USA
Best Seat in the House – Experience Kissimmee & West Ham Utd
As Covid-19 struck the UK, West Ham and its Official Destination Partner created a branded virtual activation that brought contest winners and club legends together to watch home Premier League matches.
2019 NYC Marathon App – Tata Consultancy Services & the New York Road Runners
The 2019 TCS New York City marathon official app became the races’ most downloaded ever by offering features including a set of augmented reality experiences, unlimited real-time runner tracking, an interactive course guide, digital cheer cards and a finishing-time predictor.
US Open Virtual Experiences – JP Morgan Chase & the United States Tennis Association
JP Morgan Chase pivoted to digital for its 2020 US Open activation programme, which ran between August and September 2020 and spanned an online hub, a card members’ digital lounge, invite-only interviews and Q&A, a daily livestream show, a social sweepstake, a virtual concert and even a cooking series.
Data Snapshot: NBA 2020-21
The Covid-19-enforced interregnum in the 2019-20 NBA season created an opportunity assuredly exploited by the league’s commercial team.
Game Growers – Nike & the NBA
Amid the 2019-20 NBA/WNBA season, the ‘Nike Game Growers’ initiative saw the sportswear giant work with the league to close the basketball participation gap for girls.
Connected by Magic – Walt Disney World & Orlando Magic
Between 2018 and 2020, Walt Disney World activated its Orlando Magic jersey patch partnership through a free jersey promotion aimed at boosting sales of Disney Park Passes among the fan base.
Rantin’ & Raven – CoverGirl & the NFL
In 2017, NFL official beauty partner CoverGirl created first all-female pre-game show to tackle sports media stereotypes and speak directly to the 69 million female American Football fans.
Lambeau Leap Day – Bose & the NFL/Green Bay Packers
On February 29th, 2020, Bose teamed up with NFL franchise the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers to offer 29 fans to attempt their own version of the famous ‘Lambeau Leap’ celebration.
Marathon City – Tata Consultancy Services & the New York Road Runners
Given the limited capacity of the New York Marathon, title sponsor Tata Consultancy Services activated its rights in 2018 and 2019 with a 3D game letting visitors to the Marathon Expo compete over the marathon’s final 100m.
Data Snapshot: MLB 2020
Major League Baseball’s domestic portfolio was worth between $421m (€350m) and $554m in its 2020 season, across a total of 41 deals.
Swing – Grant Thornton & the PGA Tour/The Players Championship
Grant Thornton leveraged its rights at the 2020 Players Championship with a Rickie Fowler-fronted ad campaign.
Data Snapshot: Golf 2020
Central sponsors of the PGA Tour and the four golf majors – The Masters, Open Championship, PGA Championship and US Open – aggregated a sponsorship spend of $451m (€384m) in 2020.
The Match II – Cisco & Turner Sports
In May 2020, Cisco stepped in as a ‘content integration’ partner of ‘The Match: Champions for Charity’, the blockbuster live golf matchplay event featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning.
Official Timekeeper – Rolex & the US Golf Association
For the delayed 2020 US Open, long-time sponsor Rolex activated through a testimony-led campaign centred on its 40-year relationship with the tournament.
5G Stadium Experience – Verizon & NFL
At 2020’s Super Bowl LIV in Miami, NFL telecoms partner Verizon showcased the capability of 5G with an immersive experience.
Data Snapshot: Tennis 2020
The sponsorships of the four tennis Grand Slams – plus the ATP and WTA Tours – had a combined contract value of approximately $367m in 2020.
Talkin’ Hockey – Dunkin’ Donuts & the NHL
In January 2020, Dunkin’ Donuts launched a player-fronted campaign around the NHL Winter Classic to promote its Cold Brew Coffee.