Rebranding: ESPN360 Becomes ESPN3 In April
By David Goetzl
- The online live sports hub, ESPN360.com, will be rebranded ESPN3.com in April. ESPN3 will be available in 50 million homes, free to subscribers of broadband providers that have agreed to pay ESPN a TV-style fee to offer it.
- ESPN has not used Web lexicon recently in referring to ESPN360 — classifying it instead as a network. In a statement, ESPN executive Sean Bratches, who oversees marketing, said the ESPN3 switch “closely aligns with the existing name convention” for ESPN channels. Expansion from the 1979 flagship began with ESPN2 in 1993.
(www.mediapost.com)
Denny’s: Another 2 Million Free Grand Slams Served
By Karlene Lukovitz
- The dishes had barely been cleared when Denny’s issued a press release announcing that it had served approximately 2 million free Grand Slams during its second breakfast giveaway yesterday — roughly the same number served in the chain’s first post-Super Bowl giveaway last year.
- Denny’s estimated that tables turned every 15 minutes and that some restaurants served more than 200 breakfasts per hour — a rate apparently greater than last year’s average, although that increase “was offset by bad weather across the country.” The promotion ran between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Denny’s CEO Nelson Marchioli proclaimed the event “a great day for Americans” as well as for the chain. “We received an outpouring of the most genuine and heartwarming comments from our guests, servers and managers,” he added. “We hope to continue to connect with our guests with real affordable offers all year long so they can fall in love with Denny’s again.”
(www.mediapost.com)
Doritos Spot Sets Record, Most-Watched Ever
By Wayne Friedman
- This past Super Bowl was the most-watched TV show of all time — with 106.5 million average viewers. This has resulted in viewership records for Super Bowl commercials, as well.
- The Nielsen Company now says the Doritos commercial featuring two men attacked in a gym for stealing someone else’s Doritos was seen by an estimated 116.2 million viewers, which makes it the most-watched TV commercial of all time.
- Audi’s Green Police came in second with 115.6 million and Electronic Arts’ Dante’s Inferno spot came in third place at 115.0 million.
- Focus on the Family’s controversial ad featuring Tim Tebow tied for the least-viewed ad of Super Bowl XLIV, according to Nielsen. The commercial got heavy pre-game buzz going into the game. This coincides with what many social-networking analyses have revealed — most of the attention for the campaign happened before the Super Bowl.
(www.mediapost.com)
Super Bowl S*M*A*S*H*E*S* Record
By Wayne Friedman
- For the third year in a row, the Super Bowl has hit a record in average total viewership, now up 8% to 106.5 million viewers.
- The close game won by the New Orleans Saints over the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, also hit a record in total households — 51.7 million. The previous record was held by the “M.A.S.H.” finale, which had 50.2 million homes.
(www.mediapost.com)
Sun Life Financial Scores Big During Super Bowl
By Tanya Irwin
- Sun Life Financial received over $26 million in media value during the Super Bowl through 68 sequences that included verbal mentions, on-screen text, and stadium signage due to their recently completed naming rights agreement for the Miami stadium, according to FrontRow-Marketing.com.
- “The amount of broadcast exposure that Sun Life Financial has received in the past has proved to be a great asset for the company and with the new naming rights deal they will continue to increase their competitive edge within their market,” said VP of Project Management for Front Row Marketing Services Eric Smallwood.
(www.mediapost.com)
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