As we head into Thanksgiving week, some quick hits form the week behind while we still are missing our time in Italy. If you missed the recap, you can still find it here.
Paul-Tyson Did What it was supposed to do: So much hand wringing over what the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight was or wasn’t. What was a spectacle that drew millions of eyes, dollars and attention while giving Netflix a chance to kick the tires and find the bugs before it gets to the NFL on Christmas Day. Like any spectacle, you can choose NOT to engage, as the only thing that slows down a showman is silence and indifference. This was never supposed to be “The Thrilla in Manila,” or even Creed 4…it was supposed to be the kind of bait and switch that it was, albeit one with a pretty solid undercard that might have gotten a little lost in the mix. I was lucky enough to spend some time around the Paul crew and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian when a real train wreck…Triller Fight Club…was coming out of The Pandemic. There we got to see what germ of an idea…music, social stars, and some fighting mixed in and well-orchestrated by Team Paul could be. The output continues to be refined for the audience that loves craziness, less the high level boxing. It’s a promotion, and if you spent the money and were expecting something else, well then the joke is on you, right? Where all this goes in the future we will see. These guys seem to always be thinking way down the road and executing against a pretty careful plan when it seems like there is just chaos. Maybe it will be more boxing, or MMA or something else. Mybe it will be golf? Whatever the IT is, it will draw eyeballs, brands and a crowd, that’s what the spectacle of the spectacular promoters do.
Speaking of fights, there is Dana White: It was a bummer Dana While wasn’t in person at SBJ’s Media Innovators last Wednesday, but that didn’t make his words and his actions any less important. His best quote… “There’s nothing dirtier than politics. It’s disgusting, it’s gross and I want nothing to do with it.”…speaks volumes for his focus to the task ahead and not the noise outside.
White, for those who knew him at the re-start of the UFC, may be a little older, a little more introspective, but is no less driven than he has ever been, and the new world of TKO has out more global gas in the tank for the UFC than maybe ever before. “We’re going to start going into cities that we haven’t been to [since] pre-pandemic. We’re going to start going back. We’re going to do Chicago in ‘25. We’re going to go back up to Seattle and hit a lot of other places that we haven’t been in a while, so we’re going to move around a lot in ’25.” Beyond taking UFC throughout the U.S., the sport’s global growth has White looking at more international venues. He said the UFC has events planned in Spain and Mexico and is looking at Africa as a possibility.
With viewership in 170 countries, UFC’s rights deal with ESPN is set to come up for renewal in 2025 and White expects the discussions to go very well for the organization per SBJ.
White said his vision is that everyone “could watch the same fight on the same channel at the same time,” which appears possible thanks to streaming platforms like Amazon, YouTube, Disney+ and Netflix, making them all appealing to the property.
“I always thought that Netflix was crazy not to get into live sports sooner than they did,” White said. “Those guys truly have a global footprint and I think they’re late to the game.”
Lasik Sees The Opportunity: It was a few weeks ago, but still worth noting the seize the moment opportunity LASK had after the blown paly late in the Cincinnati Bengals-Baltimore Ravens showdown Thursday night that could have cost Joe Burrow and Co. the game. It came just two weeks after the officials appeared to have missed another crucial call at the end of the “Thursday Night Football” game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Rams that could have altered the outcome.
Lasik.com, stepped forward to push forward a program they had actually started earlier this year, but now could have some buzz. The company is offering free corrective eye surgery for NFL officials as well as for anyone who is in such a capacity for a number of other U.S. sports leagues.
The program is called “Better Vision, Better Calls.” Anybody who nominates an official whose eyes seem to need fixing will receive $1,000 off their own Lasik procedure.
Fun timing, no downside, and who knows, maybe it helps the games.
Pop Tarts Bowl Bites Back: It is so hard to come up with a “what’s next” in the promotion world, when something goes so right the first time. But the good people at Pop Tarts may have found a fun one, something that can build on their Pop Tarts Bowl promo that went so well last year. The edible Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot that rocked the college football-watching internet in December is back — and this year, it’ll have friends. Last year, the Kansas State Wildcats celebrated their Pop-Tarts Bowl win by eating an edible version of the bowl’s oversized pastry mascot, which was lowered through a toaster prop after the game.
This year? There are more than one mascot vying to be consumed by the victor.
Last year’s flavor, frosted strawberry, is out of the running for consumption. Now in competition are frosted hot fudge sundae, frosted wild berry and a special mystery flavor. The mystery flavor will be a previously discontinued edition of the snack, with potential options including peanut butter, vanilla milkshake, blue raspberry, cinnamon roll, red velvet cupcake, chocolate chip cookie dough and grape.
According to a release, the flavor to be enjoyed by the winning team will be chosen by the winner of the game’s MVP award. The 2024 edition of the Pop-Tarts Bowl will be played Dec. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET between representatives of the ACC and Big 12 conferences.
Tune in and chow down, it is the week for eating right?
