Visa and the U.S. Ski Team have reached a deal in
principle to renew their eight-year-old sponsorship pact
through the 2003 ski season, according to Terry Lefton of
BRANDWEEK. Lefton: "Visa has agreed to up its media weight
behind the sponsorship. Meanwhile, the skiing federation
hopes to bring more snowboarding and freestyle skiing events
to network TV and is hoping to get new programming on air by
late this year at the earliest" (BRANDWEEK, 4/20 issue).
TAG TEAM: Lefton reports that MasterCard will soon
guarantee itself a "presence at retail by getting its brand
on all hangtags of MLB licensed merchandise." Hangtags
touting MasterCard as the "preferred card of MLB" should
begin appearing at retail in June "on all MLB apparel,
believed to be the first time a major property has offered
that level of retail integration" (BRANDWEEK, 4/20 issue).
NOTES: Lefton also reports that MLB officials last week
were "close to filing a countersuit" claiming breach of
contract against Pacific Trading Cards. Lefton writes that
if Pacific wins its case against MLB -- in which it claims
its use of MLB logos are "incidental" and "not subject to
royalty payments" -- it "could set a precedent that would
ravage the licensing industry."....In other news, Lefton
writes to "look for more retail" promos from the WNBA this
season, as it will expand its licensed distribution to
"between 30-40 retailers this year," up from Sears,
JCPenney's and Lady Foot Locker last year (BRANDWEEK, 4/20).
