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Drake’s Newest Project Collabs With The NFL
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Source: tmz
Last week, we talked about our wishlist before the start of the NFL season, and ultimately we wanted to see more exciting, bolder, and bigger branding activations. Well, it looks like ESPN was listening - not to us but probably to Drake, after coming to an agreement with the Toronto-born artist to curate music for Monday Night Football (MNF).
The Billboard Artist of the Decade, who is a global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, and is well known for his connections to the game of basketball - is taking his talents to the gridiron. The music Drake will select for MNF will “encapsulate both the energy and mood of select Monday Night Games”.
What does this mean? On the surface, it is just another collaboration between the music industry and the sports industry - nothing new to see here. Jay-Z was the Executive Producer of NBA 2K13, handpicking the soundtrack for that year’s 2K game.
It’s no secret that the biggest names in hip-hop like Drake and Jay-Z are well-grounded in the NBA circle. Hip-hop and basketball go hand in hand, with stars like Damian Lillard and Lonzo Ball making their own music, and artists like Quavo impressing everyone annually at the NBA celebrity game. For the NFL, and more specifically ESPN to now create a stronger partnership with an icon like Drake - it’s a sign of stronger opportunities to grow the sport through culture. And most importantly, it’s a sign for other leagues to take note and step up.
The collaboration between the NFL and the hip-hop industry demonstrates the importance of branding outside the game. The product on the ice, field or court does not suffice for a professional sports and entertainment franchise. Connecting with fans beyond the scoreboard is vital for a sustainable business model. When faced with a situation where the games cannot be played, it is these brand-based experiences that manifest a positive affinity with fans. In addition, these collaborations help connect passive fans to the league/team product, growing the fanbase in ways the sport itself cannot.
After breaking Spotify and Apple Music’s single-day streaming record with his latest album “Certified Lover Boy”, Drake is clearly not lifting his foot off the gas. Both NFL and Drake fans are in for a treat with a full season of Drake tracks and selections during their Monday nights - and here’s to hoping the rest of the sporting world takes notice. Music and sports will continue to collaborate and innovate to elevate the audience experience, including an Imagine Dragons performance before a Stanley Cup final game in Las Vegas. There’s always room for bigger and better.
Question of the day: what IS the ceiling? How far can the sports and music industries go in creating new and exclusive entertainment experiences? We’ll leave that up to you to imagine.
BONUS: Fanatics betting on themselves
Speaking of Jay-Z, he is not done making appearances on this week’s newsletter. If you’ve been following The Sports Marketeer, you may recall us talking and writing about the big splash that sports merchandiser Fanatics has made in the trading card space.
Well, after Jay-Z made an investment with Roc Nation in Fanatics, the company has applied for a New York state gambling license to open up their own sportsbook. With the legalization of single-game event betting in Canada and certain states in the US, the sportsbook arm race is on in North America. It looks like Fanatics continues to grow at a rapid pace, diversifying its offerings to become a one-stop shop for sports fanatics (no pun intended) to stay connected to the game.
This does not appear to be the last time Fanatics will make its way into conversations on the wwm pod, and hopefully, HOV gets some more mentions too.
Published: September 17th, 2021 - Issue 8 of The Sport Marketeer