Packers Dir of Sales & Business Development Chad Watson said of the team's deal with FanDuel, "We found it attractive because the fantasy platform in general is growing, and it enables us to reach a younger audience." In Green Bay, Richard Ryman reports the first FanDuel ad "will appear on the Packers.com website next week in conjunction with" the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday. FanDuel ads "will be on the digital panels flanking the Lambeau Field jumbo video scoreboards during games" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 4/24).
BUYING THE BIG BOUT: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported FanDuel has "bought the rights to have its name on the belt line" of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s trunks during his bout against Manny Pacquiao. The deal "includes branding on Mayweather's team throughout the fight weekend and during the fight." Meanwhile, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said that Pacquiao "will wear many of the same trunk sponsors he featured the last time he was in the ring, including Nike, Cafe Puro and Air Asia." Pacquiao also is "expected to wear a headband with a Motolite batteries logo on it and a shirt at the weigh-in promoting Organo Gold Coffee" (ESPN.com, 4/23).
LIFE OF THE SPARTY: In Michigan, Mike Griffith noted Michigan State "unveiled new football uniforms Thursday, including an alternate version which features bronze striping on the shoulder sleeve and a metallic dark bronze helmet with an oversize green Spartan logo on the side and no center stripe." The alternate uniform's concept is to "identify Michigan State football with the ancient Greek Spartan warriors." The away-white and home-green uniforms feature "more subtle changes" (MLIVE.com, 4/23).
A CALL FOR DIVERSITY: The AP's Steve Reed cites a study by the UCF Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sport as showing that "women and people of color remain vastly underrepresented among the creative directors" producing Super Bowl ads. The annual study showed the advertising industry's "continuing disparity in hiring practices in terms of race and gender" (AP, 4/22).
