ANAHEIM
Ducks, Honda partner for The Rinks
The Anaheim Ducks and Honda partnered to enhance The Rinks development program. The Rinks’ four ice and in-line facilities are now exclusively presented by Honda. The Ducks and Honda will collaborate on future community programs throughout Orange and Riverside counties.
ATLANTA
Audi dealer names arena lounge
The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena partnered with Jim Ellis Audi to include title sponsorship of the Jim Ellis Audi Lounge on the arena’s court and stage level. The deal also includes vehicle displays and sponsorship of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation annual fundraiser, Full Court Fest.
BALTIMORE
Orioles part of summer learning
For the third consecutive year, OriolesREACH (the MLB Orioles’ community group) and Baltimore City Public Schools are teaming up to support education initiatives for the city’s youth, in an effort sponsored by T. Rowe Price. The highlight of the joint venture is an integrated summer learning curriculum based on Orioles baseball.
BUFFALO
Bills award $200,000 grant
The Buffalo Legacy Project, which is focused on designing a modern, multipurpose athletic field for residents in south Buffalo, will receive a $200,000 grant from the Buffalo Bills as part of the NFL Grassroots Program. The grant is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated nationwide this year.
Bills add Kumho Tire sponsorship
The Bills agreed to a sponsorship deal with Kumho Tire USA Inc. Kumho will be branded on the back of all Bills tickets sold along with other advertising options at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Dunn Tire of Buffalo will offer a $75 discount on four Kumho tires if consumers present a ticket stub at one of its locations.
CHICAGO
AHL Wolves align with Canucks
The AHL Chicago Wolves agreed to an affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks through the 2012-13 season. Chicago had been affiliated with the Atlanta Thrashers from 2001 to 2011, but the Thrashers were purchased this summer by True North Sports and Entertainment and relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, which had been the home of Vancouver’s former AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
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COURTESY OF CLEVELAND INDIANS / DAN MENDLIK
Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Michael Roizen (in blue) and Indians president Mark Shapiro (center) enjoyed the first event on June 27. |
CLEVELAND
‘Let’s Move It! Mondays’ hits track
The Cleveland Indians launched “Let’s Move It! Mondays” at Progressive Field. The health and wellness program is a part of Cleveland Clinic’s Let’s Move It! campaign to promote an active lifestyle. The public is invited to visit Progressive Field from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on select non-game-day Mondays to walk around the field’s warning track.
Indians plan new street festival
The Cleveland Indians are introducing the Indians Rally Alley street festival in conjunction with homestands against the Chicago White Sox (July 22-23) and Kansas City Royals (July 29-30). The inaugural urban street festival at Progressive Field will be free to the public and deliver value-based ballpark fare and live entertainment.
COLUMBUS
Crew signs Phizzle for mobile marketing
The Columbus Crew entered into a partnership with Phizzle, whose web-based messaging platform will enable the team to create and execute new mobile marketing campaigns. Phizzle assists companies with the distribution of off-deck mobile content and provides and manages participation entertainment campaigns.
Blue Jackets offer new ticket plans
The Columbus Blue Jackets introduced several new ticket packages for the 2011-12 season: six-game, quarter-season and half-season plans. Each plan includes a gas card from Marathon Petroleum, and all plans include the team’s opening night game, Oct. 7 against Nashville.
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FOREST CITY RATNER COS.
This aerial image taken July 3 shows the construction progress in Brooklyn. |
NEW YORK
Arena partners with music academy
The Barclays Center in Brooklyn has agreed to a strategic programming alliance with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The academy will serve as artistic consultants to identify unique shows for the new facility, which is scheduled to open next year.
PHILADELPHIA
Tourney discounts for Phillies gear
The PGA Tour’s recent AT&T National, held locally at Aronimink Golf Club, included a cross-promotion element aimed at baseball fans. On the first day of the tournament, anybody arriving at the Newtown Square, Pa., golf course wearing either a Philadelphia Phillies shirt or hat received $10 off a gallery pass. Those fans who brought a Phillies versus Boston Red Sox game ticket to the gate — the MLB clubs were playing in Philadelphia on the tournament’s opening day — received a buy-one, get-one-free discount on tickets.
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HUNT AUCTIONS (2)
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PHOENIX
Schilling collection at auction
A Babe Ruth home run bat and items from the personal collection
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| The Babe Ruth bat above was used in a 1929 exhibition at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, N.Y. It is reported that Ruth hit a 620-foot home run against the prison baseball team. |
of Curt Schilling highlight the 2011 Live Auction at the All-Star FanFest, running through Tuesday. The Hunt Auctions event takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center. Schilling’s collection includes his own game-worn World Series uniforms and an autographed Roberto Clemente bat.
PORTLAND, MAINE
AHL Pirates reach deal with Coyotes
The AHL Portland Pirates reached a multiyear affiliation agreement with the Phoenix Coyotes tobegin with the 2011-12 season. The Coyotes formerly were affiliated with the San Antonio Rampage.
SACRAMENTO
Arena could attract $7 billion
A new downtown arena would pump $7 billion into the region over the next 30 years, accordingly to a recently released economic analysis. A committee seeking ways to finance a sports and entertainment center, which would house the NBA Kings, commissioned the report. The analysis concluded that an arena would generate more than $157 million in annual revenue for the region, including $100 million in downtown Sacramento.
SAN ANTONIO
AHL Rampage affiliates with Panthers
The AHL San Antonio Rampage signed an affiliation agreement with the Florida Panthers. The Panthers and Spurs Sports & Entertainment co-owned the Rampage from 2002 to 2005. Most recently, the Panthers had been affiliated with the Rochester Americans.
SAN JOSE
Earthquakes partner with Wells Fargo
The San Jose Earthquakes agreed to a multiyear partnership with Wells Fargo. The bank will sponsor the team’s Goals for Education campaign, which donates $250 to local education programs for every goal scored by the Earthquakes, as well as the Soccer Mom of the Match award.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.
Salt River Fields scores LEED gold
The HKS-designed Salt River Fields at Talking Stick achieved LEED gold certification for new construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. The facility is the first LEED gold-certified sports venue of its kind in the U.S. The 140-acre venue is the spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
SONOMA, CALIF.
Track completes solar panel project
Infineon Raceway, in partnership with Panasonic, completed its installation of 1,652 solar panels at the facility. The high-efficiency panels, manufactured by Panasonic’s Sanyo division, will cover 41 percent of the raceway’s energy usage.
Save Mart extends partnership
Save Mart Supermarkets signed a multiyear agreement to continue as co-title sponsor of the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Infineon Raceway. The partnership continues the raceway’s long-standing relationship with the Modesto, Calif.-based grocery chain.
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