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Disney Floods the Zone With Sports; Airbnb Aims to Book Your Entire Life; Burberry to Cut 1,700 Jobs on Persistent Luxury Downturn
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Good morning. Today, sports becomes TV’s safe space at the upfronts; another app joins aspires to do “everything”; and a British luxury label sets out to streamline as stresses increase.
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Jimmy Kimmel laced into Disney for the entertainment of advertisers at the company’s upfronts presentation. PHOTO: DAVID RUSSELL/DISNEY
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Sports, TV’s best tool left for attracting large live audiences, ran up the score at Disney’s pitch to advertisers on Tuesday, Megan Graham reports for the newsletter as upfronts week continues.
Retired NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and a slew of athletes including Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes talked up the company’s sports offerings, including ESPN’s hotly anticipated streaming service.
“I think there are more athletes here than there were at the [Knicks] game last night,” ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel joked at the presentation, held at New York City’s Javits Center.
The presentation also made references to the tariffs looming over this year’s upfront season.
“Just a reminder, there are no tariffs on standing ovations,” said Martin Short, one of the stars of “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu. “Thank you. No really, thank you for that sitting ovation.”
Related: Disney ad chief Rita Ferro took the audience on a tour of ad tools she said would help advertisers handle economic uncertainty. [Ad Age]
Jimmy Kimmel’s Disney presentation included a request for advertisers to support “60 Minutes,” even though the news show airs on CBS. [THR]
The NFL is the most dominant force on TV. Its media chief thinks the league still has room to grow. [WSJ]
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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How Do Recent De Minimis Changes Affect Retailers?
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Changes to the tariff exemption for low-value imports from China could affect strategy, supply chain, and pricing for some retailers, while presenting opportunities for others. Read More
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Brian Chesky is hoping to take Airbnb to new heights with a major rebrand. PHOTO: YOSHIYUKI MATSUMURA FOR WSJ. MAGAZINE
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Airbnb is going from the business of home-sharing and short-term rentals to the business of everything, Ben Cohen writes.
From now on, you can Airbnb more than just the physical space of a traditional Airbnb: You can Airbnb a Michelin-starred chef to make dinner in your kitchen, for example, and a glam team to do your hair and makeup for that dinner party.
While in Paris, you can Airbnb a tour of Notre-Dame with the architect who helped restore the cathedral. In Tokyo, you can Airbnb a matcha tasting with a tea farmer.
The company branched out into experiences years ago, but put that offering on pause during early Covid and again in 2023.
That’s not the end: The relaunched Airbnb app features three icons across the top: homes, experiences and services. Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky says nine more categories will roll out in the next few years.
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$29.99
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Monthly price of ESPN’s new streaming service, called simply ESPN, when it arrives this fall. It will include all the content shown on ESPN’s cable TV channels, including pro and college football and basketball.
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The luxury sector is bracing for the impact of President Trump’s tariffs coupled with waning demand in key markets. PHOTO: SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
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Burberry Group said it plans to cut around 20% of its workforce as the British trench-coat maker seeks to become more agile to stave off the weak spending that continues to plague the luxury-goods sector.
Burberry in November set out a number of initiatives to revive the brand under CEO Joshua Schulman, who took the reins last year, focusing on its core outerwear and scarf categories.
The measures have resulted in a significant improvement in comparable retail sales in the latest six-month period, Schulman said.
The group said it is still in the early stages of its revamp, however, and warned that the macroeconomic environment had become more uncertain.
“Things got a little bit choppy as we headed into February, particularly in the U.S. market,” the CEO said.
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Texas is among a growing number of states seeking to restrict food makers’ use of artificial colors and other food additives. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is investigating General Mills for allegedly misrepresenting products such as Trix and Lucky Charms as “healthy.” [WSJ]
Toyota rebranded its electric SUV, calling it a move to simplify things for customers but distancing the new model from its troubled predecessor. [Engadget]
Taylor Swift is building fans’ anticipation again, this time with changes to her website that hint at an announcement later this month. [Vulture]
American Eagle Outfitters said its merchandising strategy didn’t connect with consumers as anticipated, resulting in higher promotions and excess inventory. [WSJ]
American Eagle started a Substack. [Digiday]
Skincare brands are elevating sunscreen pricing to match high-end serums and face creams. [Glossy]
No, Coca-Cola didn’t call ICE on its own workers and Burger King didn’t call McDonald’s a “snitch”—How marketers can combat ever-growing misinformation about brands in social media. [Ad Age]
“CoComelon,” the kids’ YouTube show turned Netflix series, will now be a feature film from Universal Pictures. [THR]
A collaboration between G-Shock and Crocs lets you wear your wristwatch on your ankle. [Fashion United]
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