ANN ARBOR, MICH.
PNC sponsoring Michigan athletics
The University of Michigan signed a three-year deal for PNC Bank to serve as the official bank of the school’s athletic department until June 30, 2015. IMG College helped broker the deal.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Allstate signs for Cowboys Classic
Allstate Insurance agreed to a deal that makes it the Premier Partner of Saturday’s Cowboys Classic college football game at Cowboys Stadium. Allstate will receive signage and activation rights around the game pitting Alabama against Michigan.
ATLANTA
Falcons play to capacity crowds
The Atlanta Falcons took their training camp on the road this month with two free, public events at high schools. Kia Motors “Friday Night Lights” was held at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Ga., on Aug. 3, with an overflow crowd of 12,131 for an intrasquad scrimmage. Three days later, the team traveled to Coahulla Creek High School in Dalton, Ga., for combined practices against the Tennessee Titans in front of a capacity crowd of 8,527.
BOSTON
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Fenway’s football conversion last month pumped up the regional economy.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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Roma-Liverpool adds $9M to economy
The July 25 Fenway Park match between AS Roma and Liverpool FC helped inject an estimated $9 million-plus into the region’s economy. The impact was close to seven times greater than that of a regular season Boston Red Sox home game, which typically generates around $1.4 million, according to the report from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Raptor investing in Spartan Race
Private equity firm Raptor Consumer Partners is investing in obstacle racing series Spartan Race, which will move its headquarters to Boston this fall. RCP Managing Director John Burns will join Spartan Race’s board of directors. Spartan Race will hold a time trial event at Fenway Park, Nov. 17-18, as a qualifier for a Super Spartan Race.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.
Air Force IMG Sports reaches radio deal
Lincoln Financial Media and the Air Force IMG Sports Network reached a multiyear affiliation agreement with Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan. KKFN-FM will carry all Air Force football game broadcasts beginning this fall along with a weekly interview featuring Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun.
COLUMBUS
Jackets start ‘Battle’ campaign
The Columbus Blue Jackets launched a branding and sales campaign that carries the theme “Join The Battle.” The campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and digital elements. Cenergy developed the campaign. Additionally, the Jackets and Bob Evans renewed their multiyear partnership. In addition to providing for the designation of official bratwurst of the team, the partnership calls for the Bob Evans Honorary Captain program.
GSX taps Cenergy for BMX series
BMX racing organizer and producer Global SX Events retained Cenergy to represent the International Cycling Union’s BMX Supercross World Cup Series. Columbus-based GSX Events partnered with Cenergy to identify new sponsorship, television and digital opportunities for the series, which will feature events in Argentina, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States in 2013.
EVERETT, WASH.
Stealth gives fans locker room access
The Washington Stealth, for the coming NLL season, will give season-ticket holders pregame locker room access at Comcast Arena through the club’s Power Play Pass product. The pass allows backstage access into the pregame preparations of the players. The program will be offered to both new and existing season-ticket holders with glass and lower club-level seats.
GREEN BAY
Coupon books mailed to ticket holders
Green Bay Packers season-ticket holders received a discount coupon book in their envelopes this year, according to a Green Bay Press-Gazette report. Businesses featured in the Green & Gold Certificate Book can claim a relationship with the team without the higher cost of a sponsorship, according to the report.
KANSAS CITY
Royals extend deal with BATS
The Kansas City Royals reached a partnership extension with Lenexa, Kan.-based BATS Global Markets, operator of the world’s third-largest stock exchange, through 2015. BATS, which operates exchanges in the U.S. as well as the Chi-X Europe equity exchange, will remain title sponsor of the BATS Crown Club at Kauffman Stadium.
LOS ANGELES
Daktronics to fill out Pauley renovation
UCLA has selected Daktronics to design, manufacture and install an integrated video and scoring system as part of the renovations to Pauley Pavilion. That arena work is scheduled to be completed this year. The project includes the design and manufacture of a center-hung display system, ribbon displays and corner scoring displays.
NEW YORK
Liberty partners with video game
The New York Liberty agreed to a marketing partnership with Majesco Entertainment’s NBA Baller Beats, an interactive basketball video game on Kinect for Xbox 360. NBA Baller Beats is being released to the public on Sept. 11 but will be made available to Liberty fans at Prudential Center home games through Sept. 9.
MSG, ESPN extend teams’ radio deal
MSG Networks and ESPN New York 98.7-FM reached a multiyear extension that retains the station as the radio broadcast home of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. The agreement includes full pregame and postgame coverage for both teams.
A-10 women’s final heads to Barclays
The Atlantic 10 Conference will play its 2013 women’s basketball championship game at Barclays Center. The title game will be conducted in conjunction with the semifinals of the conference’s men’s basketball tournament at the arena.
RALEIGH
Sports alliance refocuses efforts
The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau’s sports marketing department has a new name: the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The group, also operating with a new advisory board of local sports leaders, will aim to market Raleigh and Wake County for the purpose of attracting sporting events, tournaments, championships and sports-related meetings to the area.
SAN FRANCISCO
Schwab on the water for Cup
Charles Schwab agreed to an America’s Cup sponsorship deal, making the locally based company the official investment firm for the America’s Cup World Series events in San Francisco as well as the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series and next year’s America’s Cup Finals.
SANTA CLARA, CALIF.
Centerplate to operate at new stadium
The San Francisco 49ers and Santa Clara city leaders reached a nearly $7 million-a-year deal with Centerplate to run concessions and retail at the team’s new stadium set to open in 2014, according to a San Jose Mercury News report.
SPARTA, KY.
Speedway enlisting Fan Council
Kentucky Speedway is seeking 15 race enthusiasts for a Fan Council group. Selected members will work with track officials on ways to improve the guest experience at the speedway. Each council member must be at least 18 years old and would be asked to commit to a one-year term.
YORK, PA.
Revs ready for hot postgame act
Stuntman Ted Batchelor is scheduled to bring his “Man on Fire” act to Sovereign Bank Stadium for Friday’s York Revolution game against the Long Island Ducks. After the game, Batchelor is slated to light himself on fire and run the bases, in an event sponsored by Keystone Restorations. The stunt was rescheduled from July 15 because of a rainout.
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