Daily Buzz 3-4-13
Arbitron Begins Cross-Platform Work For ESPN
Arbitron says data collection will take off in the first six months of 2013 for its cross-platform measurement project for ESPN. The initiative, announced last year, is being conducted along with comScore.
The radio measurement company noted the process in a government filing, where it also cited a separate deal with ESPN running through late 2014.
The Arbitron-comScore project calls for measurement of five screens –radio, TV, PCs, smartphones and tablets — where ESPN has a notable presence. Among the tools to be employed are TV set-top-box data from comScore and Arbitron’s portable people meter.
In the announcement, Arbitron and comScore said the plan is to develop a measurement service that would be available to all media companies and agencies.
Arbitron and ESPN signed a three-year deal in 2011 for Arbitron to measure NFL and college football games on TV and radio. Nielsen has a deal to acquire Arbitron, so the fate of the comScore partnership could be in question, since Nielsen competes with the company.
The ESPN projects are bringing in some subset of the $3.2 million Arbitron collected last year for cross-platform and Arbitron Mobile initiatives” (mediapost.com).
Report: StubHub bags Home Depot Center naming rights
Online ticketing platform StubHub has reportedly signed a multi-year deal for the naming rights to the Home Depot Center, the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy MLS side.
According to a report by SportsBusiness Daily’s Don Muret, the 27,000-seat stadium in Carson, California will be renamed the StubHub Center from 1st June.
The exact terms of the agreement were not released, however sources say the deal will run for six years and is worth significantly more annually than the US$7 million a year Home Depot paid since 2003.
According to Muret, StubHub was the only company AEG talked to for the stadium’s naming rights.
“This is the exclamation point on the efforts we’ve made over the last ten years to basically weave ourselves into the fabric of the sports and entertainment industry,” Danielle Maged, StubHub’s global head of partnerships and business development, told SportsBusiness Daily” (sportspromedia.com).
David Beckham pens much-anticipated Chinese deal
Paris Saint-Germain soccer star David Beckham has agreed a deal to become Chinese soccer’s first global ambassador.
The deal, agreed between Beckham’s representatives and the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the governing body of soccer in China, will see the ex-LA Galaxy and Real Madrid midfielder visit China in 2013 to promote Chinese soccer domestically and globally. In addition, Beckham’s role is intended to popularise the country’s domestic soccer competition, the Chinese Super League (CSL).
The agreement follows a ten-year partnership between CCTV-IMG, a joint venture between media giant IMG and Chinese state television network CCTV, and the CSL to capitalise on the popularity of soccer in China and develop the country’s domestic league commercially.
Contractual terms of Beckham’s agreement with the CFA were not announced, although unconfirmed reports surfaced in late February that it was worth UK£50 million (US$75.1 million).
“I am honoured to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history,” Beckham said.
“I’m excited by the prospect of promoting the world’s greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I’ve seen firsthand the growing interest in football there” (sportspromedia.com).
Advocare takes Independence Bowl naming rights
‘Health and wellness’ company Advocare has extended its title sponsorship of college football’s Independence Bowl, renaming it the Advocare V100 Bowl.
Advocare have been title sponsors of the annual post-season game, contested between teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (SEC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC), since 2009. It was previously called the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl.
Based on the value of Advocare’s exisiting deal, this new agreement is estimated to be worth around US$1.5 million.
“With a new name and new logo, our dedication to this bowl game and the city of Shreveport-Bossier not only continues, but grows even stronger,” said AdvoCare president and chief executive Richard Wright.
“The new name helps enhance all of our efforts in making the AdvoCare V100 Bowl a Top 10 bowl game in the nation — a win for Shreveport-Bossier, AdvoCare and the universities who will play in the bowl each year” (sportspromedia.com).
Livestrong Unveils New Logo in Attempt to Move Beyond Lance
The Livestrong Foundation has unveiled a new logo as part of a rallying cry for members to continue to support the organization and help it emerge unscathed from the Armstrong doping scandal.
The updated logo — which was unveiled by Exec VP-Operations Andy Miller at the annual Livestrong “State of the Foundation” address Thursday — is a visual change that focuses on the “Foundation” rather than the man behind it, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Livestrong said that the logo tweak follows a legal name change to the Livestrong Foundation. In his speech, Mr. Miller noted: “The change is subtle but it is substantive. The positioning of the bars suggests forward and dynamic movement.”
He added that the logo underscores the Livestrong ethos, and is a “natural next step” in the foundation’s evolution. “Thousands of people and many critical programs are the ‘Foundation’ beneath that ethos,” he said.
“We believe that while changing our mark is a small act, it’s a natural step in our evolution and a step towards becoming more us, more clear and doing more work” (adage.com).
