|
Everlast Bullish On Second-
Season Ratings For “The Contender” |
Brands with product placement on “The Contender,” such as Everlast
and Toyota, “are much happier with the series’ second season performance”
on ESPN than the first season on NBC, according to Marc Graser of AD AGE’S
MADISON & VINE. Everlast President, Chair & CEO Seth Horowitz said, “We
are all very pleased with the viewer ratings for this new season.” Toyota
spokesperson Cindy Knight said, “We have to second the motion from Everlast
that ‘Contender’ has delivered the demographic that we absolutely
wanted. The show’s got a loyal fan base, which is great. The show does a
nice job at integrating our products. And the boxers’ personal stories are
totally in line with our brand message, which is ‘Moving Forward.’”
Graser reported marketers “spent close to $10[M] per episode in integration
and sponsorship fees” in the show’s first season on NBC. Toyota’s
deal with NBC was worth $14-16M, but after ratings failed to “meet expectations,
that number was said to have been cut in half.” Graser noted the second-season
debut of “The Contender” on ESPN drew 1.03 million viewers, compared
to 6.7 million for the first episode on NBC, and the first two shows this season
have averaged a 1.2 cable rating. But ratings “are still strong for ESPN.”
Ratings for the Tuesday 10:00-11:00pm ET hour are up 31% from last year. The show
has “helped boost the network’s demo numbers” –-ratings
are up 106% among males 12-17, 71% for males 18-49 and 265% for females 18-34
(
MADISON
& VINE, 8/2 issue).
