Grey Officially Out As NFL's Ad Agency Partner After 10 Years

The NFL last month "launched a review of the agencies handling its brand work as well as marketing for its media properties including the NFL website," and current partner Grey is "not participating in the review," according to Patrick Coffee of ADWEEK. A source said that Grey "decided to sit it out after determining" that the league’s new CMO Tim Ellis "did not wish to retain them" as its agency of record. Grey will "continue to work on the NFL account until the end of its current contract." Sources said that the agencies "still pitching" the league include Wieden + Kennedy, 72andSunny, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Venables Bell & Partners. There "may be others in the mix as well." The change will "not affect the league’s relationship with Translation, which works primarily on youth outreach efforts." Grey "first started working with the NFL" in '08 (ADWEEK.com, 11/21).