RACING NEWS: On SPEEDNET, Bill Koenig cites figures
from IL-based IEG that shows sponsorship spending on auto
racing will reach "nearly" $1.1B in '98, followed by golf at
$650M. The NFL will draw $457M in sponsorship support, the
Olympic teams "about" $396M, while tennis will attract $287M
(SPEEDNET, 2/20)....SI's Ed Hinton reports that the result
of Team Penske's new "look-alike cars," and matching
uniforms "is higher visibility for each car's sponsor, in
this case, Miller Lite and Mobil Oil" (SI, 2/23 issue).
NOTES: AD AGE's Jeff Jensen reports that Staples is the
latest sponsor "to rethink" its NFL deal. It is not the
price of the sponsorship, but the "cost of media time during
NFL telecasts that Staples believes its needs to leverage"
(AD AGE, 2/16)....Electronic Arts' signing of Tiger Woods
"lifted its shares" 11% yesterday, or $4.375, to $44.1875.
EA wouldn't disclose terms of Woods' four-year deal, but EA
CEO John Riccitiello said the deal "could contribute as much
as" $40-50M in revenue (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/20).
