Want to mingle over beers with the Knicks’ Tim Hardaway Jr. or talk shop with the Blazers’ C. J. McCollum? Look no further than The Players’ Lounge.
The event space, which opened in February at The Players’ Tribune New York headquarters, hopes to attract the industry’s top athletes and influencers to celebrate the biggest sporting events of the year.
With a sponsorship from Budweiser, The Players’ Lounge serves as a place for everyone to gather, and as an opportunity to grab those who come to partake in Q&As, videos and other content to post on the news platform’s site.
“We can use this to reach more than just the 200 who are there,” said David Roter, The Players’ Tribune head of global revenue & partnerships.
The Players’ Lounge includes an athlete lounge, Budweiser bar (with… you guessed it on tap), gaming station, merch closet and a mini jumbotron.
Viewing parties for everything from the Super Bowl to the 2018 NBA Finals have been held in the space and will continue through this year.
The experience will also hit the road. A pop-up Players’ Lounge was in L.A. for the NBA All-Star Game in February.
“Experiential for me, in general, I think is going to become a much bigger part of the future of advertising. The ability now to take and shoot video and capture it on Twitter and Instagram and YouTube and Snapchat; the experience has never been easier,” Roter said. “I expect brands [will use] events and experiences as much bigger part of the marketing mix and what we do as a company.”
