Danni Santana, Author at Front Office Sports

by Danni Santana

Wingstop Taps Twitch To Grow Its Customer Base Through Esports

Dec 10, 2019

Wingstop is not the first brand to partner with a key player in the esports advertising space on a promotion. However, it is a rare occurrence. In fact, most brands opt to go down the sponsorship route.
The chain's new activation has already outperformed Twitch’s key partnership benchmarks around engagement, according to its CMO. Expect more promotions on the part of the brand within esports to help build brand equity with gamers.

Amid a run of consistent sales growth, Wingstop is looking to esports to help bring in even more customers through its doors. In partnership with Twitch. the restaurant chain is enabling customers to order food directly on the streaming service’s website until December 16, as part of a limited time offer launched in late November. The new capability also features Wingstop’s WIng Calculator, which recommends flavors for streamers to try based on personal preferences. “Twitch is a huge part of […]

Media

by Danni Santana

PGA Tour Live Is Coming to A Bar Or Restaurant Near You in 2020

By Danni Santana

Dec 10, 2019

PGA Tour events will stream live in commercial venues beginning on January 16 with the American Express tournament in La Quinta, California.
All PGA Tour Live subscriptions for businesses will be sold according to a tiered-pricing model based on venue size, the PGA Tour said.

The PGA Tour is taking its standalone streaming service, PGA Tour Live, to bars and restaurants for the first time – a move expected to increase revenue for the platform by expanding its user base outside of residential homes. North America’s chief governing body for golf expects to bring the game to thousands of more screens across the U.S. and has partnered with Joe Hand Promotions, a legacy distributor of sporting content for commercial businesses, to accomplish that. Tour events […]

Media

by Danni Santana

Barstool’s Recipe For OTT Success: Sports Betting And Fun Video Content

By Danni Santana

Dec 9, 2019

Barstool CEO Erika Nardini says it’s still too early to pick out any early lessons or adjustments Barstool has had to make on the OTT front.
Barstool has joined a slew of sports media companies offering original programming on connected TV services, including Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and ESPN.

Barstool Sports made its big push into podcasting and video programming almost a half-decade ago. The decision, coupled with a mobile-first distribution strategy, has resulted in unprecedented success for the sports media brand. Yet a further opportunity to bring Barstool’s content to connected TV devices wasn’t lost on the company, according to CEO Erika Nardini. Barstool launched a proprietary app for Apple TV in April and followed that up by expanding the video service to Roku and FireTV last month. […]

Media

by Danni Santana

NASCAR TrackPass Goes Live on NBC Sports Gold

By Danni Santana

Dec 5, 2019

TrackPass will cost consumers $4.99 per month or $44.99 each year at launch. However, cheaper sub-packages are also available to fans.
The service will include both live racing and hours of archived video content from multiple popular motorsports series, including the AFT and IMSA.

NASCAR’s new direct-to-consumer service, TrackPass, is aiming to give fans more options in how they stream original programming with both live racing and hours of archived video content from multiple motorsports series. The service, which will go live on NBC Sports Gold on December 5, was announced by NASCAR in November as part of a decision to move its Fanshoice.TV web service to NBC. The sport now joins the likes of the PGA Tour and English Premier League as professional […]

Fan Experience

by Danni Santana

Augmented Reality Has Its Limits, But Is Here To Stay In Sports

By Danni Santana

Dec 3, 2019

Familiar obstacles when it comes to integrating augmented reality for teams include the duration of time required to launch a new activation and challenges in finding the right vendor.
Organizations spanning all major sports leagues continue to roll out new AR initiatives in droves, with the market for the technology set for meteoric growth through 2025.

The sports industry continues to showcase the breadth of opportunities available to teams willing to implement augmented reality to boost the fan experience. To date, AR technology has mostly been used by organizations looking to build deeper connections with fans through collaborations with players and the introduction of gaming – all while simultaneously improving the in-arena experience by providing real-time venue information to guests. This innovation is all made possible by leveraging cameras already equipped on mobile devices. But similar […]

Marketing

by Danni Santana

Irish Spring Launches Rare Sports Activation Around College Football

By Danni Santana

Nov 27, 2019

Irish Spring will host pre-game tailgates at three legendary college football venues ahead of rivalry games on November 30.
Former Michigan Wolverines linebacker Dhani Jones is additionally partnering with the brand, acting as spokesperson for its "Neutral Zone" campaign.

Irish Spring is not normally a brand that advertises around college football, especially in comparison to market rivals. But it has taken the opportunity during rivalry week to promote its brand to the sport’s most rabid fans. The Colgate-Palmolive subsidiary will unveil a new pop-up activation on November 30, highlighted by “Neutral Zones” where fans of opposite teams will compete together performing karaoke to win free product giveaways. Irish Spring is historically a rare participant in sports marketing, particularly in […]

Marketing

by Danni Santana

A Deal with Cam Newton Sparks New-Found Interest In Sports For Vinta

By Danni Santana

Nov 26, 2019

Vinta is looking to expand its presence in sports marketing by speaking with more influencers in the industry following its recently announced partnership with Cam Newton.
Both the NFL Star and Vinta are currently working together on releasing more fashionable travel accessories to consumers in the near future.

Vinta Supply Co. never imagined getting involved in sports before former NFL MVP Cam Newton reached out to partner with the company. Then again, the startup’s entry into the travel industry was not planned either. Vinta launched in 2015 as a maker of fashionable camera bags before expanding its merchandise to travel accessories – following two Kickstarter campaigns that raised more than $250,000 for the brand. The New York City-based online retailer now sells backpacks, field packs, and other products […]

Innovation

by Danni Santana

Startups Are Central To These Toronto Pro Teams’ Innovation Plans

By Danni Santana

Nov 25, 2019

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owner of multiple Toronto-based teams including the Raptors and Maple Leafs, entered a partnership with local incubator Future of Sport Lab in September 2018.
Rival.ai and Spalk are just two examples of incubated FSL startups that launched pilots with MLSE's teams over the past year.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the owner of multiple Toronto-based teams including the Raptors, Maple Leafs, and the Canadian Football League’s Argonauts, has different ways of keeping its finger on the pulse of the latest innovations in sports technology. MLSE relies internally on a new innovation lab that it opened in June 2018, which works directly with the sports conglomerate’s marketing, ticketing, and food and beverage teams to improve operations. But outside of its four walls, MLSE also leverages its […]

General

by Danni Santana

PGA Tour Expects Growth In Asia To Benefit Both Players And Its Brand

By Danni Santana

Nov 21, 2019

The PGA Tour’s interest in Asia began almost a decade ago. Today, the organization hosts three FedEx Cup events in the lucrative Asian markets of China, Japan, and South Korea.
There are no active plans on the part of the PGA to add more golf tournaments in Asia for the time being, for fear it will dilute player fields by expanding too quickly.

When the PGA Tour announced multiple changes to its season schedule this summer, it’s safe to say there was a lot for both fans and players to adjust to. For one, the PGA Tour moved back its prominent Players Championship tournament from May to March to create a “season of championships.” Golf’s biggest events of the year are no longer as spread out. Instead, beginning in March, each month will be highlighted by a flagship tournament in the sport. The […]

Marketing

by Danni Santana

In-Stadium Video Advertising Gains Traction Across MiLB and NASCAR

By Danni Santana

Nov 20, 2019

In-stadium advertising is largely viewed as one piece of the overall fan experience puzzle. But to reach as many fans as possible, a strong digital strategy is also required, experts say.
Industry newcomer SV Sports estimates a potential audience of 35 million people for brands to target across all of its league partnerships for the upcoming 2020 season.

Fans’ in-stadium viewing experience is one already filled with advertising by brands looking to attract new consumers – with activations spanning static logos, animated graphics, and even pop-up events around games. A select number of teams and leagues are also looking to sell additional inventory that would allow brands to reach fans via video format on jumbotrons, concourse screens, and other screens across the stadium. Recent examples of this trend include Minor League Baseball, The American Hockey League, the New […]