A giant thank you to everyone who entered, attended and presented at the fourth annual Cynopsis Sports Media Awards Breakfast on Thursday, April 16 at the Athletic Club in NYC.
An additional thank you not only to all of our judges as well as our presenters: James “JB” Brown, Sportscaster for CBS Sports; Maggie Gray, Host, Sports Illustrated’s SI NOW + Pro Football NOW & Co-host of CBS Sports Radio The Moose & Maggie Show; EJ Hradek, Analyst on NHL Network; Dana Jacobson, Sports Anchor on CBS Sports; Pierre McGuire, NBC Sports Hockey Analyst; Jane McManus, Reporter & Columnist for espnW; Paul Rabil, Multiple-time Lacrosse MVP/All-Star + Whistle Sports Athlete; Jimmy Roberts, Reporter for the Golf Channel on NBC and Host on NBC Sports Update; Frank Shorter, Olympic Gold Medalist/Universal Sports Network Commentator; John Skipper, President of ESPN; and Keith Turner, President, Sales & Marketing for Univision Communications, Inc.
Also, we honored four executives who have changed the way their sports entities connect with fans around the country. Sean McManus, Chairman of CBS Sports received this year’s Legacy Award; recognizing a career that changed sports media, Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League received the Vision Award as Sports Executive of the Year. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, President of Univision Deportes at Univision Communications Inc. received the Navigator Award as the Sports Network Executive of the Year and Morgan Flatley, Chief Marketing Officer for Gatorade received the Gem Award, which pays tribute to the Consumer Brand of the Year.
The awards honored outstanding work in the sports media industry over the past year and had categories that included television series, radio and live events as well as digital and marketing campaigns.
THANK YOU TO OUR BRANDING PARTNER
Event Photos + Montage
Special Edition
2015 Winners & Honorable Mentions
Ad Agency
Winner: Starcom USA
From multi-year partnerships such as the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Cheez it’s College Gameday sponsorship, to creating a digitally led content partnership for Jim Beam with the Bleacher Report, Starcom and Sam Sussman were able to connect brands and consumers with their passions on a visceral level.
Honorable Mentions:
Athlete in a Web Series/Special/Spot
Winner: NBC Sports Agency – Tim Howard/Lasso
After pairing Ted Lasso with Tim Howard, the 2014/15 Premier League opening weekend ranked as most watched BPL Opening Weekend ever on Cable TV.
Honorable Mentions:
- NFL Media – Leon Sandcastle 2.0
- Outside Television – Dispatches – Shane Niemeyer
- Red Bull Media House – Who is JOB 4.0
- SportsBlog – NBA Player Charlie Villanueva’s Video Blog Series “Crossroads”
- Weber Shandwick with Milk Processor Education Program – Mission Apolo: Built With Chocolate Milk
B2B Program
Winner: NASCAR Fuel for Business
The NASCAR Fuel for Business Council has evolved into a full-day award winning platform that’s been called “one of the best assets in professional sports” by The Wall Street Journal.
Honorable Mentions:
- NFL Players Inc
- OneTwoSee
- Time Warner Cable Media
Brand Activation at Live Events
Winner: Intersport, Inc. – Taco Bell Live Mas Student Section
The Live Más Student Section was a first-of-its-kind activation in football, coming
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- CSE & AT&T Mobility
- GMR Marketing
- Scout Sports and Entertainment & Secret Weapon
- Sports Illustrated
- Troika
- Turner Sports
Brand Extensions/Licensing
Winner: NBC Sports Agency – 2014 Premier League Uber
NBC Sports partnered with Uber in New York City during the week before the Premier League season, offering free rides around the city in special Mini Coopers supporting all 20 teams.
Honorable Mentions:
- IMG
- Touch by Alyssa Milano Maternity
- WWE
Digital Executive
Winner: John Kosner – ESPN
Throughout 2014, U.S. sports fans visited ESPN digital media products 9.97 billion times, consumed 82.8 billion minutes of content and spent 28.5 billion total minutes on ESPN mobile apps.
Honorable Mentions:
- Jonathan Dube
- Melissa Rosenthal Brenner
- GW Shaw
- Michelle Wilson
Documentary Series
Winner: Showtime Networks Inc. – All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana I & II
All Access gave viewers an intimate and exclusive look at Mayweather and Maidana as the prepared for their anticipated rematch.
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- Bristow Global Media Inc. in partnership with NHL & NHL Network
- FOX Sports Originals & 44 Blue Productions
- Hulu
- MLB Productions
- Pac-12 Networks
- Telemundo Media
Documentary Special/TV Movie
Winner: Golf Channel – Arnie
Arnie was Golf Channel’s three-part television event and became the most-watched original premiere ever on the network, seeing 1.9 million unique viewers across its premiere week.
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- ESPN
- FOX Sports Originals
- MLB Productions
- OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
- Tennis Channel
Fantasy game
Winner: CBS Sports – CBS Sports Fantasy Football Commissioner
The CBS Sports Fantasy games audience once again grew in 2014, marking the 5th straight year of growth.
Honorable Mentions:
- DraftKings
- Fanduel
- Mondogoal.com
- NCAA Digital
- NFL Media
Integrated Campaign for Brands
Winner: EA Sports – Madden NFL 15
After 26 years, Madden NFL needed to find new ways to appeal to a younger audience and launched a campaign that would be enjoyed by young digital natives and consumed where they get their content – online and through social.
Honorable Mentions:
- Coca-Cola North America
- Edelman
- NFL Media
- Southern Company
- Turner Sports
- XFINITY from Comcast
Integrated Campaign for Networks
Winner: NBC Sports Agency – Sunday Night Football
This campaign led to yet another successful Sunday Night Football season ultimately making Super Bowl XLIX the most watched show in US Television History.
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- Outside Television
- Turner Sports
Live Coverage of Sporting Event (National)
Winner: NBC Sports Group – XXII Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia
The Winter Games drew a record 242.3 Million Media Exposures of Olympics Coverage across NBCUni’s Properties, with 76% of TV Homes tuning in.
Honorable Mentions:
- CBS Sports
- Discovery Channel
- Super Bowl 48
- Turner Sports
- Universal Sports Network
- Univision Deportes
- WWE
Live Coverage of Sporting Event (Regional/Local)
Winner: YES Network – Derek Jeter’s Final Game at Yankee Stadium
YES delivered a touching tribute to a baseball legend playing his last game before a home crowd.
Honorable Mentions:
- Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
- Fox Sports South
- SportsNet New York
Live Stream Presentation
Winner: NCAA Digital – 2014 NCAA March Madness Live
NCAA March Madness Live set a new record for video consumption during the 2014 NCAA tournament with 69.7 million live video streams collectively across all platform and up 42% over the previous year’s tournament.
Honorable Mentions:
- FOX Sports Digital
- NBC Sports Group
- PGA.com
- Red Bull Media House
- Showtime Networks Inc.
- Univision Deportes
Marketer
Winner: Sharon Byers – Coca-Cola
Sharon’s responsibilities include the development of national marketing programs across the portfolio of brands for the Company’s premier partnerships with American Idol, NASCAR, NCAA, Olympics, top Colleges and Universities, ESPN College Gameday and more.
Honorable Mentions:
- Will Funk
- John Miller
- Adam Peake
- Michelle Wilson
Marketing Campaign
Winner: Turner Sports – NBA Regular Season on TNT: HOME
TNT aligned itself with Kendrick Lamar and his smash single, “i.” for its campaign, which utilized the slogan “Home” as the central theme for their promotions to mark the channel as the home of the league and its players.
Honorable Mentions:
- CBS Sports
- MLB Productions
- NASCAR
- NBC Sports Agency
- United States Olympic Committee
- Universal Sports Network
Marketing Initiative
Winner: Big Ten Network (BTN)) – BTN East Coast Kickoff Party
The Big Ten Kickoff Party was conceived to bring Big Ten alumni together and announce the Conference’s permanent presence throughout the East Coast.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBC Sports Agency
- NBC Sports Group/ Ali Sports
- Starcom USA
Mobile App
Winner: National Football League – NFL Now
Since launching in August, fans have visited NFL Now from over 22.5 million devices.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bleacher Report
- CBS Sports
- EA Sports
- OneUp Sports
- PGA.com
- TVG
Network Sports Branding Campaign
Winner: ESPN/SEC Network – Take It All In
To launch SEC Network, ESPN and the Southeastern Conference featured a series of 14 SEC school-specific creative spots and print ads as well as social and digital activations across all member institutions in the SEC.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBC Sports Agency
- ONE World Sports
- Turner Sports
- Univision – World Cup
New Sports Show
Winner: CBS Sports– WE NEED TO TALK
CBS Sports made television history with We Need to Talk when it launched in September on CBS Sports Network, drawing national acclaim with its deep roster of journalists.
Honorable Mentions:
- ESPN
- Esquire Network
- FOX Sports Originals
- MLB Network
- NBA Digital
- REELZ
Over the top (OTT) Content Service
Winner: WWE – WWE Network
WWE Network continues to grow since launching last year and recently surpassed 1.3 million subscribers following WrestleMania31.
Honorable Mentions:
- CBS Interactive Advanced Media
- NeuLion & NHL
- NFL Media
- OneTwoSee
- PGA.com
Overall Social Media Excellence
Winner: WWE
WWE’s 10-person Social Media Team utilizes 11 major platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube, totaling more than 430 million combined followers.
Honorable Mentions:
- CSE & AT&T Mobility
- El Rey Network
- Golf Channel
- Pac-12 Networks
- Showtime Networks Inc.
- Turner Sports
- XFINITY from Comcast
Partnership with an Athlete
Winner: Fox Deportes – Hispanic Heritage Spot-Oscar de la Hoya
Fox Deportes created a fresh and compelling campaign for Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond and saw Oscar de la Hoya showcasing his positive, empowering and inspirational side while seamlessly embodying his Hispanic heritage.
Honorable Mentions:
- ESPN CreativeWorks
- Outside Television
- Showtime Networks Inc.
- Turner Sports
PR Professional
Winner: Scott Miranda – DKC
Scott serves as managing director at DKC and has been with the company for 20 years, working with fellow nominees SI Swimsuit, The Players Tribune, Friday Night Tykes and Turner Sports as well as the US Tennis Association, NYC Marathon, Delta Airlines, Yahoo! and New Era among others.
Honorable Mentions:
- Tom Coyne
- Joe Favorito
- Jerry Gleason
- Bret Werner
Pro-Social Campaign
Winner: MLB Productions – PETE FRATES: BATTLING ALS
MLB Productions helped shine a spotlight on ALS awareness by providing a specially produced video for air on FOX, as well as on the Kauffman Stadium video board, giving baseball fans everywhere an introduction to Pete Frates.
Honorable Mentions:
- ESPN
- Fox Deportes
- Litton Entertainment
- SportsNet New York
Proprietary Asset
Winner: NASCAR – NASCAR Fuel for Business
Since its founding, NASCAR Fuel for Business Council has facilitated millions of dollars in annual revenue and savings to Official NASCAR Partners.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBC Sports Agency
- Turner Sports
Public Relations Campaign
Winner: Sports Illustrated – Swimsuit Issue 2014
Award Description: Sports Illustrated systemically executed a cadence of nearly two dozen PR beats over a 5 week rollout generating massive coverage across entertainment, business, sports, news, and fashion that brought in nearly 2 Billion media impressions.
Honorable Mentions:
- Fox Deportes
- Golf Channel
- ONE Championship
Radio Program
Winner: WFAN – Boomer and Carton
New York’s morning show hosts, Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, put on an entertaining and informative show that ranked No. 2 in the Nielsen Audio ratings for Fall 2014.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Jim Rome Show
- Mike and Mike
- Jay Mohr Sports
- The Dan Patrick Show
Retail Activation
Winner: Unilever – GQ Men of Style Program
Unilever partnered with GQ and Target for an unprecedented grooming and apparel lifestyle mash-up that appeared in Target stores nationwide utilizing All-Star sports talent.
Honorable Mentions:
RSN of the Year
Winner: FOX Sports Midwest
FOX Sports Midwest achieved unprecedented audience growth, raised the quality of its productions to new heights, and engaged viewers and the community in innovate ways in 2014.
Honorable Mentions:
- CSN Mid-Atlantic
- NESN
- SportsNet New York
- YES Network
Sports Blog
Winner: FOX Sports South – Fantasy Fox
Award-winning fantasy sports writer Jay Clemons scored a hit for FOXSportsSouth.com, offering baseball and football advice, analysis and rankings for loyal readers.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBA Digital
- SportsBlog
- The Players Tribune
- TMZ
Spot - 30 Seconds
Winners (A Tie): NBC Sports Agency – Stanley Cup Playoffs: Under Pressure + SportsNet NY – :30 Spot
Award Description: Rather than focusing on checks or screaming fans, NBC chose to focus on the intense pressure felt by players competing for the Cup, and the spot helped lead NHL Stanley Cup Playoff viewership to new highs.
The creative and entertaining on-brand spot aired close to 650 times in a span of six months on SNY, while garnering over 2.3 million views online.
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- FOX Sports South
- TeamWorks Media
- Turner Sports
- Univision Deportes
Spot - Over 30 Seconds
Winner: Univision Deportes – Premios Univision Deportes
Incorporating a 3D image of the trophy that did not yet exist, this spot included images of some of best moments of the year from award nominees and helped make the first-ever Awards show a success for the company.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBC Sports Agency
- NFL Media
- ONE World Sports
- Showtime Networks Inc.
- Turner Sports
Studio Show
Winner: CBS Sports – THE NFL TODAY
THE NFL TODAY scored one of its most successful years ever in 2014. Featuring a revamped line-up, the show averaged 3.9 million viewers in 2014, up +8% vs. 2013.
Honorable Mentions:
- FOX Sports
- Litton Entertainment
- NBA Digital
- Pac-12 Networks
- Sports Illustrated
- Turner Sports
- Univision Deportes
Talk Show
Winner: FOX Sports Originals – Back of the Shop
Back of the Shop offers an unfiltered look at conversations between some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment set in the back of Jordan Sport Barbershop.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBA Digital
- SportsTime Ohio
- Univision Deportes
- YES Network
Technical Innovation
Winner: Univision Deportes– Univision Deportes Technology During 2014 FIFA World Cup
A 360 degree set, with more than 5,000 LED lights, 10 cameras, 30 HD monitors; and Augmented Reality graphics helped the channel stay connected to the 80.9 million total viewers that watched the World Cup on their outlets.
Honorable Mentions:
- Anthem Media Group Inc.
- Comcast Cable
- Turner Sports
Tune-In Promotion
Winner: Turner Sports – MLB Postseason on TBS: “One-Man Show” featuring Bryan Cranston
Turner Sports tapped Breaking Bad’s own Bryan Cranston to be the face of TBS Postseason promotions and saw Cranston putting on a self-produced, live, one-man show in tribute to the past and present of the Major League Baseball Postseason.
Honorable Mentions:
- Fox Deportes
- MLB Productions
- NBC Sports Agency
- NBC Sports Agency
- Starcom USA
- USA Rugby /The Legacy Agency
Use of Facebook
Winner: National Basketball Association (NBA) – Facebook Live during NBA Finals
The Facebook Live streams garnered over 2.1 Million video views combined and set NBA record totals for number of fans reached on Facebook during The Finals, including over 71.7 Million on Facebook Live posts alone.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bleacher Report
- NBA Digital
- NBC Sports Agency
- ONE Championship
- Turner Sports
Use of Integrated Sponsorship for Broadcast
Winner: Pac-12 Networks – Chevron Human Energy Stories
Pac-12 Networks captured stories of student-athletes on each campus celebrating the talent and versatility of Pac-12 student-athletes, who are achieving on the fields and courts, as well as accomplishing great things in classrooms and labs around the Conference.
Honorable Mentions:
- FOX Sports South
- Intersport, Inc.
- Outside Television
- Starcom MediaVest Group
- Turner Sports
- World Poker Tour
Use of On-Air Design
Winner: NFL Media – Game Day
Camping out all through Sunday, the design in this spot was put together to capturing the entire experience of football, from the fan perspective to the players and coaches, and visualizes those areas that come together to create the show.
Honorable Mentions:
- NBC Sports Agency
- Troika
- YES Network
Use of Twitter
Winner: XFINITY from Comcast – #SignMyTweet from XFINITY
Over the course of 24 hours, @XFINITYSports received nearly 4,000 tweet submissions on the #SignMyTweet hashtag. #SignMyTweet also saw a 450% increase in positive social sentiment compared to average XFINITY brand sentiment.
Honorable Mentions:
- Big Ten Network (BTN)
- Bleacher Report
- CSE & AT&T Mobility
- ESPN
- Turner Sports
Webisode series
Winners (A Tie): FOX Sports Digital No Filter with Katie Nolan + Weber Shandwick with Milk Processor Education Program – Mission Apolo: Built with Chocolate Millk
Shared across FOXSports.com, YouTube, iTunes, and social media, No Filter with Katie Nolan, launched in 2013 as a web-exclusive series featuring Nolan’s unusual spin on the day’s happenings.
This campaign featured former Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno and saw adult exercisers aware of the campaign become 54% more likely to agree with the benefit of chocolate milk helping them to recover after exercise than those who were unaware.
Honorable Mentions:
- Campus Insiders
- CBS Local Digital Media
- Intersport, Inc.
- Red Bull Media House
- The ACC Digital Network (Silver Chalice)
- YES Network
Website
Winner: PGA TOUR – PGATOUR.COM
PGA TOUR’s primary role is to provide authentic and accurate information around professional men’s golf, offering all things related to TOUR events and players.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bleacher Report
- ESPN
- Pac-12 Networks
- Sports Illustrated
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us: Pete Romas, 203.899.8483
