C O V I D - 1 9 S P O R T S M A R K E T I N G G U I D E

the return of sports0 7 . 0 8 . 2 0 2 0

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01 OVERVIEW 02 START DATES 03 KEY CONSIDERATIONS 04 GO-FORWARD STRATEGY

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let’s play ball?The return of sports continues to be a topic of heavy debate among leagues, player associations, ownership groups, and fans. After over three months of quarantine, demand is strong, and some “contactless” sports are pressing on while others struggle to align on protocol. Most leagues have tentative returns planned, but risk and increased cases are weighing on those options.

For upcoming media plans, the safest option is to include sports in your plans, but wait to see what happens and have several contingencies at the ready.

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OVERVIEWH

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01 OVERVIEW 02 START DATES 03 KEY CONSIDERATIONS 04 GO-FORWARD STRATEGY

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START DATES | ALREADY LIVE

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PGA // JUNE 11TH

MLS // JULY 8TH

NASCAR // MAY 17TH

The following sports have already resumed:

UFC // MAY 9TH

MLB // JULY 23RD

NHL // JULY 30TH

NBA // JULY 30TH

WNBA // LATE JULY

While these dates have been planned, all should be considered tentative due to recent positive COVID-19 tests by players.

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START DATES | SCHEDULEDH

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NCAAF NFL // AUGUST 29TH // SEPTEMBER 10TH

START DATES | SCHEDULED

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TENNIS // AUGUST 14TH

WIMBLEDON 2020 CANCELED

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01 OVERVIEW 02 START DATES 03 KEY CONSIDERATIONS 04 GO-FORWARD STRATEGY

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There are key considerations to consider with the return of sports.

THE FANS

• In most cases, fans will be unable to physically attend games

• Even the casual sports fan is looking for something… anything live to watch

• Added fan excitement around tournament-style rounds and shortened seasons essentially creates a playoff-like tone for all games

THE SPONSORS

• Sponsors need to consider that the value of any in-stadium signage and promotions will be severely diminished due to reduced attendance figures

• Teams will promote the value that TV and online brings to signage, hoping to justify the value versus costs

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KEY CONSIDERATIONS | THE FANS & SPONSORSH

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DEMAND & VIEWERSHIP

• Live sports are high in demand

• Early-to-return sports like NASCAR, Euro Soccer and PGA have seen spikes in online/streaming viewership; however, the trend is not as high as the leagues anticipated

• Expectation is that TV ratings could see a 25-30% increase, although with so many leagues starting at once there may be cannibalization

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KEY CONSIDERATIONS | DEMAND & VIEWERSHIPH

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01 OVERVIEW 02 START DATES 03 KEY CONSIDERATIONS 04 GO-FORWARD STRATEGY

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the time is now!Sports is still a buyer’s market, but demand is heating up and supply will soon diminish for sports programming. Waiting until all details are sorted out could leave clients with few to no options for high-profile elements. Acting now will help a sponsor secure priority inventory before other advertisers and new sponsors can react. Rework sponsorship elements based on available information and adjust later if needed. Be sure to negotiate this flexibility into any contracts.

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GO-FORWARD STRATEGYH

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TV & DIGITAL ELEMENTS ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.

• Focus efforts in these areas, without overcommitting.

• Frequency within a game is good since there will be fewer games per league, but fans won’t want to see your spot in every other commercial pod.

CONSIDER STREAMING, DIGITAL VIDEO & IN-PROGRAM/CONTENT SPONSORSHIPS AS WELL AS TEAM WEBSITES.

• Be sure to get guarantees on all impression deliveries.

• These TV extensions will boost frequency while creating ownership of key items to which fans can latch on.

• Think of ways to make your brand fit the content and message accordingly.

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We recommend that all sponsorship elements be carefully negotiated to ensure maximum value, but tactics should be assessed by sport and team as there will be many nuances.

GO-FORWARD STRATEGY | CONSIDER AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITIES

CONSIDER THE CONTRACT

• Explore options to makegood any missed spend from canceled games now or push some into future years/seasons to stretch budgets and allow for exposure in arenas once fans return.

• Teams are being flexible to salvage deals and dollars, so make an offer. You don’t get what you don’t ask for.

• Give the team or league something to react to, and new options may arise.

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GO-FORWARD STRATEGY | CONSIDER CONTRACTSH

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about us

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Harmelin Media specializes in strategic media solutions, and has more than 37 years of experience helping clients navigate a rapidly changing media landscape across digital, traditional and lifestyle forms. The firm has grown with a diverse client roster including many Fortune 500 companies across a diverse array of industries, and is now one of the largest independent media service firms in the United States.

Harmelin’s expertise is in managing the massive data sets that our clients and campaigns generate to develop strategic, channel-agnostic recommendations that generate business results and positive return on investment. We accomplish this while maintaining a long-term business focus, providing superior customer service and operating with 100% transparency in our operations. Our approach has resulted in unprecedented retention rates with both employees and clients.

Harmelin’s current media billings exceed $800 million across all digital and traditional channels on a local, national and international basis. We are a Google Premier Partner, Facebook Marketing Preferred Partner and proud member of the ANA.

For more information, please contact info@harmelin.com or visit www.harmelin.com.