Miller Lite, which sponsored the Tyson-Mathis bout on Fox
last month, will also sponsor three Don King fight cards on Fox
in '96 in a deal estimated at over $2M, according to Brockinton &
Reynolds of INSIDE MEDIA. Lite gets commercial time and category
exclusivity as part of the deal, along with logo coverage on ring
posts and mats. The three remaining fights will air on Saturday
nights at 11pm ET. The first is scheduled for January 27, with
Tommy Morrison the featured attraction. The next two are likely
for the late February and March (INSIDE MEDIA, 1/10 issue).
ALSO FROM I.M.: MCI will be the new title sponsor of ABC's
college basketball halftime show, replacing Foot Locker.
Brockinton & Reynolds also report that VW will be an advertiser
on ABC's college hoops telecasts, joining Buick, Bristol-Meyers,
Squibb, State Farm, Gilette, Toyota and PaineWebber as companies
purchasing ad time this winter. ... As part of its sponsorship of
the Big 12 Football Championship, Dr Pepper will run a "consumer-
driven marketing/merchandising campaign" involving bottlers and
trade partners in the Big 12's seven-state region. The Big 12
game will air prior to the Dr Pepper SEC Championship on ABC on
December 7 (INSIDE MEDIA, 1/10 issue).
