Peyton Manning has become one of the most popular pitchers on Madison Avenue. Now, he wants his production company to become one of the industry’s most popular behind-the-scenes agencies.
During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC on Thursday, attentive viewers may notice a 90-second video that plays during the showtime featuring Alison Brie, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, musician Conan Gray, host John O’Hurley and one of the stars of K-Pop Demon Hunters. Manning’s production company, Omaha Productions, helped produce the segment on behalf of Macy’s, which features a number of celebrities looking for ways to find the perfect gift. This unique gathering combines many elements of the day and will also feature NBC’s telecast of the National Dog Show and NFL games.
This sequence could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to guidelines that track ad spending, NBC was able to earn an average of $865,000 for a 30-second ad during its parade broadcast in 2023, but is seeking even higher prices in 2025 as advertisers increase interest in live events and sports telecasts that reach a wide audience.
“Macy’s isn’t just the parade at the top of the day, it’s actually a waypoint to the dog shows and the NFL,” said Hannah Biondi, senior director of branded content at Omaha Productions, in a recent interview. Omaha sought to convene a group of celebrities as part of a mandate from Macy’s Chief Marketing Officer Sharon Otterman to “help kick off the holiday season.”
Omaha has gained attention in recent years for its popular “Manning Cast,” which provides a rough analysis of ESPN’s regular show “Monday Night Football,” which features Peyton and Eli Manning and an ever-changing cast of guests. But the company, founded by Manning and veteran producer Jamie Horowitz and counts Patrick Whitesell and Peter Chernin as investors, is expanding beyond sports alternate casting and other unscripted programming.
In recent months, Omaha has done a lot of work for insurance giant Nationwide, producing the live pregame morning show “Breakfast at Bethpage,” which aired ahead of the PGA Ryder Cup and streamed on NBCUniversal’s Peacock and the league’s digital outlets. “Saturday Night Live’s” Colin Jost and Marcello Hernandez helped host the event.
Such content “is a growing part of our business,” Biondi says.
Peyton Manning knows a thing or two about advertising, as he is in demand as an on-screen booster for many of them. In recent years, the NFL legend has appeared in commercials for FanDuel, Oreo, Michelob Ultra, NFL Sunday Ticket, Buick, Gatorade, and Papa John’s.
Now, it looks like he’s offering his own services. Omaha Productions can tap into its connections in the sports and entertainment worlds to bring together different types of personalities, Biondi said. “We can expand across the sports and entertainment space and provide our clients with great content and great productions.”
