Delta Re-Ups As Mets Signature Partner, Near Deal With Yanks

Delta has signed a deal to become the second “signature partner” at Citi Field next year, and it is “close to completing a similar deal at the new Yankee Stadium,” according to Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Terms of the new Mets deal were not disclosed, but a signature partner “typically pays in the low seven figures annually, with the deal running for five years or more.” Delta, which has been a sponsor of the Mets for more than 10 years, will get rights to a “22,500-square-foot luxury section adjacent to the new VIP Sterling Club area behind home plate.” The deal also includes signage on the left-field wall and behind the plate, as well as a sign “that will be visible from the air by the many planes flying near LaGuardia Airport.” The airline will also receive ad time on Mets TV partner SportsNet N.Y. Delta joins A-B as the second acknowledged top-level sponsor, though sources said that “fellow incumbent Mets sponsors Pepsi, Verizon and Geico have signed or are completing similar deals.” Meanwhile, the airline hopes to “integrate marketing within its SkyMiles program with both the Mets and Yankees by offering unique ballpark experiences in exchange for frequent flier miles” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/15 issue).