Closing Bell, May 13, 2004

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY TWO OF SPORTS FACILITIES& FRANCHISES FORUM

By Josh Rosen, Staff Writer, TheSports Business Daily

The Street & Smith’sSports Group Facilities & Franchises 2004 conference at The Omni SanDiego continued today with a panel discussion titled, “Ticket Operations andSolutions: Variable Ticket Pricing, Home Ticketing, Ticketless Entry and More.”With regards to variable pricing, FleetCenter President & CEO and BruinsExec VP Richard Krezwick said, “It’s funny that we talk about it beingsuch a new concept when theaters were doing it for 25 years by pricing Saturdaynight different than Tuesday night.”

AEG Facilities VP BrendaTinnen said that when she was with the Coyotes, the team “found that wecould get a higher average ticket price in January, February and March, becausethat’s when the population came back to Phoenix. … They were all from someother place and wanted to see their Red Wings or Bruins play the Coyotes.”  Tinnen: “We would look at the calendar andsay, ‘We’re not going to do as deep a discount in these three months,’ but inOctober and November when there was no one in town, we would do anything wecould to move those tickets.”

In today’s second panel,“Creating and Marketing the Ultimate Gameday Experience,” Mandalay SportsEntertainment President of Business Operations Howard Nuchow noted thediverse reasons why people attend games. Nuchow said whether a team is in the major or minor leagues, a stadiumis “filled with baseball purists that care about the game; it’s filled withfour-year-olds who could care less about the game, but just want to run around;and it’s filled with other people that kind of care about the game, but alsomoms that care for an inning or two, but want to look at smiles on their kids’faces. … If you’re going to be successful, you have to market to all of thosegroups.  You have to have a little bitof something for everyone.”

Double-A Eastern League NewHampshire Fisher Cats President & GM Shawn Smith: “We look at ourfacilities as being community centers. … You see these different experiences onthe way to your destination.”

Formore from today’s panels, see tomorrow’s issue of The Daily.

ROGERS SPORTSNET UPS MLB ANTE BY 106 GAMES THIS SEASON

RogersSportsnet today announced a two-year deal with MLB under which the net will add106 regular-season games this season to its previously announced slate of 120Blue Jays games and 26 Sunday night games. The deal also includes the four Division Series and both LeagueChampionship Series.  Beginning May 25with Yankees-Orioles, the net will air a minimum of 25 Giants games, 20 Yankeesgames, 17 Cubs games and 12 Red Sox games (Rogers Sportsnet).

JACKSONVILLE TO UNVEIL NFL-ENDORSED SCHOOL PROGRAM TONIGHT

TheFLORIDA TIMES-UNION reports that the NFL-endorsed “Super Learning in a SuperCity” program will be unveiled tonight at Alltel Stadium from 5:30-7:30pmET.  The program incorporates lesson plans“developed for kindergarten through 12^th grade, using the SuperBowl, Jacksonville history and the community to help teach a variety ofsubjects including math, language arts, social studies and science.”  Jacksonville Energy Authority, the localsponsor of the program, has “incorporated information about energy and waterconservation.”  Jacksonville will be thefourth city to take part in the program, joining Tampa, New Orleans and SanDiego (FLORIDATIMES-UNION, 5/13).

PROMOTION OF THE WEEK: ASTROS GO NUTTY OVER ICE CREAM

TheAstros have partnered with team sponsor and Minute Maid Park concessionaireDreyer’s to market the “Good Guys Sundae” flavor – vanilla ice cream with fudgeswirls and chocolate-coated peanuts – in specially designed 1.75-quartcontainers.  The container features theAstros logo and is retailing for $3.99-5.29 primarily at Houston area grocerystores.  The Astros will promote theproduct launch on Saturday when 3B Morgan Ensberg and CF Jason Lanevisit a Houston-area HEB to sell scoops of the ice cream, with all proceedsgoing to charity.  Also, throughout theseason, the ice cream will be promoted in the ballpark during mentions of charitableinitiatives, as well as in game programs, video board announcements and radiospots on flagship KTRH-AM.

THESCOOP:Astros VP/Marketing Andrew Huang told The Daily that one of his main goals this season was “to look at our sponsors and try to do some additional promotions with them andreally activate their sponsorship outside of the ballpark.”  Huang, who had previously run a promotionwith a local ice cream franchise while working for a Houston theater group,approached Dreyer’s and discovered that the company had previously createdspecialized packaging for teams including the MLB Rangers, Cowboys and variouscolleges.  Dreyer’s assumed nearly allassociated design, manufacturing and distribution costs and will donate $0.25of every carton sold to the Astros in Action Foundation.  The Astros agreed to waive the licensing feefor use of the team logo and take on promotional responsibilities.  While Dreyer’s retains the right todistribute the product to all area grocery chains, the Astros will run specificpromotions with team grocery sponsors HEB and Kroger.  Huang said the fact that multiple sponsors activated around thepromotion was its main selling point, adding, “The ultimate goal is to partnerwith our sponsors to create opportunities for them to use the Astros image, andfor us to gain visibility in more non-traditional ways.”

SWIRLED: The partnership focuses onpromoting the Astros and Dreyer’s brands as well as building awareness of theteam’s charitable Astros in Action Foundation.  Dreyer’s Texas GM Tommy Cashsaid, “Our goal is to build brand equity in the Astros brand name in Houston aswell as Dreyer’s.  It’s a jointeffort.”  While Huang noted one of thegoals is to drive sales of Dreyer’s locally, he added, “The larger marketinggoal is to extend the Astros brand outside the stadium to where people –wherever they turn around – they’re seeing something Astros.”

Areyou planning an interesting promotion? If so, please contact Jacob Crawford at jacobc@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

BUZZER BEATERS

REUTERS reports that the U.S. has “warned its citizens planning tovisit Portugal for the Euro 2004 soccer competition this summer about possibleterrorist attacks” (REUTERS,5/13).

The NFLPA today announced an agreement withCelebrity Personal Assistants to provide active and retired union members withaccess to a professional concierge service. The members do not pay any cost for the service aside from the actualcost of the goods or services they locate (NFLPA).

The TORONTO STAR reports that Toronto MP Art Eggleton, one of three on a federal panel looking at Ottawa’spossible involvement in building a new football/soccer stadium at the Univ. ofToronto,said that the Liberal GTA caucus will “meet next Tuesday and thathe feels good about the project getting the go-ahead.”  It would still need formal approval fromPrime Minister Paul Martin (TORONTOSTAR, 5/13).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the BET Awardswill air June 29 from the Kodak Theatre. Nominees for Male Athlete of the Year are CarmeloAnthony, Barry Bonds, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Nealand Tiger Woods.  Nominees for Female Athlete of the Year are Laila Ali, Cheryl Ford, Lisa Leslie, Serena Williamsand Venus Williams (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 5/13).

The Bergen RECORD reports that NJ Gov. James McGreevey yesterday nominated Rev. David Jefferson to the NJSEA BOD.  Jefferson has been a “supporter of Newark’s effort to build a newarena – a facility that might render the sports authority’s Continental Arenaobsolete” (Bergen RECORD, 5/13).

Kangaroo Capital today announced that wholly ownedsubsidiary W.A.V.E.S. has signed a new licensing agreement with Champ Car WorldSeries involving the Kangaroo.TV service, which utilizes hand-held devices todeliver on-track action to fans (Kangaroo).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

ESPN.comnoted that Marlins manager Jack McKeon has a “five-to-eight-cigars-a-daysmoking habit.”  Miami-based Padroncigars sent McKeon a “humidor of 100 Millenium cigars (valued at $3,000), andit took him about two weeks to polish them off.  He also gets a healthy stash of Arturo Fuente brands during theseason.  As part of the deal, McKeonsays he often mentions what brand he has in his mouth” (ESPN.com,5/12).

TONIGHT’SEVENTS

Membersof Sackatoga Stable will sign copies of the book, “Funny Cide: How a Horse, aTrainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took On the Sheiks andBlue-bloods … and Won,” at 7:00pm ET at Books-A-Million in Arundel Mills Mall,and from 12:30-2:00pm ET tomorrow at Pimlico (Baltimore SUN, 5/13).

Cal Ripken Jr. will be roasted at the Grand Hyatt in DC to benefit theNational Capital Chapter of the National MS Society.  Comcast SportsNet’s Chick Hernandez will emcee the event,which begins at 6:30pm ET (WASHINGTONTIMES, 5/12).

CHANNEL SURFING

ChargersRB LaDainian Tomlinson will appearon FSN’s “I, Max” at 6:00pm local time.

ESPNwill air the NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Lightning-Flyers Game Threeat 7:00pm ET.

ABCwill air the NBA playoffs: Lakers-Spurs Game Five at 8:00pm ET.

CSTVwill air NCAA baseball: Rice-Hawaii at 8:00pm ET.

ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Jackie Joyner-Kersee at 8:00pmET.

ProFootball HOFer Jim Kelly, Raptors G Jalen Rose and actor DavidBoreanaz are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

MLBPresident & COO Bob DuPuy and Basketball HOFer KareemAbdul-Jabbar will appear on CNBC’s “Dennis Miller” at 9:00pm ET.

ESPNwill air the NHL Western Conference Finals: Sharks-Flames Game Three at10:00pm ET.

Team USA Olympians will read the “Top Ten”list on CBS’ “Late Show” at 11:35pm ET.

BoxerRoy Jones Jr. will appear on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” at 11:35pm ET.

ESPN’s“OTL Nightly” will examine gambling by collegeathletes at midnight ET on ESPN2.

HEADLINERS

Hereare tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

TheGreensboro NEWS & RECORD’s Dustin Long writes, “Where the voice of NASCARdrivers once carried only to a small fan base, today’s drivers reach a wideraudience, motivating corporate CEOs and entertaining MTV viewers.  No longer heralded for their ability to sellmotor oil, brakes and tires, drivers are sought by companies, networks andchurch groups to entertain, enlighten and encourage” (Greensboro NEWS &RECORD).

TheToronto GLOBE & MAIL’s William Houston writes, “The bloom is off and TSN istaking a hard look at its agreement with the NHL, wondering whether it stillmakes sense. … The best course of action for TSN?  Competeaggressively for regional hockey rights in Canada’s two largestEnglish-language markets, Toronto and Vancouver, and prepare to walk away fromNHL national telecasts when the deal is up at the end of the 2006-07 season” (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL).

• MLB Cardinals President Mark Lamping marketing ballpark naming rights.
• LPGA is a virtual melting pot with 96 golfers representing 24 countries.
• Economic impact of amateur/youth sports events in the Phoenix area.
• Instability continues to swirl around Expos.

SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles OfInterest for more sports business-related links.

TODAY’S TEASER…

SportsBusiness:Rank the top five Nielsen metered markets (N.Y, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia,S.F.-Oakland-San Jose) according to their Kentucky Derby rating.

IN OTHERNEWS…

TheLAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL reports that the combination of NASCAR, collegebasketball, a “crowded convention calendar and warm spring weather helped makeMarch the busiest month of what’s already been an unusually busy year for thelocal tourism industry.”  Nearly 3.3million people visited the Las Vegas area in March, up 9% from the same perioda year ago.  That total represented thecity’s “second-busiest month in history” (LASVEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/13).

TheATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE reports that The Home Depot “plans to buy HomeMart, the second-largest Mexican home improvement retailer.”  When the acquisition is completed, The HomeDepot will “acquire 20 Home Mart locations, bringing its total store count inMexico to 39 stores” (BIZJOURNALS.com,5/13).

THE DAILY STAT: BILLBOARD CHARTS

Thefollowing lists Billboard Magazine’s top-selling CDs for the week ending May 9(BILLBOARD.com, 5/13):

…TODAY’S ANSWER

If you have any questions,comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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