From The Trades: Digital Space Still Being Figured Out

ESPN/ABC Sports Consumer Marketing & Sales President Ed Erhardt said of companies shifting ad money to digital platforms, “We have to figure out the video-advertising environment.” He said without that, convergence “will not happen at the pace everybody thinks” (AD AGE, 4/16 issue).

Fox Could Eventually Branch Out Into Licensing Of Net’s Personalities

FOX SPORTS DELVES INTO LICENSING: In this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports Fox is making a “serious run at sports licensing for the first time.” Using the ’07 NFL season as a “launching pad, Fox is hoping for an apparel deal with a major sporting goods retailer, along with products in the growing tailgating sector, consumer electronics and sporting goods by this fall.” Fox Exec VP/Licensing & Merchandising Elie Dekel said, “We may look to include some of our own personalities (like Terry Bradshaw) and others eventually, but at the beginning we will focus on our own rights rather than those of leagues and athletes we broadcast” (SBJ, 4/16 issue).

MIX IT UP: BRANDWEEK’s Barry Janoff reports the domestic leg of AND 1’s ’07 Mixed Tape tour will be “streamlined to focus on 10 major cities,” and “unlike previous tours, every event will be held outdoors and each opposing team will consist of top streetballers from the respective city.” Fans will be able to vote on the company’s Web site for the top player from each team to create an all-star team to face the AND 1 team in L.A. The U.S. tour runs from June 16-August 25 before heading overseas, and ESPN2 will air games from the tours on tape. A four-part print ad campaign promoting the “United Streets of America,” via 72&Sunny, California, will break in May issues of Slam and Complex. AND 1 has also signed a marketing deal with Warriors G Monta Ellis (BRANDWEEK, 4/16 issue).