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FanDuel will not be pulling its Super Bowl commercial featuring Carl Weathers after the beloved Hollywood actor passed away suddenly last week.
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Weathers is best known for portraying Apollo Creed in all four installments of the "Rocky" film series.
Weathers also excelled as an athlete, playing college football for the San Diego State Aztecs before playing professionally as a linebacker with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL.
Weathers died at his home in Los Angeles on February 1, 2024, at the age of 76 with his family issuing a statement that he had "died peacefully in his sleep". The cause of death was later revealed to be a result of Atherosclerosis.
"The family has been very supportive that they would still like to see Carl in the work," Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel's executive vice president of marketing, said after consulting with Weather's family.
Some changes will be made to the commercial.
Sneyd continues, “We need to change what we are doing in the Bowl. The live event itself carries forward and as is. Rob will kick the field goal, and he will be even more inspired to make it. He really enjoyed meeting Carl and found him to be such an optimistic and energetic person.”
“We had built a master. One is an edit if he makes the kick, and we have an edit if he misses. That content we had in those masters wouldn’t be appropriate for us to do anymore,” Sneyd adds. “Since the news of Carl’s passing came, we have been working with editors to help us get back to something that does make sense.” FanDuel, he adds, is in contact with Weathers’ family “to make sure they are comfortable.”
FanDuel is also airing its second annual Rob Gronkowsky Kick of Destiny spot.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
