NFL sponsor Verizon will use its activation rights at Super Bowl LVIII to promote its content partnerships, turning over one night each in Las Vegas to Netflix, Max and Apple Music at customer-only events on the Strip.
Verizon’s Super Bowl efforts will also include game commercials, an advertising run at the Sphere, an out-of-home branding effort and activations at NFL-owned events such as the NFL Experience and NFL Honors. But the centerpiece is a three-day run at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club at the LINQ Promenade shops, with each night belonging to a different streamer.
“We didn’t want to compete with Pepsis and Bud Lights and MGMs of the world, just because it’s really not our role to be at the parties that run to 1-2 in the morning,” said Verizon VP/partnerships Nick Kelly. “What we focus on is the unique value we can bring to Verizon customers in the market, so we actually looked to our content partnerships outside of the NFL.”
Thursday will focus on Netflix, which is bringing producers, writers, stars and preview clips of three upcoming titles: "3 Body Problem," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and "Rebel Moon -- Part Two: The Scargiver."
Friday night will be turned over to Max, which is bringing stars of its series “Hacks” to preview the upcoming third season.
On Saturday, Super Bowl Halftime Show sponsor Apple Music and LeBron James’ brand Uninterrupted will create a NFL-player curated playlist for the Super Bowl live. NFL stars Sauce Gardner and Amon-Ra St. Brown and retirees Ed Reed and Reggie Wayne will appear.
On Sunday, Verizon will move off the Strip to host a tailgate party for local employees and fans. The company expects to entertain about 800 people daily, with up to 500 at the tailgate, Kelly said. Verizon hopes the shows underscore the cellular provider’s value offering beyond its basic phone service, executives said.
There was minimal resistance from the NFL to having non-sponsors such as Netflix and Max involved, Kelly said. “The NFL has a million important priorities at the Super Bowl, and for someone like us to help these content partners dip their toe into the NFL space at the Super Bowl has been good. In a perfect world, there would be more of an NFL angle to talk about with these partners, but for us, [we asked them] ‘what is your priority?’ But there wasn’t the typical hurdles you would typically see in one of these partnerships that aren’t a league partner.” Momentum advised Verizon on its Super Bowl program.
