LVSportsBiz Roundup: Super Bowl TV Commercial, Circa Watch Party Updates; UNLV Holds On For Win Over Utah State Monday
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Even with this COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL has made it through a unique season with a single game left — the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
But the TV broadcast will be a little different because several monster brands that typically pay the $5.5 million for the 30-second spots have decided to stay on the sidelines.
Those brands are Budweiser, Hyundai and soda rivals, Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Here’s a statement from the Budweiser’s marketing chief: “Like everyone else, we are eager to get people back together, reopen restaurants and bars, and be able to gather to cheers with friends and family. To do this, and to bring consumers back into neighborhood bars and restaurants that were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic, we’re stepping in to support critical awareness of the Covid-19 vaccine.”
After coping with COVID-19 problems like coach T. J. Otzelberger getting infected with the novel coronavirus, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are racking up the wins.
This time, it was a 59-56 win over Utah State at Thomas & Mack Center Monday night. UNLV evened its record at 6-6.
Bryce Hamilton and David Jenkins, Jr. each scored 14 points and Moses Wood blocked a three-point shot attempt by Utah State at the buzzer as Utah State fell to 12-5 overall and 9-2 in the Mountain West Conference. Wood added 10 points for UNLV and center Mbacke Diong snared 11 rebounds.
It was a really hard fought game on both sides. Certainly a defensive battle down the stretch. We kind of bent… fortunately we didn’t break and made just enough plays defensively. We talked about it a lot – if we can hang our hats on our defense like we did tonight, we’ll figure the rest out. Proud of our guys for finding a way to come out with a win. Even when our offense was kind of sputtering we showed that we can hang our hat on that defense to bring home a victory. — UNLV head coach T.J. Otzelberger
UNLV plays Utah State again Wednesday at the Mack.
Circa, the new downtown hotel-casino, is scheduled to have a bunch of Super Bowl watch parties.
- VIP Viewing at the World’s Largest Sportsbook: Visitors looking for a next-level football fortress and sportsbook can catch the game on the massive 78-million-pixel high-definition screen inside of Circa. Operated by Circa Sports, the venue features exclusive seating areas equipped with power outlets and Wi-Fi, as well as food & beverage from Circa restaurants.
- Pool Party at Stadium Swim: Fans can soak in the sun at the country’s largest pool destination for sports lovers, Stadium Swim. Housing six temperature-controlled pools, two swim-up bars and a 143-foot diagonal, 14-million-megapixel LED screen, guests can take advantage of several poolside packages.
- Private Man Caves: In the D’s private Man Caves, guests can kick back in their own exclusive space with multiple high-definition screens, plush MVP seating and unlimited game-day food and drinks with their favorite teammates.
- Special Gameday Package: Partiers can host a high-energy watch event at the 11,000-square-foot Big Game party hub on the D’s 12th floor. The package includes on-site betting, state-of-the-art sound and unlimited stadium food and drink. For easy wagering, Circa Sports will have live ticket writers at betting stations throughout the game, offering the unparalleled convenience and expertise for which the betting brand is known.
