If an NFL draft prospect is drinking out of a soda can while being shown on the April 23-25 broadcast, it can’t be Coca-Cola. And if he’s eating candy, it can’t be a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Those are only two of the rules on a long list of corporate do’s and don’ts the NFL has sent to draft prospects and their marketers ahead of the completely-virtual broadcast to ensure that its 50 official league sponsors and partners are protected and not ambushed by non-league partners on one of the biggest nights in sports.
Click here to read the story at nydailynews.com.
Questions for Class Discussion:
- What is sponsorship?
- What is endorsement?
- As it relates to this year’s NFL Draft which will be broadcast virtually, how might an individual player’s endorsement deals conflict with the relationship the NFL has with its sponsors?
- What is ambush marketing? How might the NFL Draft open up opportunities for companies to ambush the broadcast?
- Why is it important for the NFL to protect its sponsors? Based on information from this story, what is the NFL doing to protect its sponsors during this year’s broadcast of the draft?