MSEG President Mark Lepselter on ‘The Billion-Dollar Spending Spree for NFL TV Talent’
This excerpt is from Front Office Sports’ The Billion-Dollar Spending Spree for NFL Talent. Read the full article here.
The NFL’s Popularity
The NFL is the most dominant property in television, leaving news, dramas, comedies and reality shows in its dust.
Live NFL games accounted for 75 of the Top 100 most-watched TV programs in 2021.
With an average audience of 19.3 million across linear/digital platforms, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” has reigned as prime time’s No. 1 TV show for a record 11 straight years.
The Super Bowl annually ranks as the most-watched TV program, with over 208 million viewers (or two-thirds of the U.S. population), tuning in for Super Bowl LVI.
“When deals of this magnitude are getting done, there’s no downside for anybody who’s a talent in the broadcasting industry overall — and sports broadcasting in particular.” - Mark Lepselter, MSEG President
Now that the money’s flowing, agent Mark Lepselter of Maxx Sports & Entertainment Group expects salaries to rise for top TV talent calling the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and other sports.
“When deals of this magnitude are getting done, there’s no downside for anybody who’s a talent in the broadcasting industry overall — and sports broadcasting in particular,” Lepselter said.
Putting a Shine on the Shield
Top TV talents do more than get NFL fans to watch.
These big personalities help attract blue-chip advertisers and sponsors. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch, for example, called Brady an “ambassador” and “partner” who will work with advertisers and be involved in marketing.
“It’s really an investment in the brand,” Chris Bevilacqua, a longtime sports media and technology executive and operator, said. “It’s important for the advertising side of the business. The presentation of a live sporting event is so critically important, and having the right talent is all part of that. The presentation is what gives it the big event feel.”
They satisfy the demands of Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s chief media and business officer, who wants TV partners to only employ their best talent in front of and behind the camera.
They please the most important audience of all: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“The league’s perspective is: ‘This is the NFL, the premium of premiums, the Rolls Royce.’ You need to stay ultra-competitive and have a premium product on-air, week-in, week-out.” - Mark Lepselter, MSEG President
During Amazon’s recent “NewFront” for advertisers, Goodell seemed tickled pink that the global giant was hiring the legendary Michaels, Herbstreit, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for “Thursday Night Football.”
“The marketplace has become ultra-competitive. I’m sure there’s a level of pressure, be it understated or overstated, the networks get from Park Avenue,” said Lepselter, whose client Nate Burleson has exploded into a crossover star for CBS.
“The league’s perspective is: ‘This is the NFL, the premium of premiums, the Rolls Royce.’ You need to stay ultra-competitive and have a premium product on-air, week-in, week-out. They need to feel that what (the networks) are putting out there, branding-wise, fits with the Shield.”