Sylvester Stallone Takes Paramount+ To Super Bowl Streaming Wars

February 2024 · 4 minute read

Sylvester Stallone is getting into a different kind of boxing ring.

After making a name for himself as the star of Hollywood’s celebrated series of “Rocky” movies, Stallone is getting involved in TV’s streaming wars. He will figure prominently in a Super Bowl ad for Paramount Global’s streaming service Paramount +, where he is the star of the series “Tulsa King.”

In a spot slated to run during Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVII, Stallone attempts to climb the “Stallone Face” of the fictional Paramount Mountain, a gathering place for TV stars of all kinds, ranging from the animated Beavis and Butt-head to Captain Pike from “Star Trek.” Stallone’s three daughters, themselves the focus of a new documentary series set to launch on the streamer, are also on hand.

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The show, which stars Stallone as a prominent Mafia member trying to start a new criminal organization in Tulsa, “has resonated not just in the U.S., but in many of our international markets,” says Domenic DiMeglio, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Paramount Streaming.

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The Super Bowl spot –a 60-second version is available online – shows Paramount putting more money into the fight to win subscribers for streaming despite a proliferation of rivals. When Paramount+ launched in 2021, the company used promo time in the Super Bowl broadcast on its own broadcast network, CBS, to help get the word out – with five different vignettes featuring Dora the Explorer, Norah O’Donnell and Patrick Stewart, among others.

Now Paramount will have to pay for the privilege of talking to Super Bowl viewers. Fox, the broadcast network owned by rival Fox Corp., has been seeking between $6 million and $7 million for 30 seconds of commercial time.

Paramount touts the streaming service as others are striving to make theirs competitive as well. Warner Bros. Discovery plans to merge HBO Max with Discovery+ in weeks to come, while Netflix and Disney+ have started selling ads for new subscription tiers.

Paramount’s DiMeglio believes there is more to show off on Paramount Mountain. “These spots are very ownable,” he notes, adding: “They pair really nicely” with campaigns tailored around specific pieces of content and consumers seem to enjoy seeing a wide array of characters and celebrities coming together all at once.

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