The Cowboys "certainly didn’t reel in" $25M a year from AT&T for the naming rights to their stadium, so when they "talk about relationships and the potential from future collaborations, it sounds like corporate spin," according to Mitchell Schnurman of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. But the Cowboys and AT&T "were making a valid point." AT&T has been a Cowboys sponsor since the stadium opened in '09, and both said that they "wanted more than a higher profile for the phone company." They talked about "breaking ground on technology and being a leader in connectivity, so 80,000 fans would keep coming for the live-game experience." They already are "ramping up the wireless service, so people in the stadium can send pictures and videos from the game." They also hope to "develop apps to listen to players and coaches, and find other ways to engage." The Cowboys and AT&T will be "expected to make a splash, year-in and year-out, so the venue remains a hot attraction." It is "easy to imagine the facility serving as both a testing lab for AT&T technology and a model home." If it works, AT&T "can replicate the experience at other large venues" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/30). Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones believes that the AT&T deal will help improve the game-day experience "because of the interactive and futuristic things they will be doing." Jones said, "You need it as exciting and as cutting edge and interesting as you can. That's where we'll spend the money. We'll always be spending it for interesting things. There's not room for another center-hung scoreboard but we'll be coming up with things that make it a fan experience" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 7/28).
