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BFD Expert Voices - Media Deals

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NFL throws the flag

Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings has his flag pulled by Derwin James Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter in the NFL Pro Bowl Games 

The NFL has turned its Pro Bowl into a flag football competition since 2022. Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Canadian startup stacks up

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Paramount, Nielsen end ratings standoff

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Deal flow

Movin' on up (or out)

Channel surfing

an illustration of a hula dancer figurine on top of a vintage television set

The NFL is "exploring very aggressively" making flag football a professional sport, commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters yesterday during his annual Super Bowl week press conference.

Why it matters: Investors have been rushing the field to prop up new startup sports leagues, from volleyball to track and field, as live sports media rights grow in value.

Zoom in: Goodell did not give many specifics, but said the league could create a pro league for both men and women. 

"This is something that we've been working on for several months," Goodell said. "And there's a tremendous amount of interest from players, from investors, to people who recognize, particularly, that women sports are in a place where it's real and it's something we all want to be part of."

The NFL could either be the lead organizer or take on more of a collaborator role, according to Sports Business Journal.

The big picture: Flag football has gained in popularity partially driven by the NFL itself, as concerns over the long-term impact of head injuries from tackle football persist. 

The NFL played a big role in getting flag football to be in the next Summer Olympics in 2028.

Several states, including Louisiana (where the Super Bowl is being held on Sunday), have sanctioned the sport on the high school level.

The American Flag Football League, a separate professional league featuring four teams, is scheduled to launch this spring.

1 big thing: NFL throws the flag

StackAdapt, a Canadian programmatic advertising platform, raised $235 million (USD), led by Teachers' Venture Growth.

Why it's the BFD: It is one of the largest raises for a Canadian startup, is led by a homegrown VC fund, and comes amid the country's rising tensions with the U.S. over trade.

Zoom in: Teachers' Venture Growth is the investment arm of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

Intrepid Growth Partners, which is based between Toronto and London, and four unnamed investors also participated in the round.

J.P. Morgan acted as the lead placement agent, and RBC Capital Markets acted as co-placement agent.

Catch up quick: StackAdapt was founded in 2014 by Vitaly Pecherskiy, Yang Han, and Ildar Shar.

StackAdapt has now raised $535 million, having previously raised $300 million from Summit Partners in 2022.

2. The BFD: Canadian startup stacks up

Paramount, one of the largest TV networks in the U.S., announced yesterday a multiyear measurement agreement with Nielsen, ending a contentious four-month standoff between the two firms. 

Why it matters: The deal, effective immediately, allows CBS to leverage Nielsen's ratings data from the 67th Grammy Awards that aired Sunday night on CBS.

Without a deal, CBS was unable to use Nielsen's viewership data to sell ads against its major live events, such as the Golden Globes and NFL playoff games.

Zoom in: The new deal allows Nielsen to measure all of Paramount's platforms, including its national and local broadcast channels, all of its cable networks, and its streaming platforms, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. 

As part of the deal, Paramount will license new Nielsen services. That includes advanced audiences, Nielsen's cross-media planning product, and Big Data + Panel national TV measurement — its newly accredited product that includes viewership data from 45 million households across more than 75 million set-top boxes and smart TVs.

"We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment," Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a statement.

Zoom out: While Nielsen has been criticized by TV networks for having outdated methodology, it's still considered the most authoritative measurement vendor in the industry.

During its standoff with Nielsen, Paramount relied on viewership data from VideoAmp, an alternative measurement provider that is not as popular. VideoAmp and Paramount renewed their partnership in January.

3. Paramount, Nielsen end ratings standoff

Go deeper in our full database in the Axios Pro Deals Tracker.

• tvScientific, a Redondo Beach-based ad tech startup, raised a $25.5m Series B round led by NewRoad Capital Partners. Go deeper

• Largo.ai, an analytics platform for the entertainment and ad industries, raised $7.5m in Series A funding. TI Capital and QBIT Capital co-led and were joined by DAA Capital, Atreides Management, Thomas Tippl and Sylvester Stallone. Go deeper

• CIVC Partners invested in Strategus, an Englewood, Colo.-based managed services provider of connected TV advertising campaigns. Go deeper

• Ariel Investments launched a private equity fund focused on women's sports, including an initial deal as lead investor in Denver's new National Women's Soccer League franchise. Go deeper

4. Deal flow

• Mike Quigley was named CMO of PrizePicks, a daily fantasy sports operator. Go deeper

• Ryan Gould and Robert Voltaggio have been named presidents of U.S. advertising sales for Warner Bros. Discovery. Go deeper

• Nick Giovanni is returning to Goldman Sachs as a partner in its TMT investment banking group after a stint as Instacart's CFO. Go deeper

5. Movin' on up (or out)

🏈 Super Bowl ads shift to health and body positivity (Axios)

"A slew of advertisers are bringing a healthier and more female-focused message to this year's big game, with spots highlighting everything from breast cancer awareness to obesity and body positivity," Sara and Kerry write.

😳 Bain's advice for Hollywood this year: Own IP or own nothing (THR)

"Management consulting firm Bain & Co., in a new research report, shares this guidance: 'Own the consumer, own the intellectual property (IP), or own nothing.' In other words to compete in 'a world of tech mega-platforms,' players will need 'more cross-sector M&A and deals for IP,'" George Szalai writes.

😀 Publicis chief says new business helped it overtake advertising rivals (FT)

"France's Publicis overtook rival WPP to become the world's biggest advertising company last year after a series of acquisitions helped it grow in the US and push ahead in digital marketing, according to its chief executive," Adrienne Klasa writes.

February 04, 2025

1 big thing: NFL throws the flag