Character-centric altcasts of pro sports events have become regular occurrences over the past five years, with three of the four of the biggest U.S. pro sports leagues; studios including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros.; and networks including ESPN, TNT, and CBS all involved. These alternative viewing feeds are real-time simulcasts of pro sports games in […]
Tag Archives | National Basketball Association
Full Court Press for K-pop and Sports
The connections between K-pop stars and sports have strengthened over the past few years, most typically taking the form of concerts during matches, promotional partnerships and brand ambassadorships, content agreements, and the like. The growing ties have also led to the emergence of a handful of collaborative merchandise initiatives, some focused on Asia and others […]
Homegrown Hits
Individual teams that are members of the leading U.S.-based pro sports leagues have increasingly been pairing with local fashion labels—mostly of the streetwear genre—for clothing collaborations available only in their home markets. Clubs in all five of the major leagues have served as examples of this phenomenon: National Football League. The Cincinnati Bengals paired with […]
Tokens of Gratitude
By Karen Raugust on May 21, 2020 in Branding/marketing, COVID-19, Design and content themes, Licensing
In the last few weeks, a handful of licensors and licensees have launched marketing campaigns and/or product lines built around thanking the medical professionals and other essential workers who have been risking their health to care for the sick or fill the population’s basic needs during the COVID-19 crisis. While a number of companies involved […]
Taking a Chance on Sports Betting
In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The decision effectively allowed states to legalize sports betting—outside of Nevada, where it was already legal—although there are some court challenges ongoing related to the Wire Act that may alter the landscape somewhat. In the year and a half since […]
The Evolving World of Branded E-Commerce
Licensors and licensees are watching developments in the brand-specific e-commerce space. While recent announcements from Fanatics and Delivery Agent have little in common on the surface, together they reflect the challenges facing property-specific e-commerce due to fast-paced technology changes, quickly evolving consumer shopping patterns, and ever-expanding competition. Service providers either adapt or fail. Fanatics confirmed […]