“Walk on Water” Marks First Song Released by THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS in Four Years
ESPN has teamed with Interscope Records and Universal Music Group Nashville for the third consecutive year for the network’s 2017 college football programming. Season coverage will include music from Thirty Seconds To Mars, Aloe Blacc, Darius Rucker, Ice Cube, Imagine Dragons, Lady Antebellum, Jaden Smith, Kendrick Lamar, One Republic, The Band Perry and more
Thirty Seconds To Mars’ “Walk on Water,” which is the group’s first single in four years, will be used for ESPN’s season-long college football marketing campaign. The song features a sweeping chorus as a call to arms that embodies the spirit of elite athletes, which made it a natural fit for the band and ESPN’s college football programming for the 2017 season. “Walk On Water” marks the first single from the multi-platinum selling band’s highly anticipated forthcoming fifth studio album.
“As we continue to grow the College Football Playoff into a must-see, cultural event, music plays a big role,” says ESPN Vice President of Sports Marketing Emeka Ofodile. “‘Walk on Water’ is a perfect fit for this year’s campaign because it embodies the spirit of each team’s journey and the incredible lengths they go to throughout the season in order to make the College Football Playoff.”
In addition to Thirty Seconds To Mars, ESPN’s college football coverage will bring viewers the latest and greatest songs from the music scene as part of an ongoing collaboration between ESPN, Interscope Records and Universal Music Group Nashville. For the third consecutive year, artists from the label will be featured across a variety of shows, promotions and games on ESPN’s college football platforms—both on television and digital.
“The ability to collaborate with Interscope and Universal Music Nashville over the last three years has been a great asset to ESPN and our coverage,” states ESPN Music Director Kevin Wilson. “In addition to bringing fans the best games each week during college football season, we have the ability to give the latest music from some of the top artists in the country. Combining music and sports truly is entertainment at its best.”
College football fans will hear music from Thirty Seconds To Mars and other top artists including Aloe Blacc, Brandon Lay, Darius Rucker, Goodbye June, Gryffin & Illenium, Ice Cube, Imagine Dragons, Jaden Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Antebellum, MGK, One Republic, Shania Twain, Sir Sly, Sur, The Band Perry, X Ambassadors, and many more throughout the season. Additional music highlights for ESPN’s 2017 college football season include:
- New Music Weekends: ESPN will work with Interscope to debut singles from big-name artists on select ESPN Friday night college football telecasts throughout the season.
- Jamie N Commons: The band’s single “Glory” debuted in an SEC Network commercial last July and will continue to be used throughout the 2017 season, promoting the biggest game of the week.
- Live Performances: Artists will perform live at ESPN college football games throughout the season
