The NFL sent its sponsors a letter this morning notifying them of the new partnership to build a four-story entertainment center in Times Square with Cirque du Soleil, and inviting them to take part. NFL CMO Dawn Hudson said, “Now we are going to have a series of meetings. Many of our partners have retail locations here in New York, so we want to make this part of the NFL family, so whether they want to sponsor it, or do events here it’s just another touch point.”
Hudson, speaking after a press conference to unveil the new space, cautioned the NFL was not looking at selling naming rights, or to overly commercialize the space. She said, “This is about an NFL experience, not a commercial experience, it’s got to be authentic.” The new 40,000-square-foot, four-story facility will be housed on the side of a new Marriott hotel under construction. The NFL and Cirque are projecting 1 million visitors annually. The space is scheduled to open in fall '17. It is currently being called the NFL Times Square Experience, but that moniker is subject to change.
