Marketplace Round-Up

NBAstore.com Sees Highest-Grossing Sales Day Following Heat’s Championship Run

In the first three days after the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on Monday night, sales of Hurricanes championship merchandise from NHL.com’s online store were up 12.4% compared to the same period following the Lightning’s win in ’04. Also, 58% of total online sales for the first three days were placed by customers in North Carolina. Four of the top five states in sales were Southern states, which accounted for 67% of sales during the period (THE DAILY).

HOT STUFF: NBAstore.com had the “highest-grossing sales day in the history of the site” on Wednesday after the Heat won the NBA title. Sales of Heat championship T-shirts and hats “more than doubled” last year’s sales of Spurs merchandise (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/23).

AND THE AWARD GOES TO: ESPN has sold out sponsorships for the 14th annual ESPY Awards, to be held July 16. Presenting sponsors are GMC and Under Armour, while associate sponsors include EA Sports, Gatorade, Lotrimin, Michelin, Miller, Orbitz, Sony Pictures, Verizon Wireless and Wendy’s. Benefits include multimedia components on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio and in ESPN The Magazine, as well as on-site signage and hospitality (ESPN).

NOTES: Anheuser-Busch, which sponsors the Budweiser Pole Award at each NASCAR Nextel Cup event, will award a Tissot PRS 516 Valjoux limited-edition watch to each driver who wins a pole award in ’06 (Tissot)....The Hilton Family of Hotels has signed on as a hospitality partner for the ’06 AVP Crocs Tour. The hotelier will host tournament attendees inside the Hilton Family Hospitality Tent above center court where VIP ticket holders will be able to meet with city officials, celebrities and other AVP sponsors and promoters (Hilton)....GlaxoSmithKline has inked a deal for its Avodart brand to be an official marketing partner of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour (PGA Tour)....141 Worldwide will manage AIG’s new global sponsorship of Manchester United (AIG).