Three Creative Ideas for In-Game Sports Advertising
Because you should never miss out on a chance to make money.
Sponsorship and advertising play enormous roles in the sports industry. From the uniforms a team wears to the name of the stadium they play in, if there’s space, sports will find a way to sell it. Just look at how much signage is in an MLB ballpark.
On the broadcast side of things, outside of the dozens of commercials which make up a game, pregame, halftime, and postgame shows each have their own presenting sponsors. Even the broadcasts themselves are brought to you by a variety of providers. Advertising is nearly everywhere.
Keyword, nearly.
Having signs and sponsors on display almost anywhere you look during a sports event is great and all, but I can’t help but feel that the sports industry still needs to step their game up.
After all, wouldn’t the viewing experience be better if there were even more advertisers? I’m not satisfied, and the good capitalist in me won’t rest until every single sponsorship opportunity is snatched up and sports as we know them become one giant sales pitch.
Despite mass-marketing efforts, there’s one place that seems to have been relatively unaffected by all these partnership deals — the actual game itself. Anyone can become the title sponsor for a halftime show, but to get your name out there while the game is going on? That’s product placement.
The NFL was bold enough to test out this idea in the red zone during their preseason broadcasts a few years ago, and the results were positively breathtaking.
Now, this is subliminal advertising at its finest. You can barely even tell the ads are there! Yet, for some reason, people seemed to be complaining about this. Hey, buddy — just because you aren’t in the market for a new Toyota doesn’t mean no one is.
Unbelievably, the NFL decided to be spineless and stop marketing during games entirely. I’m convinced these spots can work — they just need to be more subtle. So, in an effort to aid league and corporate interests alike, I’ve come up with a few ideas for in-game advertisements.
NFL Chain Measurements
Perhaps no element of modern sports is more archaic than football’s insistence on measuring first downs with a pair of poles connected by chains and operated by a three-man crew known as the “chain gang”.
The chain gang has been around for over 100 years — even longer than football’s current scoring system. Surely, it would be easier and more accurate to measure first downs using a more advanced version of the already-existent tracking chip inside of NFL footballs.
Yet, people like the drama involved in bringing out the chains, so instead, here’s the process that occurs.
After the end of a play, the referees will spot, establishing where the next snap will take place. Whether or not this is accurate is a different story entirely.
Typically after a third or fourth down, if the spot is too close to determine whether or not a first down has been gained, the referees will have the chain gang come onto the field to provide an official measurement.
If the ball is past the line to gain, the offense gets a first down. If the ball is short, the head official will use his hands to represent the distance between the ball and a first down. Again, this is very scientific.
Whenever I see this in action, though, it’s that last part that always gets me — the visual representation of how short the ball is. It reminds me of the old Subway Five-Dollar Footlong commercials.
Then, it hit me. The NFL should introduce the Subway Chain Measurement, and report the distance between the ball and the first down line in Subway sandwiches. It’s sheer brilliance. If you’re going to use outdated technology, at least find a way to get something out of it.
The Seventh-Inning Stretch
Let’s face it — baseball games can be boring. They’re so long and slow-moving, in fact, that a tradition has been developed in the middle of the seventh inning — the Seventh-Inning Stretch.
During this brief break in the action, spectators are encouraged to get up, stretch, and grab a snack. The affair is usually accompanied by the classic tune “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”.
What everyone really needs during this period is a shot of energy to keep them going for the rest of the game. I can think of a product that claims to give people that type of boost.
The Seventh-Inning Stretch, brought to you by 5-hour ENERGY. Incorporate it into the stadium experience as well — during the Stretch, drop bottles of 5-hour ENERGY on parachutes into the stands. How’s that for audience engagement?
NBA Replay Review
The life of an NBA referee is not an easy one. Particularly late in games when they have to go to the monitors to make a crucial call, there isn’t an easy decision to be made, and whichever team ends up on the wrong end of the ruling will no doubt be upset.
Fans regularly accuse the refs of rigging games and officials are now escorted to their vehicles by security after a game has ended. While part of their job is to remain calm and collected, on the inside, so much ridicule has to take something of a toll on you.
Every time they’re put in a controversial decision, I can’t help but think they secretly want out. That given the opportunity, they’d leave.
All the spotlight given to them during these reviews is a perfect opportunity for the league to cash in, which is why I’d recommend the NBA Replay Review, sponsored by Southwest Airlines.
If you wanted to take it a step further, you could have the referees be directly sponsored by Southwest, and wear a jersey patch just like the teams do.
Ultimately, sports is a business, and businesses exist to make money. I don’t want these leagues to leave money on the table. By incorporating these ideas and pushing as many products as possible, we can make sure they don’t.
Connor Groel is a writer who studies sport management at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as editor of the Top Level Sports publication on Medium, and the host of the Connor Groel Sports podcast. You can follow Connor on Medium, Facebook, and Twitter, and view his archives at toplevelsports.net.
