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.