As the worlds of entertainment and sports continue to overlap, Variety held its inaugural Sports & Entertainment Studio in New York, featuring Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson and ESPN studio analyst Jay Williams, as well as top executives from State Farm, PepsiCo and Teads.
On July 16, Variety reporters Joe Otterson, Marlow Stern and Brian Steinberg led conversations in the New York City studio about the players’ and executives’ respective careers, growing sport fandoms, and how networks and brands can collaborate and connect to better reach consumers during an explosive time for media.
Top players like Wilson are often tapped to provide commentary and expertise for weekly programs, such as CBS Studios’ “The NFL Today,” giving fans an inside look into gameplay strategy and the reality of playing in high-pressure games aired around the world. But they also recognize the current missed opportunities in the marketplace.
Read below for a recap of Variety‘s conversations with the leaders across sports and entertainment.
Russell Wilson, Super Bowl Champion Quarterback, Entrepreneur, Sports Owner and Philanthropist
Russell Wilson has had quite the busy year, announcing his retirement from the NFL in June to move to CBS Sports as a broadcaster for the network’s Sunday pregame show. The record-breaking quarterback’s varied career allows his commentary to tap into what is really going on in a player’s mind. “I don’t think there’s anything I can’t talk about, meaning I’ve had all the highs, I’ve had some of the lows,” Wilson said. “I’ve won a Super Bowl, I’ve also been in an unfortunate situation of not being able to win one. So all those experiences I think you use.”
Wilson compares being a quarterback to the responsibility a CEO of any organization might face. “You’re constantly speaking to people, but also, too, you’re constantly leading people,” he said. “When you come into the huddle, there’s ten other guys in the huddle. And everybody has different socioeconomic statuses. Everybody’s a different size, everybody has different years and experience. Everybody has different talents.”
Wilson also spoke about how his work with CBS Sports allows him to tip his hat to the game and say thank you, both to his biggest fans and to those who doubted him along the way. “To be the second Black quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, that’s history,” he reflected while speaking to his accomplishments.
Jimmie Johnson, 7-time NASCAR Cup Champion and Team Owner, Legacy Motor Club
Jimmie Johnson found himself accomplishing many of his dreams early on in his NASCAR racing career, from landing a Cup Series job to winning a race himself. Now at the age of 50, Johnson has joined TNT Sports as a studio analyst while still racing in select events.
“Our sport has done an incredible job of creating parity and equality on the track. I think there’s been a lot of variables over the years thrown at motor sports in general,” Johnson said, noting that from 2010 to 2020 there was a significant decline in motor sports’ popularity. “But as it turns out, timing is in a really good place for NASCAR. We’re still the second-largest viewed sport in America and the largest attended. And so although we’re not where our peak once was — I think the only exception to that is the NFL — [considering] all other sports and how the consumer has changed the way they digest anything, NASCAR is holding its own.”
While NASCAR races thrive on fans wanting to experience their favorite drivers go head-to-head in person, Johnson said the industry “is a little behind” on staying connected through different forms of media: “We see these reality TV shows pop up in sports and out. People want to look behind the curtain, and finding the right creative storytelling is everything. And that’s how you capture someone on their device, it’s how you get them to watch on television, that’s how you get them to the event.”
Kristyn Cook, EVP and Chief Agency, Marketing and Sales Officer, State Farm; and Carolyn Braff, Head of Sports and Entertainment, PepsiCo
As top executives at State Farm and PepsiCo, Kristyn Cook and Carolyn Braff know they have to meet consumers where they’re at. So naturally, they get into the business of sports, with milestone events like the World Cup and Super Bowl providing extra incentives to buy out ad space and collaborate with various teams.
“It is becoming harder and harder to reach big groups of consumers at the same time,” Braff said. “You have to find places where you’ve got large swaths of people paying attention. Sports is a great place to do that. Now, once you’ve got that huge group of consumers, you have to talk to them as individuals and not a large swath.”
Cook noted that State Farm has found success leaning into fan connections with their favorite athletes, including partnerships with Patrick Mahomes from the NFL and Chris Paul from the NBA. “People really tune into the athletes, and we’re there for it,” Cook said.
Jay Williams, ESPN Personality / Entrepreneur & Investor
When Jay Williams’ NBA career was halted back in 2003 due to a near-fatal motorcycle accident, he quickly had to learn the art of pivoting as a businessman. Now, as he sees “sports valuations” continuing to rise, the ESPN studio analyst and media personality is focused on trying to turn Las Vegas into the “Mecca” of basketball.
“I don’t expect anybody to give anything to me because of the color of my skin,” Williams said of his desire to pursue an NBA expansion franchise, noting the achievements of previous Black owners like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Grant Hill. “I want to actually do it on the merit of my character and actually the capital that we have raised behind what our overall value proposition is to the league.”
Now, Williams finds himself going up against the likes of former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Thrive Capital CEO Joshua Kushner, but he’s “always open” to healthy competition. “The road has been laid out for more athletes and entertainers who have played this sport to have a seat at the table as an owner,” he added. “And I hope that we’re able to get the ball over the finish line.”
Dani Cushion, Chief Marketing Officer at Teads
As a top executive at Teads, an omnichannel ad platform that helps brands bring their stories to life, Dani Cushion recognizes the natural impulse for advertisers to focus on major events like the Super Bowl and the World Cup.
Cushion sees that as a missed opportunity to build something more sustainable with the passionate sports fans who stick around all year long. “You actually do have better value if you’re building a relationship before, during, after and throughout major tournament,” she said, noting how it can be “expensive” to buy an ad for just one specific campaign.
Companies like Teads also have the data to prove that as consumer behavior evolves, most sports fans are now watching games at home — or even on a second screen while multi-tasking. “It’s really about thinking how those screens work together to surround the consumer with a great story that’s going to break through,” Cushion added.
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