Several months ahead of its premiere, Disney Advertising has sold out of inventory for the original new docuseries, “The Captain", which will tell the story of one of the greatest icons in modern sports, Derek Jeter. Capital One will be the presenting sponsor of “The Captain”, with American Family Insurance and T-Mobile on-board as associate sponsors. The brands will collaborate with Disney to develop custom content and feature integrations to be placed throughout the series and MLB telecasts across ESPN and ESPN+.
“We’ve found that ESPN’s original content is extremely attractive to sponsors,” said Sean Hanrahan, SVP, Disney Advertising Sports Brand Solutions. “Across both digital and linear, brands have been able to successfully develop cool and innovative ways to connect with consumers through our original content offerings.”
Coming off the heels of the ESPN+ original series, Man in the Arena, it is evident that sponsors have taken notice of Disney’s unrivaled and trailblazing approach to sports storytelling.
As the presenting sponsor of “The Captain”, Capital One will sponsor a digital live after show that will air after each episode's premiere, in addition to having custom sponsored features that will be integrated within the program. Capital One will also promote “The Captain” across various MLB programming on Disney networks including Sunday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight, as well as sponsored segments for SportsCenter.
“We’re thrilled to be the presenting sponsor of The Captain and to take the lead in celebrating such a legendary player in Derek Jeter,” said Roger Ferguson, Managing Vice President, Sponsorship at Capital One. “This sponsorship also allows us to amplify our position as the official Bank and Credit Card Partner of Major League Baseball and further support the passions of our customers.”
American Family Insurance will collaborate with Disney CreativeWorks to develop custom content that will air during each episode of the series and live on social media and across ESPN linear properties. The spot, entitled Grati2ude, will showcase Jeter thanking many of the important people in his life who helped him navigate to this point in his career.
“As a challenger brand, we are always looking for creative ways to engage the hearts and minds of consumers and encourage them to insure carefully as they dream fearlessly," said Sherina Smith, Chief Marketing Officer of American Family Insurance and Main Street America. “Since 2016, American Family Insurance has partnered with Derek Jeter in his commitment to protecting the pursuit of dreams and empowering the community. We are confident that the original branded content and social activations developed for this partnership will serve as further testament to the fact that with the right support, any dream is possible.”
T-Mobile, America’s 5G leader with America’s largest 5G network, will sponsor SportsCenter on Snapchat takeovers and segments previewing upcoming episodes in addition to having custom feature integrations throughout the series.
Media Contact:
Kristen Smith | Kristen.T.Smith@Disney.com