Marketplace Roundup

Bills Taking Pre-Orders For No. 81 Owens Jersey

Northtown Automotive has renewed its partnership agreement with the Bills and will remain the team's official automotive dealer. Northtown also will be the title sponsor of Bills TV programming this fall, will be a gameday sponsor of an '09 game at Ralph Wilson Stadium and will have stadium signage, among other promo opportunities (Bills). BUSINESS FIRST OF BUFFALO's James Fink notes Perry's Ice Cream also has re-upped with the team and is introducing a special limited-editor flavor in April to commemorate the Bills' 50th anniversary season. Meanwhile, the Bills and Delaware North Sportservice "are ready to begin selling" Bills WR Terrell Owens' No. 81 jersey, which will "be on sale exclusively on Sunday at the Bills Store at Ralph Wilson Stadium and at the Eastview Mall in suburban Rochester." The team will also sell Owens' jersey on its Web site. Bills officials said that "future Owens-related items will include t-shirts, bobbleheads and other novelty items" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/13).

POWER PLAY: Celtics F Paul Pierce Thursday appeared on ESPN's "Jim Rome Is Burning" and promoted his relationship with Powerade and their new drink, Powerade Ion-4. Pierce said of Powerade, "Before, all the other sports drinks had two electrolytes. But now the new Powerade is bringing four. ... It's a more complete sports drink" ("Jim Rome Is Burning," ESPN, 3/12).

DIXIE-LAND DELIGHT: IRL driver Scott Dixon's "likeness on the 2009 Indianapolis 500 ticket is only part of the story behind the design." The ticket has "many features of past tickets, including the words 'International Sweepstakes.'" It also is the "first horizontal 500 ticket since 1994" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/13).

ACE IS THE PLACE: TruMedia Networks has formed a strategic marketing partnership with Ace Ticket Worldwide in which TruMedia will provide Ace Ticket will a fully-integrated sponsorship package including banner advertising and dynamic ticketing links within Sawxheads.com's online ticket marketplace (THE DAILY).