BERMAN DOES HIS END ZONE DANCE AGAIN

On 7/17, Interscope revealed that Imagine Dragons new single “Natural” (KidinaKorner/Interscope) will be the official theme song of this year’s ESPN college football broadcasts. This is the fourth straight year ESPN has used a song from an Interscope act for the coveted slot, the result of what’s described as an “ongoing collaboration” between ESPN and Interscope, along with UMG Nashville, that was initiated in 2015.

So how does a song find its way into a key placement like this one? “The process is, let’s work together and find the artist who’s at the right place with the right song,” Interscope Vice Chairman and marketing guru Steve Berman explains. “Last year, it lined up perfect with [Thirty Seconds to Mars’] ‘Walk on Water,’ and this year we’re very fortunate that Imagine Dragons, who are creatively in a great zone right now, delivered a song that was, quote/unquote, a ‘natural’ fit. They’ve really been nailing it in the studio, and when we heard the song, it locked right in.”

Berman’s team includes licensing and marketing exec David Neiman, who works with ESPN among other sports and videogame relationships, and Director of Strategic Marketing Daniel Sena, who handles branding partnerships like the recently launched Jeep campaign featuring OneRepublic’s “Connection.” “These are the guys who roll up their sleeves and manage the day-to-day,” says Berman.