“This Fourth Down Conversion Attempt Brought to You By [Your Company Name Here]”
Inspired by the “Allstate Catch of the Day,” I’m going to see if the cable channel carrying the University of Minnesota football games 
will consider creating something called “The Ross Kaplan Extra Point Attempt” (I’m game if the price is right).
If you haven’t noticed, the trend in online programming is towards more and more “sponsored content.”
Also known as “embedded” advertising, the phenomenon lets advertisers effectively make their pitch to consumers undeletable, and subvert viewers’ predilection to increasingly watch on-demand programming, minus the commercials (known as “interstitial” ads).
Or, record their viewing material to watch at their convenience later — and “zip” (fast-forward) past the advertising.
Selling Katie Perry the Same Way as Wheaties; “The World’s Most Lucrative Slotting Fee”
Think the NCAA, NFL, cable companies, etc. aren’t above (below) slicing-and-dicing their product to advertisers — and viewers — in ever more minute and creative ways?
Consider this: the NFL is now selling the “right” to be the featured performer at the Super Bowl Half-Time show.
How is that different, really, than grocery stores collecting so-called “slotting fees” to place Wheaties at eye-level in the cereal aisle?
Hmm, I wonder how much the NFL is collecting from this year’s performer, Katy Perry . . .
See also, “Coming Soon: Year-Round Football“; and “NFL Economics: ‘Win-Win-Lose’“.
