Team Work: Bobcats Hire Firm To Find Naming-Rights Partner

The Bobcats have hired Team Services to market the naming rights to Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Team Services co-Founders Fred Fried and E.J. Narcise will manage the project. Team Services previously sold naming-rights packages for Reliant Park, M&T Bank Stadium and the Univ. of Maryland’s Comcast Center. The agency also secured Ericsson as the initial naming-rights partner for the NFL Panthers’ stadium (Bobcats). Bobcats President & COO Ed Tapscott said, “Selling the naming rights is something we have now as a priority, and I think we’re going to have success” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/13). Tapscott added, “We decided it would be in our best interests if we stepped back and let someone else take the lead.” Narcise: “They needed someone like us to come in and concentrate 24/7 on finding a deal. That’s what we plan to do.” The CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL’s Erik Spanberg notes the Bobcats had consulted Charlotte-based IMG/Muhleman Marketing when they were searching for a naming-rights partner in the fall. Muhleman “will still be involved with the [Bobcats] in a number of areas” (CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/9 issue).