Welcome back to another installment of the “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight”! Where better to start this week than with last Sunday's Super Bowl that lived up to its name on all fronts? Sure, the commercials were witty, innovative and at times downright strange as usual, but the football game and halftime show (and let's not forget my homemade guacamole) were outstanding. The TV ratings are a testament to that as myself and 112 million of my closest friends (for context, roughly the readership of the Spotlight, give or take 112 million) watched the hometown Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald make big plays when they mattered the most to claim the Lombardi Trophy. Equally enjoyable for me was seeing/hearing – due to in no small part to Jay-Z/Roc Nation's entertainment partnership with the NFL –hip-hop, rap and R&B take centerstage musical performances from the all-star collection of talent that included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige for what was as much an homage to Southern California as it was to the respective genres. To me, the only thing missing was an appearance by the late Tupac Shakur. Fittingly, the performance just so happened to take place on the same weekend on which Snoop Dogg released his new album B.O.D.R. (Back on Death Row) on his newly-acquired record label, Death Row Records – the very same label that launched his, Dr. Dre's and Tupac's careers. Although things may have appeared to come full circle for Snoop, having full-heartedly embraced NFTs, he's also taking a big leap forward with his stated intention to make Death Row a record label for the metaverse. In short, Sunday was a “Sports & Entertainment Spotlight” unto itself – but lest you worry, I have more to last you through next week:
- Not to be outdone by Snoop, DJ Steve Aoki proclaims that he's made more money from music NFTs than he has in his entire recording career. Financially, you could say he's doing, “A-ok.”
- 15-year-old Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva is becoming a household name for all the wrong reasons, somehow finding herself back on Olympic ice despite having tested positive for banned performance-enhancing substances. For her part, Valieva says that the positive test arose from accidental contamination with her grandfather's medication. Programming note to tune in to watch Valieva's grandfather compete in this year's Senior Olympics – think: curling, but instead of sending away curling stones, they grumpily use bowls of soup that are always too cold.
- Actor Stanley Tucci inks a multiyear endorsement deal with Italian sparkling mineral water company, San Pellegrino, in which bottles will be branded “Stan Pellegrino.” An infinitely better proposition than a diaper rash ointment deal pitched to him for “Tucci Cream.”
Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments
Kendall Jenner Tequila Company Sued For Allegedly Ripping Off Other
Brand
February 17, 2022 via Newsweek
Kendall Jenner's tequila brand is facing a lawsuit from a
Texas-based tequila business, claiming that her company ripped off
its branding.
The Five Most Effective Super Bowl Ads Of 2022 -
Forbes
February 15, 2022 via Charles Taylor - Google
Alert
In a Super Bowl advertising year marked by an unprecedented number
of A-List celebrities, humorous and light tones, and high-tech
products (including four ads for cryptocurrency and references to
NFTs and the metaverse) many brands put their best foot
forward.
The Super Bowl Ads Showed Celebrities Rule the World.
We're Just Buying Stuff in It
February 14, 2022 via Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
Super Bowl Sunday is the one day of the year that television
viewers look forward to commercials. Those 30-second spots that
interrupted the suspense of “Mission: Impossible” and
the comedic flow of “Seinfeld” way back in the 20th
century are embraced as a time-honored tradition during the
NFL's annual championship.
Here's the 411 on Mary J. Blige and Hologic's Super
Bowl Ad
February 10, 2022 via Medical Device and Diagnostic
Industry
Hologic is dropping a hefty chunk of its COVID cash on a Super Bowl
commercial featuring Mary J. Blige.
Stanley Tucci's Puntastic San Pellegrino Deal Heralds
a Fizzy Future for Celebrity Endorsements
February 9, 2022 via Exec Review
Kevin Bacon may not care much about mobile coverage and George
Clooney might not always drink coffee from plastic pods.
Celebrity Net Worth: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Lead
Olipop's $30 Million Funding Round
February 13, 2022 via The National (UAE)
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas New parents Priyanka Chopra and Nick
Jonas managed to take time off to invest in prebiotic drinks brand
Olipop.
Mind Blown Plant Based Seafood Co. Nets Celebrity Chef
Investor
February 10, 2022 via Manassas Journal Messenger
News
The Plant Based Seafood Co., makers of award-winning Mind Blown
plant-based seafood products, announced today an investment from
Celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn.
Sports
'Serious Questions' Raised About Kamila
Valieva's ‘Grandfather' Excuse
February 16, 2022 via Yahoo Sports
A document submitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency at Kamila
Valieva's hearing revealed that the Russian figure skater
acknowledged taking two other substances similar to the one for
which she tested positive, trimetazidine.
At Tyler Skaggs Trial, MLB Players And Widow Give Dramatic
Testimony: "My Husband Couldn't Respond ... Because He Was
Dead"
February 16, 2022 via CBS News
Four major league players testified Tuesday that they received
oxycodone pills from a former Los Angeles Angels employee accused
of providing Tyler Skaggs the drugs that led to the pitcher's
overdose death.
Super Bowl's Hollywood Moment Outshines N.F.L.'s
Problems
February 14, 2022 via New York Times - Global View
(subscription may be required)
Blue and yellow confetti rained down on the field after the final
whistle blew in the Super Bowl on Sunday night as the Los Angeles
Rams finished off the upstart Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20.
The N.F.L. Widens Its Footprint in the Los Angeles Media
World
February 10, 2022 via New York Times - Global View
(subscription may be required)
The former West Coast headquarters for the N.F.L., the most popular
North American professional sports league, was tucked away in
Culver City, CA, a residential Los Angeles suburb, and its
neighbors included a mosque, an assisted-living facility and an
elementary school.
Super Bowl Halftime: Football's Pepsi-Fueled 12
Minute Economy
February 9, 2022 via Sportico – Business
(subscription may be required)
30 years ago last month, the Super Bowl halftime show changed
forever. In Minneapolis' Metrodome, a pair of Olympic ice
skaters in multicolored outerwear welcomed 80 million viewers to
what was billed as “The 1992 Super Bowl XXVI Halftime
Spectacular, Winter Magic!”
Music Biz
Halftime Tops a Super Bowl Filled With Musical
Headliners
February 13, 2022 via New York Times - Most Recent
(subscription may be required)
The final showdown of the N.F.L. season arrives Sunday with what
fans hope will be a fitting climax to a wild playoffs, with the
Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams facing off in the Super
Bowl.
Layne Staley, Mike Starr Estates Sell Alice in Chains Music
Right to Primary Wave
February 13, 2022 via RTT News - Top Stories, All
Sections
Primary Wave Music has announced the acquisition of the music
rights from the estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr of the
legendary grunge group and Grammy-nominated band Alice In
Chains.
Heirs of Jimi Hendrix' Bandmates File Lawsuit Against
Sony Music
February 12, 2022 via RTT News - Top Stories, All
Sections
Heirs of Jimi Hendrix 'bandmates have filed a lawsuit in
British court against Sony Music Entertainment. Last month, Sony
and Hendrix' estate had filed a lawsuit in New York federal
court.
Wife of Late Wu-Tang Clan Rapper ODB Accuses the Iconic
Group of Taking Advantage of Him in Explosive
Lawsuit
February 12, 2022 via Yahoo Finance - Top
Stories
Rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard had an important request for his wife
before he died in 2004. The late Russell Jones, also referred to as
ODB, believed that he wasn't getting his fair share of
royalties from his work with Wu-Tang Clan.
Sting Sells His Songwriting Catalog for Estimated $300
Million
February 11, 2022 via Honolulu Star Advisor
Sting has sold his songwriting catalog, including hits with the
Police such as “Every Breath You Take” and “Every
Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and solo work such as
“If You Love Somebody Set Them Free,” to the Universal
Music Group, in music's latest blockbuster catalog deal.
Film & TV
Big Payday Coming for Big
Ten
February 16, 2022 via Sports Business
Journal
The Big Ten will become the first college conference to eclipse $1
billion per year when it negotiates its next media-rights deal
later this year.
NBC Draws Second-Largest Super Bowl
Audience to Cap NFL Bonanza
February 15, 2022 via Sportico – Business
(subscription may be required)
On the heels of the NFL's most-watched regular-season
campaign in six years and a playoff run delirious enough to be
classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, the TV turnout
for Super Bowl LVI was predictably massive.
Esports Insiders Generally
Optimistic About Microsoft-Activision Deal
February 14, 2022 via Sportico – Business
(subscription may be required)
Back in mid-January, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced it would be
buying Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) in a $68.7 billion
all-cash transaction (pending an FTC anti-trust review).
Beijing Winter Olympics Ratings Are
Down – Just as NBC Guaranteed
February 11, 2022 via Sportico – Business
(subscription may be required)
NBCUniversal's Olympics ratings are in sync with what the
media giant said it would serve up to its advertisers.
ESPN Expands
‘ManningCast' Deal With Peyton's Omaha
Productions
February 9, 2022 via Sportico –
Business
Peyton and Eli Manning have more yards to gain for Walt Disney Co.
and ESPN, Variety reports. The two football brothers, whose
“ManningCast” alongside ESPN's Monday Night
Football has gained significant notice this season, have extended
their relationship with the sports-media giant.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek Confirms NFL
Sunday Ticket Bid
February 9, 2022 via TheWrap
Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed the company is in the running to
get the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, the league's
subscription package that allows fans to watch out-of-market
games.
Champions League: New €15
Billion TV Deal Set to Deliver Final Blow to Rebel European Super
League Clubs
February 9, 2022 via The Times UK - Today's Home
Page
A €15 billion TV and marketing deal for the Champions League
will be a “new dawn” according to Europe's
clubs' chief — and one which should kill off the threat
of a European Super League.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
DJ Steve Aoki Said He Made More
Money From His NFT Drop Last Year Than in a Decade of Making
Music
February 15, 2022 via Business Insider
Steve Aoki said he made more money from NFTs last year than in a
decade of music royalties and advances.
U.K. Tax Authority Makes First NFT
Seizure, BBC Reports
February 14, 2022 via Bloomberg –
News
The U.K.'s tax watchdog seized three NFTs as part of a
suspected case of value-added tax fraud worth £1.4 million
($1.9 million), the BBC reported.
Avenged Sevenfold Are Looking to
Pioneer The Music Industry's Future With
NFTs
February 10, 2022 via Forbes – Business (subscription
may be required)
NFTs, Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrency are all among the more
controversial buzzwords in today's media. Alongside the
frequent scams and fraudulent activity that's reported within
cryptocurrency and NFTs, it's no doubt that much of the
recent polarization surrounding these topics also comes from their
novelty.
Snoop Dogg Sells Over $44
Million Worth of ‘Stash Box' NFTs in Just Five
Days
February 15, 2022 via Music Business
WorldWide
Along with the album release on Friday, February 11, to all
streaming services (distributed by Create Music Group), Snoop Dogg
also announced that he would be releasing the album on the
blockchain through a partnership with blockchain gaming platform
Gala Games, via his “Stash Box” NFTs, sold on
Gala's new Gala Music store.
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