A vast audience tuning in for Super Bowl LVII will meet the New York Mets this Sunday.
The MLB team purchased a 30-second commercial to air during the NFL championship bout between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Super Bowl ad showcases Mets players Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Kodai Senga, Tomas Nido, Luis Guillorme, and Edwin Diaz working the phones to sell tickets. Their mascot, Mr. Met, also has a malfunction with his headset.
Viewers see the decision as another statement from owner Steve Cohen, who has funded an offseason spending spree giving the Mets the game’s highest payroll by a wide margin.
“Wait, the Mets bought a Super Bowl ad? Cohen will stop at nothing!” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal remarked.
“Steve Cohen taking MLB marketing into his own hands,” a fan wrote.
“Mets’ spending on a 30-second Super Bowl commercial: reportedly $1.5M. Braves’ spending on FA all offseason: $1.4M,” FanGraphs’ Jon Becker noted.
“Imagine the Wilpons spending money on a Super Bowl commercial,” Locked on Mets’ Ryan Finkelstein said. “What a time to be alive as a Mets fan.”
“More MLB teams need to be creative like this,” a fan declared. “Such a great idea.”
According to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, the commercial will air in the tri-state area near the end of the first quarter. While it may not significantly drive ticket sales, Mets chief marketing officer Andy Goldberg described the ad as an attempt to help establish the team as a global brand akin to their inner-state rivals.
“You go around the world, and you see people and they’re wearing Yankee hats,” Goldberg said. “They’re not wearing Yankee hats because they’re Yankee fans, just to be clear. They’re wearing Yankee hats because it’s an ‘NY,’ and New York is cool, right? I want that to be a Met hat, 100 percent.”
As for the actual game, Mets fans are likely pulling for Kansas City. New Yorkers typically don’t root for Philly sports teams, and Pat Mahomes Sr. played with the Mets for two seasons.
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