The Nets today announced that Honda has signed on to become the 10th Founding Partner for Barclays Center, marking the first major sponsorship of a sports venue on the East Coast for the auto manufacturer. Honda will gain entitlement of one of the premium clubs in the arena and will be the presenting sponsor of a college basketball tripleheader headlined by Michigan-West Virginia on Dec. 15. The car company also will have signage throughout the arena during Nets game and will have a presence on radio broadcasts. Terms of the deal were unavailable. American Honda Motor Co. VP/Marketing Operations Michael Accavitti in a statement said, “New York is undeniably an important region for Honda, and the alliance with Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets is a great fit within our marketing efforts in the Northeast” (THE DAILY). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Reuven Blau reports Barclays Center will include an “intimate theater space” that will debut with a John Legend concert on Oct. 29. The Cushman & Wakefield Theater can seat 4,000-6,000 people and is “created with a specially designed curtain system.” It will be used for “smaller events, including local music festivals, boxing matches and children theater acts” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/13).
