Verizon Signs Cornerstone Sponsorship Of Giants/Jets Stadium

Verizon Acquires Naming Rights For One Of Four Corners For Sale At Giants/Jets Stadium

Verizon and its Verizon Wireless brand have acquired the naming rights for "one of the four corners being sold" at the new Giants/Jets Meadowlands stadium, according to Terry Lefton in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Sources said that Verizon, which has tightened its "stranglehold on New York City-area team deals," will use the cornerstone sponsorship to "push Wireless service, along with its FiOS broadband service." The deal includes team rights to both the Giants, a "longtime Verizon Wireless corporate partner, and the Jets, which have more recently affiliated with Sprint." Terms of the deal were not available. Lefton notes the sponsorship with the "two teams in America's biggest media market is also an interesting assault on Sprint's league rights deal with the NFL." MetLife and A-B previously signed on as cornerstone sponsors of the new stadium, set to open for the '10 NFL season, leaving one corner without a naming-rights partner (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/15 issue).