Marketers score big with sports deals

摘要

When the National Football League announced its new prime-time broadcast deals last month, the media spotlight focused on how "Monday Night Football" would move from ABC to Walt Disney Co. sibling ESPN after next season and how NBC would once again carry NFL games after an eight-year hiatus. The media glare obscured an unusual b-to-b marketing wrinkle in the TV rights deal between NBC's parent company, General Electric Co., and the NFL. Along with gaining broadcast rights for Sunday evening NFL games, GE also became a "preferred partner" of the NFL, which will provide the corporate giant special opportunities to sell b-to-b products and services to both the league and individual teams. The products and services covered in the agreement include health care, security equip-ment, lighting and financial services.