FRIENDLY SKIES OVER DALLAS: MAVS AND STARS HIT PAYDIRT

          American Airlines will pay $195M over the next 30 years
     for naming rights to the new Dallas arena, according to
     Richard Alm of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS.  As part of the
     deal, American's name and logo will be "all over the new
     arena -- inside and out," as it will be featured on the
     Stars' ice and dasherboards and at center court and
     courtside for the Mavs.  There will also be signs "visible
     from freeways and city streets," and concessions and
     advertising for all events will "in some way" bear the
     American Airlines name.  The announced value of the deal was
     $5M a year, with American paying $150M over 30 years, but
     the deal includes a "larger marketing partnership" which
     calls for American to pay $45M for marketing pacts with the
     Stars and the Mavs, ranging from TV and radio ads to special
     promotions.  American Airlines Chair Donald Carty, on the
     deal: "What it means to us is a lot of terrific exposure." 
     Nokia spokesperson Megan Matthews said the company passed on
     the naming rights deal: "Keeping the Sugar Bowl and passing
     on the [Dallas arena] opportunity was best for us at this
     time."  American's naming rights deal, "in terms of dollars
     per year," is second only to Atlanta's 20-year, $180M
     Philips Arena deal (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/19).   
          A QUICK DEAL: In Ft. Worth, Mede Nix writes that the
     arena will be named the American Airlines Center, as
     American was one of "four or five" companies "sought out" by
     the Arena Group.  Arena Group Senior VP/Sales & Marketing
     Greg McElroy said that American "acted very quickly on the
     proposal," which the group presented "about 30 days ago" and
     was agreed to "two weeks ago" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM,
     3/19).  In Dallas, Robert Ingrassia reports that part of the
     deal calls for the creation of the American Airlines Center
     Foundation, an organization which will be funded by the
     Stars, Mavs and American, as each will make donations to
     North Texas charities of "at least" $500,000 a year for five
     years.  Ingrassia adds that arena execs are seeking as many
     as 12 other arena sponsors, for such elements as news media,
     soft drinks and cellular phones (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/19).