Metaverse

State Farm celebrates its 100th anniversary by looking to redefine the future of entertainment with iHeartMedia 

New York – June 8, 2022 – iHeartMedia and State Farm announced today a groundbreaking partnership aimed at redefining entertainment experiences in the metaverse, beginning with Roblox. This summer, State Farm is celebrating its 100th anniversary by stepping into the metaverse in collaboration with iHeartMedia to create the future of live experiences, combining major album releases, some of the biggest hit podcasts and interactive gaming in exciting new ways for fans. 

“iHeartLand is designed to break down the walls between artists, creators, brands and fans in new ways that are only possible in the metaverse,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “As the leading brand for music discovery and popular culture, and the No. 1 podcast publisher globally, we’re excited to build an entirely new world for our biggest creators and the biggest names in music to quite literally play with their fans. The interactive experiences players will get in iHeartLand and in this new first-of-its-kind venue will be incredibly dynamic and creative. We couldn’t be more pleased to collaborate with State Farm given their history of innovation in marketing and desire to continue creating memorable experiences for consumers – and given our companies’ shared fundamental focus on community and neighbors, there was truly no other brand we’d choose to embark on this project with.” 

“State Farm shares in the excitement,” says Rand Harbert, Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer. “As the quintessential good neighbor, it only makes sense for State Farm to join the virtual neighborhood that is the metaverse. We’re excited to work with iHeartMedia to meet consumers where they are in a way only our two brands can. Together, we aim to create a space where fans can compete and collaborate to unlock once-in-a-lifetime experiences in a virtually limitless world of entertainment in iHeartLand.”

iHeartLand will be the premier destination in the metaverse for fans to interact with artists and creators while learning how to build their own music empire through competition, collaboration and connection with the biggest names in music, podcasting and entertainment. To celebrate its launch, the new arena will kick off a steady drumbeat of events where fans can expect performances, new music drops, interactive podcasts, exclusive collectible merch and special access to VIP experiences curated exclusively for metaverse players. Additional details about iHeartLand and the performance and event lineup will be announced closer to launch.

About State Farm®

For 100 years, the mission of State Farm has and continues to be to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its 19,300 agents and nearly 55,000 employees serve approximately 86 million policies and accounts – which includes auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 39 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

Together the two companies will leverage Super League’s highly sought after, brand-safe inventory and iHeartMedia’s sales force and unparalleled relationships with brands to create new and unique ways to connect advertisers to metaverse audiences at scale

Santa Monica, Calif. – (March 30, 2022) – Super League Gaming, (Nasdaq: SLGG), a leading network of metaverse games, monetization tools, and content channels, and iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT), the leading audio company in America, announced today a partnership that will leverage iHeartMedia’s massive North American sales force of 1,500 sellers in every major market nationwide, as well as its vast roster of partners, to bring Super League’s highly-sought after ad inventory and influencer network to brands looking to gain entry to the metaverse. The two companies will also collaborate on the development and rollout of iHeartMedia’s “iHeartLand” virtual spaces and fan experiences across metaverse platforms as well as the distribution of Super League’s immersive new 3D and NPC (non-player character) ad units.

With this newly-forged alliance, Super League will share its deep knowledge and insights on open metaverse gaming platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft. This includes the company’s robust suite of exclusive analytics to help guide the go-to-market plans and future-forward sales strategies for iHeartMedia’s portfolio of premium brand advertisers. Super League’s ad tech solutions feature a platform deployed within more than 150 curated, brand-safe games in Roblox that reach more than 70 million monthly active players; measurable formats within the largest free Minecraft server host community in the world, Minehut; and dynamic home page placements across dozens of YouTube channels collectively boasting more than 65 million subscribers who are passionate about gaming entertainment. This partnership reaches far into the depths of the metaverse to provide iHeartMedia’s sales team – North America's largest and most powerful – with full access to Super League’s coveted, measurable, and ground-breaking metaverse ad inventory and products that are brand-friendly and kidSafe certified.

Creators and developers working with Super League will continue to have full control over the ads that appear in the environments they have built and grown, with iHeartMedia poised to ramp up their monetization opportunities at an accelerated pace.

“Generation Z does not distinguish between physical and digital worlds, moving fluidly between the two in their daily existence. iHeartMedia has been a defining brand at this very intersection, combining digital and physical content experiences that delight consumers and fans,” says Matt Edelman, Chief Commercial Officer of Super League. “It is awesome to be working alongside iHeart as they extend their brand into the metaverse and deepen their commitment to providing impactful solutions to the top advertisers on the planet.”

“As we develop and introduce our unique iHeart experiences in the metaverse this year, we’re thrilled to partner with Super League to create new and compelling ways to connect our brand partners to passionate fans in our virtual spaces and beyond,” said Jessica Jerrick, Executive Vice President, Digital Distribution and Platform Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “Super League's expertise, coupled with their best-in-class ad tech and expansive inventory across Roblox games, puts them at the forefront of this exciting space and makes them an ideal partner for iHeartMedia’s new extensions in the metaverse.”

With Super League’s metaverse mastery and iHeartMedia’s expertise in delivering one-of-a-kind experiences, the partnership is poised to raise the bar for younger consumers and the brands who want to reach them. Through exciting and immersive events supported by innovative marketing campaigns, consumers can expect rich experiences that weave together real life and virtual life with compelling content, exclusive merchandise, exciting competitions and much more.

“iHeartMedia gets it – they’re not messing around. They know that the metaverse is not a passing fad - it’s here to stay,” says Ann Hand, Chairman and CEO of Super League Gaming. “They recognized that only a premium partner could provide the specific expertise and quality, brand-safe experiences they need. Super League’s proven track record fits that bill and we are thrilled to be working together with them on their upcoming metaverse experiences.”

Super League Gaming

Super League Gaming (Nasdaq: SLGG) builds and operates networks of games, monetization tools and content channels across metaverse gaming platforms that empower developers, energize players, and entertain fans. The company’s solutions provide incomparable access to an audience consisting of players in the largest global metaverse environments, fans of hundreds of thousands of gaming influencers, and viewers of gameplay content across major social media and digital video platforms. Fueled by proprietary and patented technology systems, the company’s platform includes access to vibrant in-game communities, a leading metaverse advertising platform, a network of highly viewed channels and original shows on Instagram, TikTok, Snap, YouTube, and Twitch, cloud-based livestream production tools, and an award-winning esports invitational tournament series. Super League’s properties deliver powerful opportunities for brands and advertisers to achieve impactful insights and marketing outcomes with gamers of all ages. For more, go to superleague.com.

Web3 and the Metaverse Are Newest Consumer Platforms for iHeartMedia; Company Will Also Build A Tokenized Community With Special Access to iHeart Events, Influencers And NFTs

New York, NY – January 12, 2022 -- iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America, announced today an important next step in extending its presence into web3 and the metaverse, beginning with plans for the creation of iHeart events and experiences for listeners and music fans on Roblox (NYSE: RBLX), a global platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences, and committing to launch tokenized communities for its users and creators. iHeart will also use its industry-leading consumer reach of over 90% of Americans every month and strong engagement to create the awareness and demand necessary to bring new metaverse and web3 platforms to the mass market.

“Although there are a number of great new products for the metaverse and web3 from a wide array of creators, with our unparalleled audience reach, multiple platforms, and our trusted broadcast and podcast hosts, iHeartMedia is uniquely positioned to build the consumer awareness, understanding and demand necessary for those new products and platforms from both us and others to succeed,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “We see this as a unique opportunity to serve our listeners’ needs, provide an important new layer of growth for the company, and help develop the advertising and consumer potential for the metaverse and web3.”

As part of this overall strategy, in 2022 iHeartMedia plans to bring immersive musical moments to the over 47M daily active users on the Roblox platform and launch its first tokenized community, building a new token that will incentivize and reward the iHeart creator community in new ways and give iHeart’s fans unique access to offerings across its multiple platforms, and a series of collectible non-fungible tokens (NFTs), building on the success of its previously launched iHeartRadio Music Festival NFTs in partnership with Green NFT platform OneOf in September 2021.

“In the same way in which we believed in and committed to digital radio and podcasting – and became the strong number one in both -- we are big believers in the incredible potential of web3,” said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “We have already stepped into the metaverse with NFTs and have much more to come. iHeart’s place in this ecosystem -- giving fans extraordinary access to the special events and influencers we provide every day of the year -- is what we’re focused on building out as we work with key partners and develop an easy-to-use ramp to the metaverse and web3 for the mass market.”