As Sports Return, Virtual MVPDs Chart Their Return to Consumers’ Living Rooms

Services like Hulu and YouTube TV hope to capitalize on pent-up demand

The NFL returned earlier this month, almost half a year after most professional sports were shut down by Covid-19. And Hulu’s virtual multichannel programming distributor (vMVPD) service, Hulu + Live TV, had a big marketing campaign waiting to welcome its return.  

The ad, which debuted during the NFL kickoff game on Sept. 10, digitally grafted the faces of athletes like Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley onto a decidedly less athletic body to poke fun at the challenges of filming ads.

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This story first appeared in the Sept. 28, 2020, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.