Yo Quiero Taco Bell: QSR's Return To Predators Sign Of Success

Predators Scoring Deals With Local Companies

Taco Bell recently returned as a sponsor of the Predators after leaving the club this summer, marking "one of the latest indications the new ownership group is meeting with success in the local business community, which has long been a challenge for the franchise," according to John Glennon of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The QSR pulled its previous sponsorship deal due to being "dissatisfied with the way it had been treated under the franchise's previous ownership." Since the local group led by 36 Venture Capital CEO David Freeman took over the franchise in December, sources said that the team has "closed deals that produced around $500,000 in annualized revenue." New business includes Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America, which purchased blocks of 1,000 tickets to three home games; Nashville-based AmSurg, which rented a suite for five games and purchased a block of season tickets; and Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, which purchased a total of 2,000 tickets for group nights. Freeman said that "more deals are in the works." Freeman: "There's definitely work to be done, but the doors are open." He added, "The basic mindset or approach we're taking is it's not their responsibility to buy something. It's our responsibility to give them a great product that they want to buy. There's no sense of entitlement" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 2/21).

PLAYOFF TICKET INCREASE: Predators President of Business Operations Ed Lang said that playoff ticket prices "will reflect an approximate 5-12[%] increase from regular-season prices," about the same as last year's increase for playoff tickets. Lang added that season-ticket renewals for the '08-09 season will be mailed out within two weeks and "prices are likely to go up, but 'it won't be dramatic like the last two years'" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 2/21).