Sundial Media and Technology Group inks unique partnership with Grand Slam Track

The GIST: Sundial Media and Technology Group (SMTG) — the media and live events company behind Essence, Afropunk, and Refinery29 — finalized a unique partnership with Grand Slam Track (GST), a new track and field competition that kicked off this year. SMTG will facilitate media coverage of GST in addition to improving track day experiences for fans.

• Additionally, SMTG will help broker sponsorships for GST, illustrating how media brands can help elevate the fan experience by cultivating matchday activations while also using powerful connections to negotiate corporate partnerships. Firing on all cylinders.

The details: SMTG will negotiate commercial partnerships for GST starting next season, with 10% of sponsorship sales going directly to GST athletes. The group also plans to leverage GST’s stars in its media coverage, create digital content featuring behind-the-scenes access, and add a new fan-powered media platform.

• This comes nearly two weeks after GST canceled the final meet of its inaugural season, which was slated to take place in LA at the end of June, along with additional in-season cutbacks. Still, GST founder Michael Johnson has insisted the entity accomplished its first-year goals.

The trend: Other sports leagues are inking comparable innovative media partnerships: The NWSL is giving Overtime similar behind-the-scenes access, while MLB is investing in baseball’s creator community through stake in Jomboy Media.

• Another comparison would be how sports and event agency Horizon Sports & Experiences (HS&E) co–CEO David Levy negotiated Unrivaled’s media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery last October, with HS&E additionally being an investor in the league.

The takeaway: Companies like SMTG and Scripps Ion — which is working on Sports Illustrated’s SI Women’s Games — are increasingly focused on live experiences and media opportunities, a conversation that’s especially hot following Cannes Lions. Media brands should consider packaging not only the viewership element of games, but also activations around live events. Taking notes.