The following is Nielsen Sports Marketing Service's
     spotlight series on sports sponsorships.  The first chart
     indicates the Top 20 sports advertisers ($000) in total
     expenditures for '97 (January-December), followed by the Top
     10 national estimated expenditures by sport ($000) for the
     same period (Nielsen Sports Marketing Service):

            

  
 
    
 
      
TOP 
        20 LEADING SPORTS ADVERTISERS ($000)

          
    
  
  
 
    
COMPANY
    
 
      
TOTAL
    
    

    
COMPANY
    
 
      
TOTAL
    
  
  
 
    
Anheuser-Busch
    
 
      
$148,869.02 
        
    
    
MCI Corp.
    
 
      
$61,569.98 
        
    
  
  
 
    
Miller 
      Brewing
    
 
      
133,589.45
    
    
Coors Brewing Co.
    
 
      
60,295.45
    
  
  
 
    
Chevrolet 
      Motor
    
 
      
118,787.50
    
    
American Honda
    
 
      
55,356.91
    
  
  
 
    
Nike
    
 
      
96,594.25
    
    
Dodge Car-Truck
    
 
      
55,110.40
    
  
  
 
    
Ford Motor 
      Co.
    
 
      
96,296.01
    
    
American Express
    
 
      
52,513.15
    
  
  
 
    
McDonald's
    
 
      
77,129.73
    
    
Chrysler/Plymouth
    
 
      
51,744.14
    
  
  
 
    
Visa International
    
 
      
75,912.46
    
    
PepsiCo
    
 
      
44,864.90
    
  
  
 
    
AT&T
    
 
      
68,163.36
    
    
M&M/Mars
    
 
      
42,008.86
    
  
  
 
    
Nissan 
      Motor Co.
    
 
      
67,654.23
    
    
Lincoln-Mercury
    
 
      
40,493.18
    
  
  
 
    
Proctor 
      & Gamble
    
 
      
64,838.79
    
    
Toyota Motor Sales
    
 
      
40,338.59
    
  

 

  
 
    
 
      
TOP 
        10 NATIONAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES BY SPORT ($000)

          
    
  
  
 
    
 
      
SPORT
    
    
 
      
TOTAL
    
    
 
      
NETWORK
    
    
 
      
CABLE
    
    
 
      
SYNDICATE
    
  
  
 
    
NFL
    
 
      
$1,295,195.70 
        
    
    
 
      
1,060,810.08
    
    
 
      
203,131.07
    
    
 
      
31,254.56
    
  
  
 
    
NBA
    
 
      
494,504.38
    
    
 
      
325,662.50
    
    
 
      
157,409.80
    
    
 
      
10,432.08
    
  
  
 
    
Sports 
      Commentary
    
 
      
373,042.05
    
    
 
      
135,693.50
    
    
 
      
133,186.77
    
    
 
      
104,161.78
    
  
  
 
    
College 
      Basketball
    
 
      
367,551.36
    
    
 
      
55,691.30
    
    
 
      
297,429.20
    
    
 
      
14,430.86
    
  
  
 
    
MLB
    
 
      
356,765.48
    
    
 
      
299,576.20
    
    
 
      
53,623.40
    
    
 
      
3,565.88
    
  
  
 
    
College 
      Football
    
 
      
325,239.65
    
    
 
      
176,391.60
    
    
 
      
99,657.98
    
    
 
      
49,190.07
    
  
  
 
    
Motor 
      Sports
    
 
      
284,232.76
    
    
 
      
80,421.10
    
    
 
      
168,694.41
    
    
 
      
35,117.25
    
  
  
 
    
Pro Golf
    
 
      
263,584.01
    
    
 
      
175,610.90
    
    
 
      
80,751.86
    
    
 
      
7,221.25
    
  
  
 
    
NHL
    
 
      
138,554.73
    
    
 
      
46,077.80
    
    
 
      
75,913.93
    
    
 
      
16,563.00
    
  
  
 
    
Sports 
      Anthology
    
 
      
122,333.06
    
    
 
      
44,578.60
    
    
 
      
73,444.43
    
    
 
      
4,310.05
    
  

 



 

        
        Print | Tags: American Express, Anheuser Busch, AT&T, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, M&M/Mars, McDonald's, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Nielsen, Nike, Nissan, PepsiCo, Toyota, Visa
    

          CNN/SI has signed sponsorships for ten advertisers that
     gives them added on-air exposure and ownership of select
     promotional vignettes.  Each sponsorship generally provides
     on-air billboards in addition to the advertiser's 30-second
     spot, category exclusivity and tie-ins to special vignettes. 
     LCI Int'l is sponsoring the network's "Page One"; Mazda
     Motor Corp., "Game of the Week"; Delta Air Lines, "PGA
     Leaderboard"; Holland America Westours, "PGA Senior
     Leaderboard"; Coca-Cola and Shell Oil co-sponsor "NASCAR
     Minute"; CIBA Vision Corp., "SI Images"; Samsung
     Electronics, "Olympic Update"; Electronic Data Systems,
     "World Cup Update"; and Mutual Life Insurance, the "Baffler"
     trivia segment.  CNN/SI said the new sponsorships have
     helped drive its total ad revenues up about 40% (CNN/SI).
          

          The post-Olympic marketing of Michelle Kwan and Tara
     Lipinski is examined by Greg Johnson in the L.A. TIMES. 
     Kwan "won the race" for the first post-Nagano endorsement
     with her deal with Unilever.  Shep Goldberg, Kwan's agent:
     "This isn't a 100-yard dash.  It's more like a marathon. 
     This isn't about Michelle looking to score as quickly as
     possible or to get as much as she can.  Michelle and her
     parents see this as a long-term investment."  Johnson writes
     that despite not winning gold in Nagano, Kwan's marketing
     potential remains "sound."  Also listed is Foote, Cone &
     Belding's forecast on post-Olympic marketing potential, and
     it gives the "Gold" to Lipinski.  FCB's Bob Dorfman: "She's
     a sweet choice for long-term deals."  "Silver" went to
     Picabo Street: "An irrepressible personality with an
     inspiring story ... and, of course, there's that
     unforgettable name."  "Bronze" went to Jonny Moseley, Kwan
     and Cammi Granato.  Dorfman, on Moseley: "He's fresh, funny,
     hunky and very cool on camera" (L.A. TIMES, 3/5).

          Fanzz, the licensed product chain owned by the Jazz,
     added four stores in NM to bring its store count to 26 (SGB,
     2/25 issue)....A second Brett Favre Steakhouse is being
     proposed for Green Bay (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/5).
     ...In L.A., Denise Gellene reviews ESPNews promo spots
     around "The Rick," the "grubby sports fan" who talks about
     his sports memorabilia collection: "The Rick comes off as a
     genuine sportsaholic.  But his obsession lacks the zany
     quality of sports fanatics depicted in ads for other ESPN
     services.  It seems The Rick needs to get a life -- or at
     least a shower"  (L.A. TIMES, 3/5)....Callaway Golf
     President & CEO Donald Dye said that despite the preliminary
     ruling allowing Spalding to ship its new golf balls marketed
     around Callaway's Big Bertha, "we are confident that we will
     prevail once we have the opportunity to present our evidence
     to the court at the appropriate time" (Callaway).

          Nike announced plans to move all future release dates
     of its Air Jordans to non-school days in an effort to curb 
     students skipping school.  The next release, the third color
     of the Air Jordan 13, which was scheduled for Wednesday,
     March 25, has been moved to Saturday, March 28 (Nike).
          STORES STUFFED? An SGB report says that there are "more
     than seven million pairs of athletic footwear landing on
     U.S. soil without having been sold into retail."  According
     to insiders, five of the seven million are Nike shoes, and
     the report says that a "major national discount chain" has
     agreed to buy an undisclosed number of Nike Air Max Triax
     running shoes -- normally priced over $100 -- and will
     retail them for $30.  Nike Dir of Investor Relations Rick
     Anguilla also said that Nike will open 15 more outlet stores
     by May, bringing the total to 55 in the U.S. (SGB, 2/25).