Yanks, Mets ‘Play Ball’ On WPIX

WPIX, the CW affiliate in New York City owned by Mission Broadcasting and operated by Nexstar under a local marketing agreement, created a 60-second promo for its seasonal launch of the Yankees and Mets games on the station.

“Since 2017, we’ve been the over-the-air home to both the Mets and the Yanks,” says Dave McDonald, WPIX’s promotion manager, “so for our seasonal launch campaigns we like to go as big as we can.”

McDonald says coming off the success of its We Are New York’s Very Own music video branding campaign, he pitched a slightly different direction, but still wanted to be true to the station’s brand promise.

“I composed lyrics with a rock/rap vibe in mind and asked Stephan Arnold Music to take a stab at some music,” says McDonald.

“Their demo knocked it out of the park. Then, COVID hit, turning the world and the baseball season around.”

Finally, he says, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, and reason to hope.

“We place great value on our relationship with the Yankees and the Mets,” says David Hyman, WPIX’s marketing and creative services VP, “and they are a key part of our New York’s Very Own brand and identity.”

Hyman says the collaboration with Stephen Arnold Music captures the passion and intensity of New York baseball fans and that the promo celebrates that spirit.

Nexstar  seeks an experienced, driven broadcast professional to serve as News Director for the New York City Operation, which provides services to WPIX-TV and PIX11.com through an operational agreement with Mission Broadcasting, in the #1-ranked market in the country. The ideal candidate will have the vision to lead a team of journalists with a focus on enterprise reporting, issue-based political coverage, and impactful news franchises on local topics of interest. Click here for more specifics and how to apply.