs
The future of football gathered on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama for this year’s Senior Bowl event. As part of the festivities, each participating player received a 1-of-1 NFT courtesy of Panini. The digital collectibles were made from exclusive footage that the players provided. The NFT is a natural progression from the trading cards that Panini has traditionally provided in the past.
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