Corporate synergy is an energy field created by all living brands. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. I believe that’s a direct quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first Star Wars. Or maybe he was talking about The Force. It’s been a little while since I’ve seen that movie, so I’m not completely sure I’ve got that right.
Anyway, the alliance between Disney, ESPN and Star Wars (or Lucasfilm) may currently be the most formidable power in the universe. We saw an example of that Monday night as the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer debuted during halftime of Monday Night Football. (According to POLITICO’s Alex Weprin, the highest ratings for the telecast were during the 15 minutes leading up to halftime.)
The corporate synergy continued Tuesday morning as Mike & Mike took a deeper dive into the trailer with Frank Caliendo. Or were they really breaking down some Star Wars footage with several ESPN personalities? If you’ve been wondering what Jon Gruden thought about those two-and-a-half-minutes (he and Mike Tirico must have been watching in the booth, right?), give this a look (or listen):
Personally, I thought Adam Schefter had the best breakdown, reporting that there have been questions over whether or not the Millennium Falcon really did make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. All we have is Han Solo’s word on that, right? And the story has held true for nearly 40 years.
But has anyone ever investigated Solo’s claim? Schefter (or Caliendo as Schefter) is apparently on the job. This could be future “30 For 30” material.
[ESPN.com]
