| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Thursday, August 12, 2004
4:00pm ET | |
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| • | Fenway Partners Merging Bell Sports With Riddell Sports Group In $240M Deal |
| • | Checkers Restaurants Ink Second NFL Team Sponsorship Deal In A Week |
| • | T’Wolves Renew U.S. Bank Sponsorship Deal; Unveil Theater Plans |
| • | Churchill Downs Inc. Today Names CMO Andrew Skehan As COO |
| • | Red Sox, Yankees Among The Top Ten Brands In Product Placement Study |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
FENWAY PARTNERS SET TO MERGE BELL SPORTS & RIDDELL SPORTS GROUP
Private equity firm Fenway Partners today announced thatit has reached an agreement in principle to acquire helmet and apparelmanufacturer Bell Sports for nearly $240M. The acquisition will merge Belland Riddell Sports Group, which Fenway purchased in June ’03. The company will produce headwear andaccessories for action sports and football. Bell President & CEO Bill Frywill lead the combined management team, while Bill Sherman remains Riddell President & CEO and will serve onthe BOD (Fenway).
COLTS CHECK IN WITH RALLY’S HAMBURGERSSPONSORSHIP DEAL
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| Colts, Checkers Execs Announce Deal |
CheckersRestaurants today announced a multiyear sponsorship deal with the Colts, makingthe company’s Rally’s Hamburgers brand the official burger of thefranchise. Rally’s receives RCA Domesignage, and print, TV and radio considerations. Rally’s will make available a Colts Combo,including a Colts collectors’ cup, at participating restaurants beginning nextweek. Additionally, Rally’s will titlesponsor the team’s September 26 game against the Packers at the RCA Dome andwill give away a co-branded collectible cup to the first 60,000 fans inattendance. Checkers inked a similardeal with the Dolphins last week (THEDAILY).
U.S. BANK RENEWS T’WOLVESSPONSORSHIP, UNVEILS THEATER PLAN
TheT’Wolves and WNBA Lynx today announced a multiyear extension of theirsponsorship deal with U.S. Bank, which maintains its exclusivity in theretail/commercial banking, brokerage/investment services and credit cardcategories. The company receives print,broadcast and radio considerations, as well as signage at Target Center. Additionally, plans were unveiled for theU.S. Bank Theater at Target Center, which will seat3,500-7,500 and is expected to open in November (T’Wolves).
DICK POUND HAMMERS USA TRACK &FIELD OVER DOPING PROBLEMS
WADA Chair Dick Pound today confirmed that therewill be a “test for human growth hormone at the Athens Olympics” (REUTERS,8/12). Pound also “criticized U.S. trackofficials [today] over recent drug use by American athletes.” Pound: “I think the leadership within USATrack & Field has been largely responsible for this problem getting as badas it has, and they're going to have to look very carefully at their ownhouse. I think that they havedemonstrated over the past few years there is a very serious problem, and it isa sleazy thing” (AP,8/12).
BUZZER BEATERS
Nearly 92,000 Athens Olympicstickets were sold yesterday as “Greecefinally started to embrace the Games they have snubbed for so long” (ANANOVA, 8/12).
BOCOG, the ’08 Olympicsorganizers, are “slowing their vigorous construction timetable at the requestof the [IOC] – though the Chinese still plan to have all venues ready a yearahead of time.” IOC President Jacques Rogge said that the request“was mainly a money-saving measure” (AP, 8/12).
Churchill Downs today namedCMO Andrew Skehan COO, effectiveimmediately (CDI).
ESPN Videogames todayannounced that Pistons C Ben Wallacewill be the cover athlete for “ESPN NBA 2K5” (ESPN Videogames).
ESPN today formally announcedthe addition of Denver Post columnist WoodyPaige to ESPN2’s “Cold Pizza.” Paigewill debut on tomorrow’s show with coverage from the Olympics in Athens. Paige will continue to write a Sunday columnfor the paper (ESPN).
ESPN has inked a multiyearcontract extension with college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla, who joined the net in ’02 (ESPN).
With Hurricane Charleynearing Florida’sWest Coast, the WTA’s St. Petersburg HQs are subject to a mandatory 6:00pm ETevacuation tonight (WTA).
Comcast yesterday said thatit “could strike a deal soon” to carry Altitude Sports &Entertainment. Meanwhile, Altitude“expects to sign an agreement early next week with Greenwood Village-basedAdelphia Communications, the main cable provider in Colorado Springs” (ROCKYMOUNTAIN NEWS, 8/12).
The Lightning today inked aone-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs (Lightning).
LIGHTER BUZZ
The AUSTRALIAN reports that abet “has been laid among the [Australian] women’s water polo team. Everyone’s chipped in and the first girl tomanage a kiss with American tennis hunk AndyRoddick gets $500” (AUSTRALIAN,8/13).
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
The Ravens will initiate anew screening procedure prior to the team’s 8:00pm ET game against the Falconsat M&T Bank Stadium.
CHANNELSURFING
NBA TV will air theEntertainers Basketball Classic championship game at 7:00pm ET.
ESPNwill air NFL preseason Falcons-Ravens at 8:00pm ET.
Former anchor George Grande will join Chris Berman as part of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Old Schoolat 11:00pm ET.
ESPN2will air Little League Regionals: Nevada-California at 8:00pm ET.
ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile disciples of Jackie Robinson at 8:00pm ET.
HOFerGeorgeBrett,Bills LB Takeo Spikes and actor Jet Li will appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, musician Dave Navarro and actors DavidCross, Steve Harris and Seth Meyers will appear on Bravo’s“Celebrity Poker Showdown” at 9:00pm ET.
DiscoveryChannel will air “Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece” at 9:00pm ET and “FirstOlympian” at 10:00pm ET.
BravesLF ChipperJones willappear on ESPN’s “Jim Rome is Burning” at midnight ET.
ESPN’s“OTL Nightly” will examine the impact ofthe ’94 MLB strike at 12:30am ET.
HEADLINERS
Hereare tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
| “Late Show” | Amy Sedaris (r) |
| “The Tonight Show” | Naomi Watts |
| “The Late Late Show” | Carmen Electra (r) |
| “Late Night” | Compilation Episode |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Rodney Dangerfield |
TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
BBC NEWS ONLINE’s Matt Daviswrites of how politics influence the Olympics, “In reality, the turbulent worldof international relations has always defined them. From the NaziOlympics in 1936 to the Cold War boycotts in Moscowand Los Angeles,many great political moments have dominated the Games. But Athens 2004 may be shaping up to becloser to the Olympic dream. More than 20 athletes are here from post-Saddam Iraq. The first Afghan woman will compete – intracksuit and headscarf – since the fall of the Taliban. North and South Korea, still technically atwar, will march together in the opening ceremony” (BBC NEWS ONLINE).
In a front-page piece, the L.A. TIMES’ Dave McKibbenwrites of the decline in participation in Little League Baseball, “Someyoungsters are lured by the speed and individual glory of such extreme sportsas skateboarding, inline skating and stunt bicycling. Others are riveted totheir chairs by computer games, including some that simulate real baseballgames. And many are simply choosingother team sports with moreaction and faster play. Once America'ssignature sport, amateur baseball now ranks sixth behind basketball, soccer,softball, football and volleyball in number of players” (L.A. TIMES).
SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles ofInterest section for more sports business-related links.
TODAY’S TEASER…
SportsBusiness:What are the only two NFL stadiums that still use a traditional AstroTurfsurface?
IN OTHERNEWS……
NewJersey Governor James McGreevey is“planning on stepping down from office after more than 2 years ofservice.” Recently, a “number of hispolitical aides and fundraisers have been accused of corruption ranging fromalleged payoffs to hiring a prostitute.” Should McGreevey leave office, State Senate President Richard Codey will succeed him (WNBC.com, 8/12).
TheU.S. Commerce Department today reported that retail sales rose 0.7% in July,less than expected but a “rebound from the revised 0.5[%] decline in sales inJune.” Auto sales, “boosted by heftyincentives from car makers, surged 2.4[%] in July, making up most of June’s3.0[%] fall. Sales at furniture andsporting-goods stores also rose” (REUTERS,8/12).
THE DAILY STAT: PRODUCT PLACEMENT MEASUREMENTS
Thefollowing details the number of brand occurrences for the September ’03-May ’04programming season (USA TODAY, 8/12):
| TOP TEN PROGRAMS | TOP TEN BRANDS |
| RK | PROGRAM | TIMES | BRAND | TIMES |
| 1) | “American Idol,” Fox | 3,356 | Coca-Cola | 2,321 |
| 2) | “King of Queens,” CBS | 2,497 | Nike | 1,048 |
| 3) | “Jamie Kennedy Experience,” WB | 2,473 | Boston Red Sox | 926 |
| 4) | “The Apprentice,” NBC | 2,017 | NetZero | 633 |
| 5) | “Grounded for Life,” WB | 1,728 | Ford autos | 606 |
| 6) | “Eve,” UPN | 1,680 | AT&T Wireless | 436 |
| 7) | “Friends,” NBC | 1,470 | Ford trucks | 375 |
| 8) | “Fear Factor,” NBC | 1,407 | Moosehead Beer | 371 |
| 9) | “Still Standing,” CBS | 1,198 | New York Yankees | 360 |
| 10) | “The Simple Life,” Fox | 1,169 | Pringles | 321 |
…TODAY’SANSWER
The Edward Jones Dome, home of the Rams, and the RCA Dome, home of the Colts.
If you have any questions,comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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