Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning passes during a game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, in Oakland. Manning set many records this season including most touchdowns thrown in a single game (seven) and most thrown in one season (55).
Peyton Manning’s play-calling Sunday didn’t just take his team to the Super Bowl, it earned his charity a cool $25k.
The Denver Broncos quarterback is well-known for shouting “Omaha” at the line of scrimmage, so businesses based in the Nebraskan city promised to donate a combined $800 each time Manning said the word during Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. The quarterback said “Omaha” 31 times, raising a total of $24,800 for Manning’s Peyback Foundation.
“This has been terrific for us,” David G. Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, which headed up the effort, told ESPN. “Before Friday, we had calculated that news coverage of Omaha had generated the equivalent of about $10 million in advertising.”
The promotion began after last week’s game against the San Diego Chargers, when Manning said “Omaha” 44 times. The City of Omaha has had no interaction with Manning or his charity, but they assume the quarterback will take the money.
The city of Omaha benefited too. Sponsorship evaluation firm Front Row Analytics calculated that the city of Omaha got the equivalent of $150,00 in advertising every time the name was mentioned by Manning or the commentators.
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos will play the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
[ESPN]