Daily Buzz

By Wayne Friedman

Concerning the NFL big game this year, the Nielsen Company says there was a slight improvement in multitasking activity of those using the Internet while watching the Super Bowl.
About 14% of those who watched the Super Bowl could be found on the Internet. This is up from 12% a year ago. Concurrent time amounted to 29 minutes of activity — watching the game and using Internet — up from 24 minutes a year ago.
What were users doing? What marketers expected to see: social networking.

By David Goetzl

Adult Swim is launching a promotion where fans have a say in what they watch — a stunt that dovetails with Burger King’s “Have It Your Way” tagline.
The “Big Uber Network Sampling” promotion allows viewers to watch eight full pilots online and vote for their favorites — one of which will ultimately air.
A face-off will take place each week — through March 8 — with viewers able to view two full pilots and vote between the two on a Burger King-branded micro-site.
At the end, the one with the most votes will be scheduled to air the week of March 22. The pilot will remain a candidate to become a series on the Turner network, as will the other seven.

By Jessica Collins

U.S. short-track speedskater JR Celski may have won a Bronze Medal in Saturday’s 1500m event, but his Olympic dreams almost came to a crashing halt after he suffered a serious leg injury at the U.S. Championships in September.
The 19-year-old, though, bounced back quickly, and the road to recovery presented a unique opportunity for some of his sponsors to activate around his comeback. “A lot of his sponsors are natural sponsors, like 24 Hour Fitness, that help him train and get back to where he is,” said Celski’s agent, The Agency Sports Management’s Brandon Swibel.
24 Hour Fitness CMO Tony Wells noted Celski’s story “represents our brand — the idea that something happens in your life that requires you to recommit yourself to an athletic or fitness-related goal.” Wells said Celski’s commitment, approachability and inspiring attitude is what attracted the company to want to sponsor him.

By Michael Smith

DirecTV is taking a page from March Madness and introducing its own fantasy tournament to NASCAR. The satellite operator will create a 32-driver fantasy tournament.

The 2010 NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium was “a big win” for the league, as a record crowd of 108,713 made it “the place to be,” according to Jeff Caplan of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram.