Page 24 - 2016 Year In Review

INVICTUS GAMES: Created by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games are an
international Paralympic-style multi-sport event featuring wounded,
injured, or sick-armed services personnel and veterans. The 2016 Invictus
Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, was hailed as a tremendous
success, attracting 10+ million viewers across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and
ESPN3. More than just a sporting event, the success of the Invictus
Games has created a platform to highlight the issues and challenges
facing wounded veterans. Toronto will host the 2017 Invictus Games in
September and will serve as a platform for brand’s to give back to an
underserved cause.

THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE: Founded by former New York Yankee Derek
Jeter, the Players’ Tribune is an online publication to which athletes
contribute point-of-view editorials. Although traditional social media
platforms like Twitter and Facebook have given athletes the chance to
engage with fans, athletes are often limited to a set character length,
prohibiting them from providing context or communicating their
message. However, the Players’ Tribune gives athletes a chance to
showcase their personality and creativity. Although the Players’ Tribune is
still in its relative infancy, the brand-building opportunity that exists for
athletes is strong, and the platform has already positioned itself as the
go-to website for avid sports fans. The website already features sponsors
including Porsche, Powerade, Dove, Toyota, Red Bull, and Chocolate Milk.

DR1 RACING: While still in its infancy, drone racing has quickly emerged
as a sponsorable property. In May of this year, Mountain Dew
announced a partnership with DR1 Racing to launch a Global Drone
Racing Series that will see pilots navigate their drones through
obstacles at speeds of up to 130 km/h. Adding legitimacy to the sport,
DR1 Racing has already received investments from prominent business
leaders, including Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and a
broadcast deal with ESPN, the Discovery Channel, and Science
Channel. Although the audience for competitive drone-racing is fairly
small, it is becoming increasingly popular.

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