In 1998, Merlins Sports Entertainment was not launched in a boardroom or studio lot.
It was born on the road — between manufacturing floors, city streets, and television history.
At the time, the Merlins team was in San Francisco at Ball Metal, overseeing the first-ever can run for the Merlins Energy Source beverage. The brand was taking physical form, transitioning from concept to product.
While traveling through the city, the team noticed something unexpected:
a public transit bus carrying a large advertisement for the Merlin mini-series airing on NBC.
The coincidence was impossible to ignore.
Without hesitation, the Merlins team contacted a long-time friend and supporter, Daniel Sarnoff — grandson of General David Sarnoff, the founder of NBC and one of the architects of modern broadcasting.
Daniel reached out directly to NBC.
Shortly after, instructions came back:
Two cases of the Merlins beverage were to be sent to NBC Burbank, California, and two additional cases to NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
NBC executives reviewed the product. Alongside it, Merlins made a forward-thinking request — permission to incorporate the NBC Peacock logo on drink menus and promotional materials for the launch.
NBC approved.
What followed was not just a beverage release, but a new approach to brand storytelling.
For the first time, a concept that lived on television screens was intentionally brought into street-level spaces — bars, restaurants, nightlife venues, and supermarkets. Television culture moved outward, into everyday environments.
To activate the launch, Merlins introduced its first Street Team, inspired by pop-culture heroines and the spirit of Wonder Woman. Known as the Merlins Warriors, they embodied visibility, movement, and direct connection with fans.
This moment — in 1998, anchored at NBC’s 30 Rock — marked the origin of what would later be defined as Merlins’ core philosophy:
Screen to Streets.
Not a campaign.
Not a tagline.
A belief that stories don’t end on screens — they continue in crowds, cities, and shared real-world experiences.
More than two decades later, the same philosophy drives Merlins’ podcasts, films, immersive exhibitions, and street-level storytelling around the world.
Episode 1 – 30 Rock Launch – YouTube