Adam Lefkoe will begin hosting his own show, "Ditch the Playbook," on the B/R Gridiron platform GETTY IMAGES
Bleacher Report has "refashioned its football vertical as B/R Gridiron" ahead of the NFL season in an attempt to "replicate the success of its basketball-centric House of Highlights property by rolling out more category-specific brands," according to Tim Peterson of DIGIDAY. Bleacher Report will "premiere a slate of B/R Gridiron-branded original shows starting later this month that will air across Bleacher Report’s site, app and YouTube channel as well as B/R Gridiron’s own Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts." Bleacher Report's "hope is that B/R Gridiron will help it to attract ad dollars from advertisers who are advertising against NFL games," as advertisers "may typically associate Bleacher Report more closely with the NBA given parent company WarnerMedia’s NBA rights." The publisher may then "start to see the property as a way to extend their football-related campaigns." A Bleacher Report spokesperson said that Yahoo, Best Buy and Wrangler have already "signed on as sponsors for B/R Gridiron." Bleacher Report CEO Howard Mittman said that the publisher’s revenue had "increased by 49% year over year, with House of Highlights accounting for 10% of the publisher’s total revenue." The first show to "bow under the B/R Gridiron brand will be 'Your Fantasy Fire Drill,' a weekly live show for fantasy football fans." B/R Gridiron will also "debut two original series" the week of Sept. 2 (DIGIDAY.com, 8/15).
