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Crew Signs First Naming-Rights Partner, Changes Facility Name To Mapfre Stadium

The Crew this morning announced the signing of Mapfre Insurance "as the first stadium naming-rights partner in team history," according to Adam Jardy of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. The facility formerly known as Crew Stadium will now be called Mapfre Stadium. Crew Chair Anthony Precourt said, "This is 16 years in the making. It’s very significant for us." Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Precourt said that it is "a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement." The Crew's sales pitch "started last summer with a phone call to Mapfre, a Spanish company affiliated with Real Madrid whose U.S. headquarters are near Boston and that has an office in Columbus." Crew President of Business Operations Andy Loughnane said, "One of our ticketing members reached out to talk about a ticketing plan and the conversation evolved to a bigger-picture opportunity. And from there it evolved into a larger meeting and a larger meeting and a larger meeting and we eventually had conversations about stadium-naming rights and we’re here today." He added that "no prior relationship existed" between Mapfre and the Crew. He also said that the team had "been in conversations with other possible partners" prior to signing with Mapfre. Although a locally founded company "was desired, it was not a requisite for a partnership." Precourt: "This is an off-the-field win for us and will help us generate the resources to put a really good soccer product on the field and create a really wonderful atmosphere for our fans here at Mapfre Stadium" (DISPATCH.com, 3/3). In Columbus, Evan Weese notes the deal comes "less than two years after Precourt purchased the team" for a reported $68M from Hunt Sports Group. Precourt has "moved quickly to put his mark on one of the MLS' original clubs, including introducing a new logo and name" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/3).

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