MARKETING DAILY’s Steve McClellan cited IEG research as stating sponsorship spending on the NFL and its teams “rose 4.3%” to $1.25B last season. The increase is a "bit higher than the 4.2% increase in overall sponsorship spending for the period, but trails the 4.7% gains in overall sports spending.” Spending on the NFL “rose 4.4% in the previous season.” The NFL “secured one major new partner” -- Ford -- for the just-concluded season (MEDIAPOST.com, 3/7).
FILLING A NEED: In DC, Cindy Boren noted Nike “plans to launch a specially-designed hijab” in spring ’18 after “seeing an underserved market in the growing number of Muslim women who work out and compete in sports.” Nike said that the “Nike Pro Hajib” was “inspired” by Saudi Arabia runner Sarah Attar, who competed in the ’12 London Games and Emirati weightlifter Amna Al Haddad, who competed in the ’16 Rio Games (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/7).
AS-SEEN ON TV: AD AGE’s Garett Sloane reported Twitter is “now offering some advertisers guarantees on video ads, a step of maturation for the company that makes its ad product similar to a TV-style buy.” Twitter has been “working closely with Dentsu Aegis Network to develop its first guaranteed ad product, which lets brands order a set amount of pre-roll video ads with certainty that they get seen by a target group of consumers.” The pre-roll video ads are "counted according to Media Ratings Council standards and the results are confirmed by third parties.” Dentsu has “worked with about a dozen brands testing the video guarantees on Twitter” (ADAGE.com, 3/7).
