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Coast to Coast

Coast to Coast

ANAHEIM
Angels ‘Step Up’ in health campaign

St. Joseph Hoag Health reached a partnership with the Los Angeles Angels around the health care delivery system’s Step Up To The Plate campaign. The campaign encourages men to schedule checkups and cancer screenings.

AUSTIN, TEXAS
Longhorns sign tailgating partner

The University of Texas partnered with Auburn, Ala.-based Tailgate Guys, a company that provides pop-up supplies for a ready-made party, according to an Austin American-Statesman report. Fans can reserve spots near the LBJ Library, and school officials starting this week will grant sign-up access based on fans’ loyalty points standing with the Longhorn Foundation.

BUFFALO
Bills break season-ticket sales record

Buffalo Bills fans have purchased more than 57,500 season tickets for this year, the highest total in the team’s 55-year history. The previous record of 57,132 was set in 1992. The team last year sold 47,482.

CINCINNATI

Each statue is 8 feet wide and 850 pounds.
Sidewalks sprouting mustaches
Twenty oversized mustache statues resembling the handlebar style sported by Cincinnati Reds mascot Mr. Redlegs are being placed around the city ahead of the July 14 MLB All-Star Game. A retail component consists of replica statues made by Forever Collectibles, available online and at the Reds Team Shop at Great American Ball Park.

HOUSTON
Astros plan offseason upgrades

A $15 million Minute Maid Park renovation of the ballpark’s center field area after this season will include improved seating options, new food and beverage options, the addition of escalators, and revisions to the playing field. The design plans for the area stem from a partnership with MSA Sport and were influenced by feedback from Houston Astros fans, players and staff.

KANSAS CITY

Royals reopen Legacy Brick campaign
The Kansas City Royals and Royals Charities have reopened the Legacy Brick Program. Each brick will be installed in the front walkway of Gate C at Kauffman Stadium located next to the bricks that were installed after the 2012 season. Fans can buy two sizes of bricks, 4-by-8 inches and 8-by-8 inches. Installation will take place prior to Opening Day next year.

LAS CRUCES, N.M.
NMSU signs Learfield Sports

New Mexico State University and Learfield Sports agreed in principle to a multiyear multimedia rights deal, according to a Las Cruces Sun-News report. NMSU, which has handled its rights in-house in recent years, put its multimedia rights out to bid in April.

LINCOLN, NEB.
Huskers tap Daktronics for LED

Daktronics was contracted by the University of Nebraska to provide LED technology for the new soccer and tennis complex that is under construction at the school. The new tennis facility has separate indoor and outdoor courts and is receiving multiple scoreboards for those facilities while the soccer facility will receive a video and scoring display.

NEW YORK

Billboards promoting the race weekend will remain visible through Sunday.
Photo by: WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
Watkins Glen in Times Square
Through a partnership with Superior Digital Displays and Starworks Motorsport, Watkins Glen International and the upcoming Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen have taken up residence in one of the world’s most famous neighborhoods. New York’s Times Square is adorned with 4,500 square feet of digital billboards showing the likeness of this weekend’s event at the historic road course in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Cosmos renews PT provider
The New York Cosmos renewed its deal with Peak Performance to serve as the NASL team’s official physical therapy provider. Peak Performance will sell and promote Cosmos match tickets through its website. In addition, branding for the company will be present on game days at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.

NEWARK

NJIT joining Atlantic Sun
New Jersey Institute of Technology will join the Atlantic Sun Conference, effective July 1, in 14 sports. The move brings the A-Sun’s membership to eight schools. NJIT had been the only NCAA Division I basketball independent.

PITTSBURGH
Pirates sign furniture supplier

The Pittsburgh Pirates named Levin Furniture the official home furniture and mattress supplier of the team. The partnership also makes Levin the presenting sponsor of the Bill Mazeroski figurine giveaway on Aug. 29. The first 20,000 fans will receive a miniature replica of the Mazeroski statue that stands outside the right field gates at PNC Park.

Uber partnership includes free rides
Uber is offering Pirates fans one free ride during the 2015 season as part of a new partnership with the team. New users who sign up with Uber by the end of the Pirates regular season (Oct. 4) can receive their first ride for free (up to $25) by using the code LETSGOBUCS when signing up in-app to have a car sent to a location.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.
Public comment window extended
    
New York granted a two-week extension for the public comment period on NYRA’s sweeping plan to redevelop Saratoga Race Course, according to an (Albany) Times Union report. Groups now have until June 29 to comment on the project’s environmental review.

SEATTLE
Serevi Rugby refocusing brand

Serevi Rugby relaunched as Atavus. Now in its fifth year, the Seattle-based company aims to refocus its brand to better align with the future of American rugby, providing developmental and competitive training opportunities for men and women in both the 15s and 7s games.

SONOMA, CALIF.

Tito’s vodka pouring at track
Tito’s Handmade Vodka was named an official sponsor of Sonoma Raceway. Tito’s will host a full-service bar at all three major race weekends at the track this summer, including the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, and the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma, the Verizon IndyCar Series’ season finale.

TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG
Rowdies get Daktronics display

Daktronics designed, manufactured and installed an LED video display at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg for the NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies. The new display measures 18 feet high by 48 feet wide. The Rowdies also received digital content produced and delivered by Daktronics Creative Services.

TORONTO
Tennis Canada, Aviva reach deal

Tennis Canada and Aviva reached a multiyear partnership that includes naming rights to York University’s tennis stadium in Toronto through 2025. The facility will now be known as Aviva Centre. Aviva also receives sponsorship rights to the ATP/WTA Tour Rogers Cup events in Toronto and Montreal.
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Redskins have new parking plan
The Washington Redskins unveiled a new parking plan for FedEx Field, one the team says will reduce congestion and confusion on game days, according to a Washington Post report. The new system will require fans to enter their designated lots from specific access roads. Fans were asked to designate their preferred lots through their online accounts with the team.


      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN

The inaugural European Games had a lavish opening.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
Opening ceremony cost $95M
The June 12 opening ceremony for the inaugural European Games in Baku cost $95 million, making it more expensive than most Olympic Games curtain-raisers, according to a Reuters report. The two-hour ceremony at Baku’s Olympic Stadium involved about 2,000 volunteer cast members and 350 production staff.

Guardian banned from Games
The government of Azerbaijan banned the (London) Guardian along with a number of media outlets and human rights activists from entering the country to cover the European Games, according to a Guardian report. Human Rights Watch estimates that in 2014 the government prosecuted or jailed at least 35 journalists, activists and critics on unfounded charges.

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Ligue 1 stadium finished

Herzog & de Meuron completed work on a $189 million multipurpose stadium in Bordeaux, according to an Architects Journal report. Known as the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, the 42,000-capacity facility will be the home ground of Ligue 1 club Girondins de Bordeaux.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Safe standing area planned

Scottish Championship club Celtic was granted permission to introduce a safe standing area within Celtic Park, according to a (Scotland) Daily Record report. The area will accommodate up to 2,600 supporters at its opening and could be introduced for the start of the 2016-17 season.

LE MANS, FRANCE
Ford commits to 2016 event

Ford will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016 with Michelin as its exclusive tire technology partner. Ford will have two cars at Le Mans as part of the FIA WEC series. It also hopes to enter four EcoBoost-powered Ford GT cars at the famed endurance race.

MANCHESTER
Man U price hike factors in extra games

Manchester United raised corporate hospitality prices by 15 percent for next season on the assumption that it will be participating in the group stages of the Champions League, according to a (London) Daily Mail report. The increased costs have been calculated on the club having at least four extra games at Old Trafford in addition to the 19 home matches in the Premier League.

Man City, NYCFC, telecom team up
Manchester City and MLS club New York City FC agreed to a partnership with Digicel, according to a Manchester Evening News report. The teams will come together with the telecommunications brand to create multimedia content. Digicel is the leading communications partner across the Caribbean, Central America and South Pacific.

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
Junior basketball league planned

The Clarisse Machanguana Foundation (FCM) has teamed with the NBA to unveil the Junior NBA FCM League in Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo. The league is aimed at about 450 girls, between the ages of 12 and 14, from 30 local schools. Machanguana played in the WNBA from 1999-2002 in addition to representing Mozambique in international competition.

MEXICO CITY
More seating needed after race sellout

After a sellout of tickets for the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix, race promoter CIE partnered with temporary event structure provider Nussli to maximize the seating capacity at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to satisfy the demand for tickets. The race is set for Nov. 1.

MOSCOW
Team returning to KHL

Spartak Moscow, which pulled out of the Kontinental Hockey League a year ago, is returning to the league this coming fall thanks to the arrival of a new sponsor: Eriell, an international oilfield services group. The team and company signed a three-year agreement, the value of which was not disclosed.

PARMA, ITALY

PIAZZA
Piazza interested in Parma
Two parties have been cleared for talks to take over distressed Italian football club Parma, according to an AP report. One party is reportedly led by former MLB player Mike Piazza; the other by local businessman Giuseppe Corrado, who runs a national cinema chain. An Italian court declared Parma bankrupt this spring.

RIO DE JANEIRO
U.S. rugby teams qualify

The American men’s and women’s rugby teams have qualified for next year’s Rio Games, assuring a domestic selling point for the first Olympic rugby competition in 92 years. Both squads defeated Canada in the finals of the North America Caribbean Rugby Association tournament, giving USA Rugby, NBC Sports and sponsors more than a year to market the sport leading into Rio.

SÃO PAULO
Stadium setbacks continue

Arena Corinthians remains under a management crisis, with many areas of the stadium still incomplete, according to an Estadão report. Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which built the stadium, promised that it would be ready in January, then pushed the date to May. The facility operated last year for the FIFA World Cup with temporary seating in place in certain areas of the venue.

Pelé Museum loses money in first year
São Paulo’s Pelé Museum had its one-year anniversary last week and has accumulated a loss of $93,370, according to an Estadão report. The report quoted Pelé: “After the World Cup, the number of visitors dropped a little, but it will get better with the Olympics.” Admission cost is $5.80, compared to the neighboring Football Museum, which charges $1.93.

For more international news, visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/global.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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