MLB has yet to approve Stars Owner Tom Hicks as the
Rangers' new owner, but "already, his influence is
apparent," according to Leigh Strope of the FT. WORTH STAR-
TELEGRAM. For the first time, the Rangers have a booth at
Stars game to sell season tickets, and the Rangers'
commercials and promos are on Reunion Arena's JumboTron.
The Stars plan to do the same at The Ballpark. Hicks "wants
to boost both teams' revenue through joint advertising
packages, joint corporate sponsorship programs and joint
luxury suite deals." The teams plan to offer a combo
season-ticket package and Stars VP/Marketing & Promotions
Jeff Cogen said, "The combo ticket packaging is a work in
progress. We're in the pricing stage and the advertising
creative stage." The teams are also considering combining
merchandise sales and ticket sales operations and could
possibly offer one telephone number for ticket purchases
instead of each team's own (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 2/20).
LEAFS/RAPTORS: In Toronto, Mary Ormsby reports that
with the Maple Leafs buying the Raptors and sharing an
arena, fans can "expect" Raptors-Leafs ticket packages "to
give patrons a season-long sample of the NHL and the NBA,"
and a "commitment" from the Leafs to market the two
franchises "for their mutual benefit" (TORONTO STAR, 2/20).
