Marketplace Round-Up

Dick’s Sporting Goods One Of MLS’ Newest Corporate Partners

SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’S Tripp Mickle reports MLS has signed Visa and Dick’s Sporting Goods as its newest corporate partners, and has inked a renewal with Burger King. The deals are the “first of a new structure for MLS, in which corporate partners receive league rights but do not get exclusive category rights with each team” or media rights, which are now held by MLS TV partners. Instead, sponsors receive intellectual property rights, player rights, hospitality and “some local marketing rights.” RadioShack is the only sponsor to drop its support of the league following a “series of layoffs and store closures last year.” SUM Exec VP Kathy Carter said that MLS sponsorship revenue is up 20% from last year (SBJ, 4/9 issue).

AD OUT: Several cable networks — including Turner Networks, Discovery, Lifetime and ESPN –- have “decided to boycott an online exchange designed by eBay to sell advertising time.” Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau President & CEO Sean Cunningham said, “We don’t believe that eBay is going to get this right.” eBay was hired to create the ad exchange last year by marketers including Hewlett-Packard, The Home Depot and Intel. The group pledged $50M for the project and believes that “placing ads in many types of media could be done more efficiently using an Internet auction rather than human negotiation” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/6).

INSURANCE BLANKET: With Nike reportedly set to offer Univ. of Texas F Kevin Durant $30-50M should he turn pro, Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes said that the NCAA “is changing its rule so players can be insured for $20[M] instead of the current $10[M].” Barnes said, “That’s the kind of step it’s going to take to protect our players and our game” (L.A. TIMES, 4/8).