Rapids Sign Jersey Sponsor With Ciao Telecom In Deal Worth About $2M Annually

The Rapids on Thursday announced a deal with Dallas-based Ciao Telecom as jersey sponsor, the club's "first in franchise history," according to Daniel Boniface of the DENVER POST. The new jersey will "be unveiled Saturday during the team’s home game" against the Galaxy. Ciao VP/Global Marketing Steve Kaminski said that the company "agreed to a four-plus-year jersey sponsorship deal" worth roughly $2M per season through '18. The deal "could prove a major cash infusion into the club." Rapids President Tim Hinchey: "We’ve never broken even. So this will go a long way to helping us put ourselves in a position to be financially healthy for the first time in the 19-year history of the Rapids." He said that the club "first started working on the deal in early February, followed by meetings in Dallas, while the Rapids were training in Houston during the preseason." He said the deal went "over the line" earlier this week. Kaminski said that the deal "fit in with Ciao Telecom’s broad plan for expansion in North America, including the Denver market" (DENVER POST, 5/2). Hinchey: "It’s been a major initiative and objective and goal to me personally and obviously the club and ownership. It’s been challenging for a variety of reasons." MLSSOCCER.com's Chris Bianchi noted when Hinchey formally became Rapids President in December '11, he "immediately identified landing a shirt sponsor as his top priority." He "publicly and privately called it one of the most challenging tasks of his decades-long career as a sports executive" (MLSSOCCER.com, 5/1). Bianchi on his Twitter feed reported the Rapids also reached the "5,000 season ticket holder plateau this week" (TWITTER.com, 5/1).

NOTE: The Earthquakes, Dynamo and Chivas USA are the only MLS clubs without a shirt deal. * = Orlando City SC will join MLS in '15.