SMU this fall will roll out a new premium hospitality space for home football games. Learfield, the school's multimedia rights holder, has signed a deal with Block Party Suites to lease six shipping containers customized for all-inclusive corporate ticket packages along SMU Boulevard, the tailgate village outside Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The containers, themed as portable suites, accommodate 30-40 people and cover 500 square feet of entertainment space. Each suite includes two 55-inch HD satellite televisions, sofas and tables, ceiling fans, access to private bathrooms and custom signage options. In addition, a retractable awning provides shade for those customers. Block Party Suites, co-founded in '14 by Dallas-based entrepreneur Adam Ward, leases the containers to Learfield for $3,000-5,000 per unit for every home game. In turn, Learfield sells those spaces for $21,000-39,000 for season packages and $3,500-7,900 for single games, depending on the size of the suite and the amenities. The high-end price for a single game for 40 people covers game tickets, catered food and an open bar. The suites went on sale July 6, and two of the five available for sale have been sold for the season, Ward said. A third suite has been reserved for multiple games, and two remain available for the entire season. Learfield set the sixth container aside for internal use. For Block Party Suites, the SMU deal is its first agreement in sports, and the firm is in talks with other colleges as well as golf, NASCAR and F1 properties. To date, no other deals have been signed, Ward said.
