MLB Team Marketing News: Yankees Ink 24 Hour Fitness

24 Hour Fitness Worldwide has signed a ten-year deal with the Yankees, marking the team’s first partnership that includes rights to areas in the new Yankee Stadium. The company will provide the Yankees with fitness, nutrition and rehabilitation experts and will install a fitness facility in the current Yankee Stadium, the team’s spring training facility and in the new ballpark. Additionally, 24 Hour Fitness and the Yankees will co-develop fitness centers under the Yankees’ brand in the N.Y. area (24 Hour Fitness).

METS: In this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports the Mets’ corporate sponsorships are up 20% from this point last year and are 3% higher than the entire ’06 season. The club has signed around 20 new sponsors, including 7-Eleven, Chrysler, Health First, Hood Dairy and LG. Universal Express has “taken over the outfield picnic area,” and the New York Lottery “will have an outfield sign and sell lotto tickets in [Shea Stadium] for the first time.” Meanwhile, Banco Popular has left as a sponsor “with two years left on its deal in deference to Citi’s naming-right package” for the team’s new ballpark (SBJ, 4/2 issue).

BREWERS: The Brewers have renewed 97% of their sponsors and have used a planned celebration of the 25th anniversary of the team’s only World Series appearance “as a way to enhance several existing corporate partners.” American Family Insurance, Sentry Foods and the Wisconsin Lottery are sponsoring the celebration. The team’s new sponsors include WQBW-FM, CarMax Auto’s Milwaukee dealerships, Dole Food Co., the Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism and Brakebush Chicken (Mark Kass, MILWAUKEE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/30 issue).