Joliet Sports Fan Becomes First Winner In NBC Sports, Sunday Night Football Promo with 7-Eleven® Stores
JOLIET, IL – Joliet sports fan Garrett Williams scored big in 7-Eleven, Inc.’s Big Match-Up promotion on Wednesday, winning a trip-for-two to New York City to be a part of the VIP behind-the-scenes tour during the show produced at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan.
The world’s premiere convenience retailer has teamed up with NBC Sports and Sunday Night Football for its Big Match-Up Promotion that sends four 7-Eleven customers and their guests to watch the live production of “Football Night in America,” NBC Sports’ popular Sunday night football studio show.
Williams was randomly selected at the 7-Eleven® store at 2405 Essington Road in Joliet and was greeted by Matty Blake, stand-up comic and actor who hosts “The Matty Blake Show,” an irreverent online sports show on www.nbcsports.com, and a NBC Sports video crew.
For four weeks in September, a customer will be picked in a 7-Eleven store somewhere in the U.S. to win the coveted New York trip. Blake will visit another randomly selected 7-Eleven store this week to interview and videotape the second winner.
“It’s a sports fan’s favorite combination: football and food,” says Blake. “And we’re talking about the Big Match Up: 7-Eleven’s Super Big Gulp® and a1/4-lb Big Bite® with NBC Sunday Night Football. I’m looking forward to surprising another unsuspecting 7-Eleven customer this week.”
In stores, the Big Match-Up refers to a Big Bite -Super Big Gulp meal deal – an all-beef Oscar Mayer quarter-pound Big Bite hot dog and a 44-ounce Super Big Gulp for $2.49 ($1.99 in Arizona). Special Big Gulp cups and Big Bite hot dog containers are preprinted with the 2008 NFL Sunday Night Football game schedule, beginning with the Chicago-Indianapolis match-up Sunday, Sept. 7. Sweepstakes winners will visit NBC Sports’ “Football Night in America” studio as part of a VIP trip to NBC Studios and meet the “Football Night” team.
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Garrett Williams, center, a regular customer of the 7-Eleven® store at 2405 Essington Road in Joliet, Il., was surprised Sept. 1 as he walked into the store and was randomly selected as the first winner in 7-Eleven's promotion with NBC Sports and Sunday Night Football. With him are Matty Blake, comic and NBC online sports show host, and guest, Maxim magazine model April Rose. Garrett and April are holding a promotional hot dog clamshell package and Big Gulp® cup, part of this month’s 7-Eleven Match-Up Meal. The Joliet sports fan won a trip for two to New York City and a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of NBC Studios and Football Night in America show. |
“Sunday Night is Football Night, not just for die-hard fans but for their friends and family who gather around the TV and watch the game as a social occasion,” said Mike McCarley, vice president of marketing, promotions and communications for NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “Partnering with 7-Eleven allows us to reach millions more avid and casual football fans each week and allows those fans to stock up for Sunday night’s big match-up.”
Rita Bargerhuff, 7-Eleven marketing vice president, added, “NBC Sunday Night Football and 7-Eleven are working together to offer one of this football season’s most exciting and surprising promotions for some lucky fans. Sunday Night Football has the best announcers, analysts and the dynamic team match-ups again this fall. And whether football fans need food and drinks for a tailgate party or to watch the game at home, 7-Eleven is ready to play.”
Seven of the top 10 NFL match-ups, as ranked in the NFL preview edition of Pro Football Weekly magazine, will appear on Sunday Night Football this fall, according to NBC play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, speaking at a recent press event.
7-Eleven sweepstakes winners will get to watch NBC Sports’ A-team of talent and experience. While long-time play-calling and color-commentators Michaels and John Madden are in the booth at the game, host Bob Costas; co-hosts Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick; and studio analysts Tiki Barber, Jerome Bettis and Sports Illustrated magazine writer Peter King will be in the studio for “Football Night in America.”
Assisting 7-Eleven in developing this partnership and promotion is FreshWorks, 7-Eleven, Inc.’s advertising and marketing agency, which is a consortium of Omnicom companies.
Local promotions, including contests to win free tailgate party packs and game tickets, also will be included for the duration of the Big Match-Up Promotion.
About 7 Eleven, Inc.
7 Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses approximately 7,600 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 34,600 stores in 16 countries. During 2007, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $46.6 billion. Named the #1 Franchise Opportunity for 2008 by Entrepreneur magazine, 7-Eleven is franchising virtually all of its stores in the U.S., and is expanding through its Business Conversion Program, acquisitions, building new and leasing existing properties. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.
About “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” & “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”
“NBC Sunday Night Football” the premier primetime game of the week, is preceded by the “Football Night in America" studio show, which kicks off NBC’s regular season coverage each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. NBC has assembled the most honored broadcast team ever: Joining Al Michaels, the commentator called “TV’s best play-by-play announcer” by the Associated Press, and John Madden, the most honored NFL broadcaster of all time with 16 Emmy Awards, are Bob Costas, the most honored studio host of all time with 19 Emmy Awards, who hosts NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show alongside co-host Cris Collinsworth, the most honored studio analyst in history with eight Emmy Awards; co-host Keith Olbermann, named one of the Top Ten Most Powerful People in TV News for 2007 by Television Week; co-host Dan Patrick who joins the NBC team for his first season, and who will be reunited with Keith Olbermann on television for the first time since 1997; and analysts Tiki Barber, a three-time NFL Pro Bowler for the New York Giants, and Jerome Bettis, one of the most popular players in recent NFL history. “NBC Sunday Night Football” coverage also includes sideline and feature reporter Andrea Kremer, whom the Los Angeles Times has called “the best TV interviewer in the business of covering the NFL.” Peter King, who covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated and is considered one of the country’s foremost NFL reporters, serves as a reporter for the “Football Night in America” studio show.
NBC Sports will broadcast Super Bowl XVIII from Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 1, 2008, NBC’s first Super Bowl since 1998.
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