Any and all Sports Networker followers would be remiss if they don’t jump at this opportunity. Xfinity from Comcast is offering sports fan’s the “Ultimate Sports Social Media Job,” which gives fans the chance to represent the company and catch a behind-the-scenes look at the biggest sporting events of 2012.

“Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” Contest

Xfinity is actively searching for a new voice in their sports social media platform and is allowing all fans to participate! The winner will receive a one-year salary from Xfinity and be responsible for running the Twitter handle @XfinitySports. This involves reporting live from all the best events in 2012 and both educating and engaging sports fans through social media.

The only thing anyone interested has to do is submit a 30 second-2 minute video entry saying why they should be Xfinity’s next social media voice from now until February 6. Fans should demonstrate their sports knowledge, social media expertise, personality and passion for Comcast in the video.

The top video submissions are then featured on the Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest tab on the Xfinity Facebook Page (linked above) and voted on by fellow fans. The five fans with the most votes for their video will participate in the finals, covering a premier sports event live, from March 8-11. A winner will be determined by celebrity judges on March 25.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to represent Xfinity from Comcast at 2012′s biggest rivalries, championship games and premier sporting events. See below for more information on how to enter today!!

For the full details and timeline of the contest, check out the official press release below:

Comcast’s Xfinity Service is launching a contest to hire an individual who will serve as the new voice of Xfinity in the sports social media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest nationwide sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive insights and updates with fans.

The contest, entitled “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job,” runs from January 13 through March 25 in search of the next sports social media star.

The winner will receive a one-year salary and will be responsible for tweeting from the @XFINITYSports Twitter handle on continual basis,  reporting live from premier sporting events throughout 2012, and educating and engaging avid sports fans in social media communities. In addition to live event access, the winner will also receive all the electronics for the ultimate sports pad, including televisions, home audio/video equipment, etc.

Win The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job

From January 13 – February 6, consumers can log on to Facebook.com/Xfinity and then go to the “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” contest tab to submit video between 30 seconds and two-minutes in length explaining why they should be selected as the sports social media voice of Xfinity based on their sports knowledge, social media expertise, personality, and passion for Comcast.

The top video submissions will be featured on the Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest tab located on Facebook.com/Xfinity for fans to vote on from February 9-19. The five entrants with the most votes will advance to the final round of the contest where they will cover one of five premier sports events the weekend of March 8-11.

Each candidate will receive access typically granted to event personnel, athletes and media and be asked to chronicle their live experiences behind-the-scenes with tweets, video uploads, and short posts that will be featured on the Xfinity Facebook contest tab as well as their own social media channels.

Following that weekend, a panel of celebrity judges will evaluate each performance and announce the winner of “Xfinity Presents: The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” contest by March 25^th. The winner will travel throughout the year to the biggest rivalry games, championship games, and premier sporting events.

The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job – Contest Timeline:

• Contest Execution - January 13, 2012 – February 6, 2012
• Fan Voting (to select a Top Five) - February 9, 2012 – February 19, 2012
• Finalist Auditions/Experiences - March 8, 2012 – March 11, 2012
• Winner Selected By - March 25, 2012

About Steve Richards

Steve is a recent graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Sports Journalism from the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. He is currently working as a marketing and PR intern for Sports Networker.

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The Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards 

Sports Business

Bankruptcy is ‘Wreckage’ From Years Of Drinking By Steinberg, The Real-life Jerry Maguire

“Leigh Steinberg calls them ‘checkout days,’ when he would drink vodka from morning until night, often straight from the bottle. Divorced and living alone for the first time, he’d drink while sitting on his balcony overlooking Newport Bay or while in bed, sometimes half-conscious.”

Snider Honored By Sports Business Journal

“Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider was today named to the Class of 2012 of Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business, an award from the Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal recognizing the architects and builders of sports.”

Sports Networking

Why Optimism is A Brand’s Best Friend

“How you choose to share about your challenge and difficulty defines your brand communication style. When you focus on the process you are going through and solutions, it has a better purpose and appeal. Several of my friends have dealt with health and career issues this year that they had no control over. Their poise, dignity and fear helped me and gave me tremendous respect for what they were going through and how they communicated it. They maintained a realistic, honest optimism about it all each and every day that I so appreciated.”

90% Of Us Should Come Out Of Our Shell

“Of a group of 8, you’ll have one or two loud people who dominate the conversation while the rest don’t talk nearly as much. The give-and-take among the entire group could be better but there’s too much of a constant stream of interaction between those select few. So the rest of the group shuts up and probably can’t wait to move away from the circle to get away from these constant talkers, if not leave the party altogether.”

Sports Marketing

Runner Sells Shoulder Ad Space For $11K

“Olympic athlete Nick Symmonds is the number one 800-meter runner in the country—and 6th in the world—but he had something else up his sleeve; he offered ad space on his shoulder to the highest bidder.”

Bwin Ordered To Halt Portugese Sports Advertising

“In Portugal, many local sports clubs and associations, as well as tournaments, have sponsorship deals with online gambling firms, as in some cases it’s the only way for them to generate the revenues they need to fund their activities. Bwin’s sponsorship deal of the Portuguese League Cup is worth a sizable €4 million, which means the tournament could potentially be in jeopardy if its main source funding was suddenly interrupted.”

Sports Sponsorship

McDonalds Commits to IOC Until 2020

“As expected, McDonald’s has extended its global sponsorship agreement with the International Olympic Committee until 2020. No precise financial details were immediately available but the deal will certainly be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Duracell Powermat To Help Power New-look MSG

“As well as in-arena signage and digital exposure, the partnership will see Duracell Powermat wireless charging systems placed throughout the famous MSG, which is currently undergoing a major multi-million dollar transformation.”

Sports Ticket Sales

FCC May End Sports Blackout Rule

“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday issued a formal request for public comment on a proposal to end its sports blackout rule. The rule, first adopted in 1975, prohibits cable and satellite providers from carrying a sports event if the game is blacked out on local broadcast television stations.”

Selig Confident the Dodgers Will Be Sold By April 30

“Terms of the settlement between MLB and team owner Frank McCourt filed last month stated that McCourt must sell the Dodgers and the stadium within that time frame. ‘I’m confident it will be completed by then,’ Selig told reporters at a fundraiser hosted by Beverly Hills businessman Dennis Gilbert, who is among the potential bidders for the Dodgers.”

Sports Social Media

Christian Laettner and YouTube Sports Therapy

“Among the many joyous distractions provided by YouTube, which John Seabrook writes about this week in the magazine, is its rich back catalog of sports footage. The site has done much to change the way that sports fans interact with the past; our happiest vicarious moments no longer live fuzzily in the mind, or in the yarns spun by old-timers about the greatness of some leather-helmeted football player from the thirties. Nor does anyone need to dig through collections of dusty VHS tapes to find a few lost gems. Instead, our favorite plays can be called up on demand, to great time-wasting and spirit-lifting effect.”

Social Media Contracts The New Frontier For Sponsors

“THE RAPID growth of social media means it is now possible for millions of people across the globe to communicate directly and instantaneously with their heroes. This has created new opportunities in sponsorship.”

Sports Media

NFL’s Most Indespesable Broadcasting Talents

“This is not a list of the best or most talented announcers or production people, but which people each network could least afford to lose and why. We each drafted a Top 10 list without consulting each other and our results are below. (Last week when I posed this question on Twitter, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Mike Mayock received the most votes.) Feel free to disagree with our lists, as I know you will.”

Kevin Johnson, David Robinson, Doris Burke Among NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Winners

“[Kevin] Johnson, who played at the University of California and starred in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns, was rewarded Friday for his on- and off-the-court exploits as a Silver Anniversary award winner. The award recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their collegiate athletics careers. Other Silver Anniversary honorees were Sean Payton, David Robinson, Tim Brown, Doris Burke and Amy Perko.”

Sports Technology

Quicken Loans Arena Becomes First Sports Venue to Introduce “Wireless Touchscreen Concierge” Using SmartTouch Technology

“With just a touch of a fingertip, Quicken Loans Arena (“The Q”) suite holders are entering a new dimension of service excellence.  In partnership with ARAMARK, the arena’s exclusive food and beverage provider, The Q is introducing SmartTouchtechnology using Apple’s iPad into its 92 luxury suites to deliver guests a richer hospitality experience utilizing 100 percent wireless touch screens.  Convenience has never been so cool.”

PS3 Gets Some College Sports Apps

“It’s only been about 30 hours since we saw an all-Southeastern Conference national championship game, but the SEC isn’t content with just owning the college football world; they also want your game console.”

Sports Jobs

Win “The Ultimate Sports Social Media Job” With Xfinity

“Comcast’s Xfinity Service is launching a contest to hire an individual who will serve as the new voice of Xfinity in the sports social media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest nationwide sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive insights and updates with fans.”

Sports Broadcaster Finds Online Audience

“Jon Wekkin is a sports broadcaster whose play-by-play accounts of Twin Cities high school and college sports aren’t carried on any TV channel, cable network or radio station. Instead, Wekkin and a team of professional announcers broadcast games at www.mnsportsnetwork.com where the menu includes live and archived hockey, football and basketball games, plus a smattering of wrestling and volleyball. Hundreds of viewers watch for free on nights when the website broadcasts multiple games simultaneously, most produced by a company crew on site.”

Sports Events

Brooklyn Awaits Nets, But Their Destination As A Team Is Unclear

“The question of where the Nets are headed as an organization and as a basketball team leads only to a host of potential destinations that range from exhilaration to dread, with an occasional detour into comic relief. Technically, and temporarily, the Nets are in Newark, on their way to a new home next season in downtown Brooklyn. By all other practical means of appraisal, their dateline should be limbo.”

Nadal Unmasks Rift With Federer

A good preview to the Australian Open built around the recent news of tennis’ two most recognizable figures being at odds.

Is there anything we missed this week in the world of sports business? Let us know your thoughts about the Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz in the comments below and please feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

About Lewis Howes

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The Sportsbiz Weekly buzz is a collection of articles curated by Sports Networker’s Online Marketing Coordinator – Steve Richards 

Sports Business

Mets, in Hiring Financial Firm, Insist It’s Not About Bankruptcy

“CRG Partners lists as its special talents financial advisory work, restructuring and reorganization, and turnaround management — polite descriptions of services needed by companies in distress. The firm’s Web site names a long list of clients, from Kmart to Popeyes Chicken to Sunbeam Products. As of this week, the firm’s client list formally includes the New York Mets.”

2012 – Business In Sports Will See Also-rans, Surprises

“This year’s only labor negotiation will be in the NHL, with the current CBA expiring on Sept. 15. There is way too much at stake for either side to even think about playing chicken, but a work stoppage is still a real possibility. With former MLBPA executive director Don Fehr now leading the NHLPA, owners won’t be able to dictate to the players as they did in the last negotiation.”

Sports Networking

How Diverse Are Women’s College Sports?

“Recently, the NCAA published the most recent school-year’s participation data, which includes breakdowns by sex, race, sport, division, and conference. Because this data set goes back to the 1999-2000 school year, I decided to use it to look for trends in racial diversity in women’s college athletics over the last decade. Several hours and few Excel spreadsheets later, I have the some questions and answers to report”

Sports Leagues Should Embrace Active “Employees” on Twitter

“The best brands invite engagement. They showcase authenticity and reply to criticism, instead of deleting it. They also harness the power of their most credible marketers – their employees. Because of social media, employees now have personal brands of their own and can be quite influential. When you think of the personal brands of professional athletes – ‘Employees’ and their leagues/teams – ‘Companies’, the influence is exponential.”

Sports Marketing

Digital Advertisements Sell Out For the Super Bowl

“Corporations have capitalized on NBC Sports’ decision to live-stream the NFL’s Super Bowl. Advertising packages are sold out for the live streaming broadcast of the Feb. 5 game, NBC Sports spokesman Chris McCloskey told the International Business Times Wednesday. Although the value of an advertising package wasn’t released, there were reports that the package prices ranged from six figures to the low sevens.”

Northwestern Mutual joins March Madness with sports marketing sponsorship

“A new advertising campaign featuring Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. will be unveiled during this year’s men’s Division I NCAA basketball tournament, kicking off the first national sports marketing sponsorship in company history.”

Sports Sponsorship

Growing Company Publicity Through Sports Sponsorship

“The usage of sporting activities intended for marketing has been employed for over one decade and it also has attained recognition because of the development in interest in the many types of sports activities and games. Entrepreneurs took the nice thing about the uniqueness of sporting activities. This is the sole enjoyment in which regardless of number of instances that you get back you can never foresee the results.”

The Relationship Between an Athlete and Your Brand

“Athletes and sports brands are like rhythm and melody. One rarely exists without the other. The symbiosis between the two creates a working relationship where one can benefit from the other and vice versa. It is important for owners of sports brand names to be aware of the relationship of their product and its ambassador.”

Sports Ticket Sales

LSU and Alabama ride money train to title matchup

“Two of the most profitable football programs in the country will ensure another BCS streak continues: National titles staying in the hands of mega-moneymakers.”

Lucky Few To Get 100m Final Tickets After Synchronized Swimming Was Overbooked By 10,000

“Around 200 people who thought their only experience of the London 2012 Olympic Games would be minor heats of synchronized swimming have received an unexpected upgrade to the men’s 100m final following an embarrassing ticketing mistake.”

Sports Social Media

Urban Meyer Bans Twitter for Ohio State Football Players, Sparking a Debate on…Twitter

“Newly hired Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is banning his players from using Twitter, according to Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch. ‘Urban Meyer bans Twitter for #Buckeyes players. Scarlet & Gray Matter, however, remains safely outside the #OhioState clutches.,’ Oller tweeted. The news sparked a bit of a debate, on Twitter of all places, among members of the media. CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell claims Meyers players will miss out on important ‘life skills not taught in the classroom’”

High school basketball video shows power of social media (VIDEO)

“Michael Christenson of Yakima said he was only trying to illustrate a point to a small group of Highland High School students and parents about the need for better basketball officials. To his surprise and dismay, however, the video he uploaded of several hard fouls during the Cowiche school’s boys game at Connell on Dec. 22 has gone viral, collecting more than 25,000 hits since the video was posted on YouTube on Dec. 28.”

Sports Media

Former Red Sox PR Pro Tells All

“Former Boston Red Sox PR pro Doug Bailey has penned a 4,400-word tell-all piece for Boston Magazine, an inside account that will no doubt roil his former clients and agency colleagues. But the piece is a valuable behind-the-scenes look at sports PR, in addition to a treasure trove for Sox fanatics.”

Turner Sports PR Veteran Pomeroy Tips Off Atlanta Shop

“Longtime Turner Sports veteran Jeff Pomeroy has left the programmer to open his own public relations shop.
Based in Atlanta, JDP Communications’ initial client roster comprises A & M Holding Group (AMHG), the owners and operators of Sadekar World Golf; All-American Games, the owners and producers of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl; and the Kenny Smith Entertainment Group. Additional clients are expected to be announced at a later date.”

Sports Technology

New Deal Will Bring WatchESPN App to Comcast Xfinity Subscribers

“We can now add Comcast TV subscribers to the list of TV providers with access to the WatchESPN family of mobile apps. Comcast and Disney (parent of ESPN) announced an agreement that (among a lot of other things) will open the door for Comcast Xfinity customers to access ESPN content on their iPhone, iPad and Android devices with the WatchESPN app.”

Football Failing to Use Technology on Offer

“Soccer is a business enterprise like no other. We are into the early weeks of a new soccer season and there have already been a volume of suspect and poor refereeing decisions. Today we are able to evaluate the incidents from multiple cameras; there are no longer grey areas for for spectators. The cameras reveal everything. We can watch matches on our televisions, our I-phones, our I-pads and other devices. There is no hiding place for on-field officials when they get things wrong.”

Sports Jobs

Sports Jobs “A Drug” for Top Executives

“The Miami Dolphins may have chauffeured a prospective coach and president in by chopper. But the team could probably have just handed the pair some cab chits. Where extravagant enticements are dangled before prospective titans in the “real” business world, major league sports organizations need only hang out a help-wanted sign to lure elite candidates.”

Notre Dame Announces Major Staff Shakeup

“On the eve of the Champs Sports Bowl, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly pronounced himself genuinely “excited” that he would be keep his coaching staff in place for 2012. Five days later, that’s not even close to the reality”

Sports Events

How the BCS Killed the Orange Bowl

“The Orange Bowl was once among the premier games in all of college football, but the BCS has squeezed all the life out of the Miami showdown.” – Great article, particularly after how bad this year’s Orange Bowl was. Disregard the prediction however; Samuel got the team right but no one could have predicted that score.

NHL’s Winter Classic: Its uniqueness fails to come across on TV

“The outdoor game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers at Citizens Bank Park has a compelling finish. But as a showcase experience, the Classic falls short.”

Is there anything we missed this week in the world of sports business? Let us know your thoughts about the Sportsbiz Weekly Buzz in the comments below and please feel free to share this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

About Lewis Howes

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Comcast, NBCU Finalize Deal: Combined Entity Will Have Unparalleled Reach

By Joe Mandese

• The deal combines the biggest operator of cable and broadband communications services with one of the most powerful and broadest reach broadcast operations, giving the merged entity unparalleled distribution, and some of the most popular programming content and brands ever.
• Philadelphia-based Comcast will control a 51% stake to former NBCU parent GE’s 49%.
• Under the terms of the transaction, GE will contribute to the joint venture NBCU’s businesses valued at $30 billion, including its cable networks, filmed entertainment, televised entertainment, theme parks, and unconsolidated investments, subject to $9.1 billion in debt to third party lenders.
• Comcast will contribute its cable networks including E!, Versus and the Golf Channel, its ten regional sports networks, and certain digital media properties, collectively valued at $7.25 billion, and make a payment to GE of approximately $6.5 billion of cash subject to certain adjustments based on various events between signing and closing.

(www.mediapost.com)

Versus Could Compete With ESPN Under Comcast’s NBC Acquisition

• Comcast’s impending acquisition of NBC Universal from GE “will certainly set off an effort to turn Versus into a viable alternative, if not a full-fledged competitor, to ESPN,” according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES.

(www.sportsbusinessdaily.com)

McDonald’s Rallies Around FIFA 2010 World Cup

By: Kenneth Hein

• When the world tunes in to watch the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa, McDonald’s wants to make sure it gets noticed.
• The No. 1 burger chain announced today, what it is calling, its most comprehensive marketing program surrounding the tournament. This is the fifth year the chain is serving as the sponsor and the official restaurant.

(www.brandweek.com)

Global Marketers 2009

• The report includes profiles of Global 100 spending by region (companies are linked to profiles), rankings of the top 10 marketers by country, totals for the group and for the world and extensive source links. U.S. measured media from TNS Media Intelligence
• The list: http://adage.com/datacenter/datapopup.php?article_id=140631

(www.adage.com)

Coca-Cola Embarks On Global Fanta Campaign

• The first global campaign for Coca-Cola’s Fanta brand in nearly five years is launching in the United Kingdom and is scheduled to run in other markets throughout 2010. It targets mothers and the core teenage market, Joe Thomas reports.
• The multimillion-pound campaign carries the tagline, “Grab a taste of Friday.” It hopes to connect with drinkers by tapping into the good feelings associated with the end of the working (and school, presumably) week.

(www.mediapost.com)

Beijing’s Bird’s Nest To Be Transformed Into Winter Sports Park

• The Beijing National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, will be “transformed into a winter sports park offering skiing and snowboarding in a bid to remain profitable.”
• Bird’s nest owners hope to attract 20,000 people a day.

(www.sportsbusinessdaily.com)

Marketers, Agencies Start to Consider More Ad Spending

By Michael Bush

• Using an index where zero is neutral representing neither pessimism or optimism, the fall 2009 report showed cable TV to have an optimism index of 11 compared to one four months ago; mobile an index of 54 compared to 42 in the spring; and digital to have an index of 55, up from 40 four months earlier. And while broadcast TV (-8 vs. -17); magazines (-19 vs. -26); and national newspapers (-41 vs. -46) all had negative indexes, they all moved closer to zero, representing an uptick in optimism

(www.adage.com)

Univision to Launch Mini Ad Network

By Mike Shields

• Univision is the latest major media company to launch its own mini ad network. In this case, the company is looking to replicate the ad-network model in the less-cluttered Spanish-language market.
• Univision has formed Univision Partner Group, a collection of Spanish-language Web sites from the U.S., Latin American and Spain that reach a significant U.S. Hispanic audience.
• Univision will be able to sell advertising across these partner sites, which include a range of content venues such as entertainment-oriented Caracoltv.com, news-focused Perfil.com, sports-minded Tycsports.com and business-centric Ambito.com

(www.adweek.com)

NASCAR’s performance defies doomsayers, execs says

• Reports of NASCAR’s demise were greatly exaggerated, says communications chief Ramsey Poston, who added that the sanctioning body is proud of its 2009 season against the backdrop of a recession that affected attendance and sponsorship sales.

(www.sportsbusinessjournal.com)

Super Bowl Ad Buys: Social Media Will Impact Marketers’ Decisions

By Wayne Friedman

• Increased digital word-of-mouth marketing — using social media and other platforms — could shift marketers’ media plan dynamics for next February’s Super Bowl.

• Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of digital strategic services, and Randall Beard, executive vice president and general manager of Nielsen IAG, write that “earned media” — material from social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook — “will be a huge test, as the new reality of consumer expression” for next year’s big football game.
• For instance, Tweets embedded in Facebook feeds, blog entries and Google search results can have long-term value.

(www.mediapost.com)

About Ben Sturner

Ben Sturner is the Founder and CEO of Leverage Agency, one of the most respected, innovative, resourceful and ambitious sports and entertainment branding sponsorship agencies on Madison Avenue. Sturner has taken his multi-million dollar business from a small start-up in his New York City apartment to a premiere agency that has secured deals for clients including: Jimmy Kimmel Live, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, KFC, Gillette, Progressive Insurance, Southwest Airlines, Reebok, Comcast, Anheuser Busch, Fremantle Media, Mark Burnett Productions and NBC’s Prime Time Celebrity Apprentice, Reveille, Radical Media, as well as other top-tier brands. Ben has been named NYC Entrepreneur of the month in TrueNYC.com and has been interviewed and featured on ESPN, NBC, CNBC, USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL as an expert in sports and entertainment sponsorship.

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