SBJ Tech: MVP Interactive steps up its game for clients with an Advertising Network
SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL
by Ethan Joyce
4.17.24
James Giglio got tired of running into the same problem. The founder and CEO of mixed reality company MVP Interactive noticed a similar sentiment from potential sports venue clientele that didn’t sign on for an AR or VR fan experience collaboration.
“We love this, and we just wish you would have called us last week, because the sponsor that would have been perfect for this already spent their activation budget,” Giglio chuckled while recounting the scenario to SBJ. “We don’t have another sponsor with funding that could do this, or we don’t have enough funding in our marketing dollars to invest in this.”
That scenario, paired with what Giglio describes as a “closed door” network regarding advertisement opportunities around sports venues, has led to the creation of the company’s Interactive Advertising Network. MVP Interactive will officially announce the product on Thursday, and it’ll be available to all its clients. This opens a chance for some brands to break into sports and entertainment. “We’re not going to bring Coca-Cola to a Pepsi arena — that’s not what we’re doing,” Giglio said. “Our thought is we’re going to non-endemic brands to give them the opportunity to enter this stadium.”
Here’s how the Interactive Advertising Network will work. GamingWalls will be deployed in underutilized areas of arenas and stadiums. MVP Interactive will lease space from the venue and fully manage the tech — which is confined to a roughly 8-by-6-foot space. The venue is only on the hook for providing electricity and Wi-Fi connection. The network is specifically for non-endemic brands, with properties having the right of first refusal to avoid anything that feels like a conflict of interest to their existing brand partners. For example, Giglio said, health and beauty advertising has untapped potential to market in sports venues.
Advertisers can use MVP Interactive’s network for varying campaign lengths, ranging from six weeks to a full season. The money made from the activations will be split based off the predetermined revenue breakdown of the deal. Giglio said that properties stand to make high five figures to six figures.
MVP Interactive has nine pro sports venues with activations — such as Fenway Park, Lambeau Field and Lucas Oil Stadium — and it’s worked in nearly 30 during its sports industry tenure. Giglio said he’s kicked around the idea for the ad network since 2018, feeling like the timing is right now based on the company’s 10 years of reputation development of innovation.
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