AirTran Receives Exclusive Marketing Rights At Amway Center

AirTran Airways Will Have "Flight Deck" Lounge In Amway Center As Part Of Marketing Deal

AirTran Airways and the Magic have signed a deal that will make AirTran the "exclusive airline advertised inside" Amway Center, which is scheduled to open in October '10, according to Beth Kassab of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Sources said that the deal is "for seven years and valued at seven figures." The deal "means the end of the JetBlue Crew at Magic games," as AirTran's deal will begin this season in the final year at Amway Arena. AirTran's name will be on a "highly visible box and lounge in the lower bowl of the arena to be called the AirTran Airways Flight Deck." Preliminary renderings "show it to be outfitted with seats that look like business class airplane seats and other decor evocative of an aircraft." AirTran joins Florida-based IT firm Harris Corp., the Magic's technology partner, as partners of Amway Center, and Magic COO Alex Martins said that he "hopes to announce four more partners known as 'Champions of the Community'" before Amway Center opens. Kassab notes despite the deal, the Magic "only fly Northwest Airlines," as the team last year "sold its private jet and signed onto a three-year deal with Northwest's new charter system for the NBA" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/30).

JERSEY SPONSOR: The ORLANDO SENTINEL's Kassab noted the Magic "were expected to wear jerseys emblazoned with a corporate logo" when they took the court for their first practice yesterday, but they "decided to hold off on debuting the jerseys." The team likely will debut the new sponsorship "in the next week." The Magic have not said who bought the ad on the practice jerseys, and Kassab wrote her "bet is still on Amway," as the company has "naming rights to the team's arenas and shares an owner with the Magic" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 9/29).