In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin noted Indianapolis Motor Speedway's pagoda "now has a title sponsorship" from Panasonic, which is "installing 20 new high-definition LED video boards around the track." The videoboards "will be viewable" from 98% of the nearly 250,000 seats. The boards also "are significantly larger, brighter and have more accurate color imagery, and they can broadcast in HD animation." The boards in Turns 1 and 4 and above Gasoline Alley are "more than three times the size of the previous boards, and boards above the media center and at the south end of the Gasoline Alley suites are more than four times larger with a total display area greater than 600 square feet" (INDYSTAR.com, 4/9).
MANCHESTER DIVIDED: In London, Mike Keegan reported EPL club Manchester United "will have to wear [their] Nike kit during their summer tour of the U.S., despite their world-record deal with adidas." ManU's existing deal with Nike "runs until the end of July" and "there is no buy-out agreement that would allow the club to exit the agreement early." The club is "expected to jet across the Atlantic in July for a trip of around 12 days" (DAILYMAIL.co.uk, 4/9).
ALL HAIL DALE: In Ft. Worth, Drew Davison writes NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. "remains the top draw in the sport, and his popularity remains at an all-time high." Earnhardt this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway is "running the No. 88 Goody's Chevrolet" in Friday's Xfinity Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 and then Saturday's Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500. Having Goody’s as a lead sponsor in the Xfinity race "carries particular significance for Earnhardt; it’s a first in their three-year partnership." Earnhardt: “It never really occurred to me that they could do a car, so that’s a bit of a bonus for sure" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 4/10).
BATHROOM READING: The AFP reports Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori was presented with a golden toilet "after penning a sponsorship deal" with Tokyo-based porcelain firm Lixil. The deal "will see Lixil's logo on Nishikori's kit for both international and domestic games" until August '18 (AFP, 4/10).
