Marketplace Round-Up

BRANDWEEK’s Barry Janoff reports the NFL, which raised its media spend by 20% last year, “was the only pro league to top $100[M] in advertising.” NASCAR raised its media budget by nearly 30% to $61.8M but “was a far-distant second.” The NBA “had the biggest jump ... among the big players,” up 41% with a $54.4M ad budget that moved the league from fifth to third place. That figure included a $4.4M spend on the WNBA. The top five also included the PGA Tour ($54M) and the NCAA ($46.2M) (BRANDWEEK, 5/21 issue).

Gulbis Earns $2-3M Annually From Endorsement Portfolio

EAGLE EYE: In this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, Chargers TE Antonio Gates, ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, and actor Bruce Willis participated in an ad shoot for Willis’ upcoming film “Live Free or Die Hard.” McNabb also played “a role in last week’s lavish ESPN upfront presentation,” and Lefton adds, “McNabb and ESPN are getting chummy enough to contemplate a relationship that could include everything from using the QB as a sideline reporter on NBA games to being the host of the weekly highlights during ‘Monday Night Football’ telecasts” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/21 issue).

SIGN & DRIVE: USA TODAY’s Steve DiMeglio reports LPGAer Natalie Gulbis makes $2-3M a year in endorsements. She has deals with MasterCard, Canon, Anheuser-Busch, 24 Hour Fitness, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Outback Steakhouse and RSM McGladrey. Her endemics include TaylorMade-adidas, SkyCaddie and Winn grips. She also has a deal with Upper Deck “for her own cards and other memorabilia” and was the first female golfer to appear on EA Sports’ “Tiger Woods PGA Tour.” Her competition outfits “are picked out by adidas and sent to her each week.” Because she “influences sales, adidas wants to know what she’s wearing so it doesn’t run out of stock” (USA TODAY, 5/22).