Online consumer-review service Angie’s List has "cut a deal to become the title sponsor" of the Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis through '16, and plans to "help pack the stands with 5,000 of its own spectators," according to Mason King of the INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Angie's List said that the firm plans to "host 5,000 of its 'very best' service providers at the race as a reward for 'playing an integral part in the company’s plan to revolutionize local customer service.'" Angie's List co-Founder & CMO Angie Hicks Bowman said, "This is a world-class race, and we’ll bring in world-class service companies, not just to reward them, but to work hand-in-hand to change the way local service is delivered" (IBJ.com, 6/3). In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin notes terms of the two-year arrangement "weren't made public, but with sponsorship, tickets and hospitality factored in, the deal figures to be high-six figures." Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials talked to "multiple companies about possible entitlement," and IMS President Doug Boles confirmed that Angie's List "wasn't in the hunt six months ago." But Boles said the company "had a blast" at May's inaugural GP, and the sponsorship "came out of that experience." Cavin notes the deal gives IMS a title sponsor for "three of its four racing events, with Crown Royal backing NASCAR's Brickyard 400 in July and Red Bull key to MotoGP's Indianapolis Grand Prix in August." However, there are "no plans for a sweep of the races as the Indianapolis 500 will remain a name unto itself" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/4).
