Total spending on Super Bowl ads has skyrocketed over the years, growing 5 times larger than it was 23 years ago. In addition to the networks, the entertainment and pop culture partners are also benefiting from the high price tag for 30 seconds of airtime. Ryan Schinman, Co-Founder & CEO of Mayflower Entertainment, was with us to share how he connects brands with athletes, celebrities, and influencers.
Schinman is responsible for orchestrating some of the largest endorsement deals ever made between Madison Avenue and Hollywood. He is credited for creating such partnerships as: Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson with Dolce and Gabbana, Diddy and Usher with Mercedes, and Oprah and DJ Khaled with Weight Watchers. Schinman said the Super Bowl ad that he was involved in that he is most proud of was the Justin Timberlake commercial with Pepsi. He said it made Pepsi "beyond relevant" in the pop culture world.
Super Bowl ads cost around $5 million. Schinman said there's no exact science for measuring the success of a marketing campaign because there are too many variables. Put simply, if brands can improve their visibility and sell more products, it's worth the investment, he added.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.