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NBC executives detail comprehensive plans for Rio

NBC Sports Group will air more than 6,000 hours from the Rio Olympics this year, or “the equivalent of every NFL game played between Beijing and now,” Chairman Mark Lazarus told the Coca-Cola Sports Summit on May 11 in Atlanta.

Lazarus and NBC Olympics Executive Producer Jim Bell took the stage on day one of the two-day summit, a rare meeting of more than 500 Coca-Cola employees, bottling partners, retail customers and marketers brought together to discuss a rapidly evolving sports market, Vice President Bob Cramer said. The meeting drew blue-chip panelists to cover a wide range of sports business topics, but the Olympics took center stage, given Coke’s role as a global sponsor.

NBC Sports’ Mark Lazarus and Jim Bell discuss the network’s plans for Rio.
Photo by: KELLY KLINE
Fears from prior Olympics that expanded cable and digital coverage of the Games would cannibalize broadcast TV viewership were unfounded, Bell said. Average daily hours watched more than doubled from four hours in 2000 to nearly 8.5 hours in 2012, and prime-time ratings increased from 13.8 to 17.5.

“As people were engaged with their screens, their iPhones, their iPads, or at work, they went home and watched more TV,” Bell said.

HOT, BUT DANGEROUS: Why are esports so exciting? The audience is big, and the demographics are even better. But it’s more than that. “It’s by definition social,” said Matt Wolf, vice president of entertainment, ventures and strategic alliances for Coke.

Competitive video gaming first got big on Twitch, the video service that features real-time chat boards alongside views of the game. In other words, the digital interaction that traditional sports attempt to build is baked into esports. “You really can’t have one without the other, and the chat is sometimes as interesting as the content itself,” said Twitch COO Kevin Lin.

Matt Wolf  moderates an esports panel discussion with CrossCut Ventures’ Clinton Foy,  former “League of Legends” star Stephen “Snoopeh“ Ellis, Twitch COO Kevin Lin and TBS President David Levy (not pictured).
Photo by: KELLY KLINE
But there’s a flip side for newcomers. That tightly knit community can spot a poseur a mile away, and a tone-deaf brand play might not get a second chance.

“We welcome traditional sports media expertise and business expertise coming into the space,” said retired “League of Legends” star Stephen “Snoopeh” Ellis. “The only requirement we have is that you do your research.”

AUTHENTIC CAN’T BE FAKED: But then again that goes for everyone. A separate social media panel emphasized authenticity — Dunkin’ Donuts won’t consider an athlete without a proven track record of engaging social media posts, said Chief Digital Officer Scott Hudler.

Brands can’t paint by number on social media, either. Maverick Carter, LRMR Management founder and business adviser to LeBron James, cast a dim view on quotas or mandatory mentions of partner brands.

“We worked with DraftKings,” Carter said. “And they said, ‘We’re not getting any traction.’ No shit you’re not getting any traction. Everyone can tell what this is, they’re skipping it. It just looks like spam. It doesn’t do you any good, it doesn’t do the athlete any good.”

Even when James signed up to endorse Kia, a car he authentically likes, people didn’t believe it at first. “It takes time to establish that story,” Carter said.

TWO HOME TEAMS: News emerged May 13 that the U.S. and Mexico are considering a joint bid for the 2026 World Cup. One day earlier, a summit panel stoked the fires. Kathy Carter, president of Soccer United Marketing, said she’s seeing evidence that immigrant families divide loyalties between the U.S. and Mexico, and often consider themselves fans of both. The four most popular foreign soccer teams on TV in the U.S. are all Mexican, added Univision Deportes President Juan Carlos Rodriguez.

“We believe there’s a huge opportunity for America to have two home teams,” said Eric Shanks, Fox Sports president and COO.

“Mean” Joe Greene recounts to Katie Bayne the experience around producing his 1979 Coke ad.
Photo by: KELLY KLINE
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS: The conference wrapped with an appearance by NFL Hall of Famer “Mean” Joe Greene, who reminisced about the 1979 “Have a Coke and a Smile” commercial to a rapt audience.

But as the audience learned, that’s not the commercial’s name. It’s actually called “Early Showers,” because Greene is prematurely leaving a game with an injury. Both Greene and his interviewer, Coca-Cola Senior Vice President Katie Bayne, only learned this recently.

“I was kind of dumbfounded by it, too,” Greene said, recalling a chat with a Coke employee. “She referred to it as ‘Early Showers.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about, why can’t it just be Mean Joe and the Kid?’”

The ad’s appeal was clear immediately, Greene said. His wife and teammates both complimented him the first time they saw it. “Next day, I went into the locker room and got some cheers,” he said. “Getting appreciation from the guys you play with — and I know how they treat you when it’s bad — that was good.”

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