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Coast to Coast

Coast to Coast

ARLINGTON, VA.
Kettler stays with Caps

Kettler will continue its naming-rights sponsorship of the Washington Capitals’ training facility, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Kettler becomes the official apartment management company of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The 137,000-square-foot facility in Arlington, Va., opened in 2006.

ATLANTA
Tickets buzzing for Yellow Jackets

On the heels of a historic season, the Georgia Tech football program is enjoying an increase in season-ticket sales, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report. Season-ticket sales are up 12 percent, and the school is projecting more than 33,500 orders. Georgia Tech also sold all of its premium inventory, including club seats and suites, for the first time.

Rendering: ATLANTA FALCONS
Falcons’ stadium deal for 27 years
The Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes-Benz announced details of the naming-rights deal for the team’s new stadium, and sources said that the agreement is worth $12 million annually. Team owner Arthur Blank and Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Steve Cannon revealed the deal is for 27 years.

BALTIMORE
Constellation expands with Ravens

Constellation renewed its sponsorship deal with the Baltimore Ravens, taking naming rights of the previously unsponsored suite levels at M&T Bank Stadium. Under the multiyear deal, Baltimore-based Constellation, which has been a Ravens sponsor for eight years, gets 80 pillar signs on the suite levels and signage on M&T Bank Stadium’s two 50-yard-line down-and-distance boards.

BUFFALO
Bills surpass 60,000 season tickets

The Buffalo Bills announced that season ticket members have bought 60,102 season tickets for the 2015 season. To mark the team’s milestone, the Bills launched a website — BuffaloBills.com/60K — to recognize each account holder. Fans will be able to share the 60K graphic via social media from the site.

CHARLOTTE
Track honoring Jeff Gordon

Charlotte Motor Speedway is paying tribute to retiring NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon with a 24-day campaign leading up to the track’s fall race, according to a Charlotte Observer report. The campaign, called “Jeff’s Last Ride,” will include daily videos posted to JeffsLastRide.com and partnerships with businesses across the region.

COLUMBUS
Jackets welcome Homeside Financial

Homeside Financial is joining the Columbus Blue Jackets roster and will sponsor an in-game promotion in which fans can win the chance to have their mortgage paid for one month or one year. The program also encompasses promotion across the hockey club’s in-arena, broadcast and digital media platforms.

LAS VEGAS
UFC sponsoring Rio qualifier

USA Wrestling announced the UFC as an official sponsor of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships running Sept. 7-12 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Governed by United World Wrestling, it is the first qualifier of the 2016 Rio Olympics. More than 800 athletes are expected to compete in three Olympic disciplines: Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle.

Men Who Speak Up names tourney
Bayer HealthCare announced a deal with Coaches vs. Cancer that makes the company’s prostate cancer educational effort, Men Who Speak Up, title sponsor of an early-season men’s college basketball tournament in Las Vegas. The Men Who Speak Up Main Event will benefit the Movember men’s health initiative.

LOS ANGELES
Dodgers name Accelerator firms

The Los Angeles Dodgers and R/GA Ventures named 10 companies to be part of their Accelerator program. Each company will receive $120,000 in funding and workspace. They are Appetitze, a point-of-sale system for live events; Doorstat, a technology solution for understanding customer behavior; FieldLevel, a social network for recruiting; FocusMotion, wearable technology analysis; Kinduct, health and fitness software; LeagueApps, software platform for local sports organizers; ProDay, a mobile training app for pro athletes; SidePrize, fantasy sports; Swish Analytics, daily fantasy sports; and Yezno, polling and debating for sports fans.

UCLA rolls out Bruin InstanTix
UCLA Athletics, through a partnership with ReplyBuy, started Bruin InstanTix, a way for fans to instantly buy tickets with text messages. Fans who register for the program will receive customized notifications when UCLA tickets become available and can buy tickets in a matter of seconds.

Sharapova plans exhibition at UCLA
Maria Sharapova is launching a new tennis exhibition that will take place Dec. 12-13 at the UCLA Tennis Center and include men’s, women’s and legends singles events, as well as mixed doubles and celebrity doubles matches. Porsche will serve as presenting sponsor of the event, called Maria Sharapova & Friends. It will air on Tennis Channel.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Vikings owners buy land

The Wilf family, which owns the Minnesota Vikings, signed a surprise purchase agreement for 185 acres in Eagan, Minn., that once served as Northwest Airlines’ headquarters, according to a Star Tribune report. The team could build new practice and corporate facilities and move from its home in Eden Prairie, Minn.

OAKLAND
Developer refines stadium plan

San Diego developer Floyd Kephart submitted a refined plan for the Coliseum City development amid growing doubt that he can keep the Raiders from leaving Oakland, according to an Oakland Tribune report. Kephart’s confidential filing must include a proposal for financing the construction of an estimated $900 million stadium.

PHILADELPHIA

The Temple Owls continue to roost at the Linc while considering on-campus options.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
Owls staying at Eagles’ home
The Temple University football team will continue to play its home games at Lincoln Financial Field through 2019 after a two-year contract extension was negotiated between the Philadelphia school and the NFL Eagles. Temple is considering building a new football stadium on its campus in North Philadelphia, but space and cost factors pose potential obstacles.

Eagles, Aramark add 7 years

The Eagles and Aramark, the team’s food and beverage provider, are extending their partnership at Lincoln Financial Field for an additional seven years. Aramark has been an Eagles partner since 2005. Aramark will continue to oversee and manage the concessions, club levels, suites and restaurant dining areas at the stadium.

Flyers aim to Play Boldly
The Philadelphia Flyers launched a new campaign and visual identity for the 2015-16 season, centered on the theme Play Boldly. The campaign is defined by a new design feature, coupled with the approach of new coach Dave Hakstol and team general manager Ron Hextall.

Union to operate new USL team
The MLS Philadelphia Union plans to own and operate a United Soccer League team in Bethlehem, Pa., starting in the league’s 2016 season. The USL team will play at 16,000-seat Goodman Stadium on the campus of Lehigh University. Its name, crest and colors will be announced at a later date pending the outcome of a fan vote.

Union, Allstate plan anti-bullying effort
The Philadelphia Union Foundation and the Allstate Foundation have teamed up to form a partnership focused on anti-bullying. The Allstate Foundation donated $20,000 to the Philadelphia Union Foundation to help install a three-part plan that consists of a school refurbishment, equipment donations and a professional speaker series.

Soul adds Vermeil, Evans to group
The AFL Philadelphia Soul added Dick Vermeil and Jahri Evans, both of whom have strong Philadelphia ties, to its ownership group. Vermeil is the former coach of the Eagles. Evans is a Philadelphia native and offensive guard for the New Orleans Saints.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.
Heat, Skyforce extend affiliation

The Miami Heat extended a single affiliation partnership with the NBA D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce through the 2016-17 season. The Heat will continue to be the only NBA team affiliated with the Skyforce. Miami is one of 18 NBA teams to have a one-on-one partnership with a D-League team.

WINGATE, N.C.
ESPN3 to stream Wingate sports

Wingate University signed an agreement with ESPN3 that will deliver live national coverage of 28 home sporting events, starting in the fall of 2015. The deal — a first for exclusive national streaming rights for a Division II school — will begin with Wingate volleyball’s exhibition match against the Italian junior national team on Wednesday at Cuddy Arena.


      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS


GRACIE
DE SILVESTRO
BATHURST, AUSTRALIA
Women pair for endurance race
Swiss driver Simona De Silvestro will team up with Australian Renee Gracie in an all-female team for this year’s Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercars endurance race, according to an Australian Associated Press report. De Silvestro will join Gracie in the first all-women pairing to tackle Mount Panorama since Melinda Price and Kerryn Brewer in 1998.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND
West Brom signs fantasy partner
Irish app developer Sportego will be the first official fantasy partner of West Bromwich Albion in an initial one-year partnership. West Brom supporters will receive a tailor-made version of the app, WBA Fantasy 5, a fantasy football game based around the team’s fixtures.

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY
Schalke signs second airline
Bundesliga side Schalke agreed to a new partnership with Turkish Airlines, according to a Sponsors report. The deal with the airline will run until the end of the 2016-17 season. Schalke also will retain current airline partner Condor. The new partnership was brokered by Ufa Sports.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
Commonwealth Games signs Jupiters
Echo Entertainment’s Gold Coast property, Jupiters Hotel and Casino, signed on last week as the first official partner of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, according to a Brisbane Times report. The size of the sponsorship deal was not disclosed.

KINGSTON PARK, ENGLAND
Falcons retain Fairstone
Fairstone Financial Management will continue as an official partner of the Newcastle Falcons for two more seasons. Fairstone, the U.K.’s largest chartered financial planning firm, has been the rugby team’s main sponsor since 2013. The Fairstone brand will be displayed on the new home and away shirts.

MANCHESTER
Man U bets on Donaco
Manchester United reached a partnership with Asian casino resort company Donaco International. The agreement will see the two organizations work together to connect with the club’s 325 million fans across Asia through the use of exclusive club content and branding.

NORWICH, ENGLAND
Aviva expands role with team
Insurance company Aviva, a main sponsor of Norwich City for the past eight years, will become a community partner in a three-year deal starting with the 2016-17 season. Aviva will support community-focused activity throughout the region and remain a sponsor of the Community Stand.

RIO DE JANEIRO
Olympic budget rises to $11 billion
Brazil raised the official budget for the Rio 2016 Olympics by 70 million reais to 38.67 billion reais ($11 billion), according to a report in The Statesman. Brazil’s Olympic Public Authority said that the increase was made because of additional costs associated with Olympic venues.

Samsung rounds out trio of La Liga partners

    Samsung Spain will be a new official sponsor for La Liga’s 2015-16 season. The sponsorship agreement includes promoting the Samsung brand in competitions and setups of La Liga at football stadiums, digital environments, social networks, mobile applications and TV broadcasts.
    Samsung Spain’s new role as an official sponsor of La Liga is part of the strategic focus of the company. The deal is the third major sponsorship deal the Spanish league has announced recently, following agreements with Japanese automaker Mazda and technology company Worten.


Sailing exec threatens move
The head of sailing’s governing body threatened to move all Olympic sailing events out of polluted Guanabara Bay unless the water is cleaner and floating rubbish is removed, according to an Associated Press report. The report quoted ISAF Chief Executive Peter Sowrey: “If we can’t get the water to a level, then we’ll move it outside (to the Atlantic Ocean) — for sure.”

SHANGHAI
Pac-12 tickets on sale
The Pac-12 Conference said that tickets to the first Pac-12 China Game are now on sale to the public. The Nov. 14 basketball game will feature Washington-Texas at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena, an AEG-operated venue.

SINGAPORE
Airline sticks with Formula One
Singapore Airlines is extending the title sponsorship of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix for another two years, according to a Channel News Asia report. The airline was first announced as the title sponsor in 2014 when it signed a two-year contract, taking over from SingTel.

TOKYO
$1.3B cost ceiling sought
Japanese government sources said that it is seeking to keep construction costs of the new National Stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics below 160 billion yen ($1.3 billion), according to a Kyodo report. The envisioned ceiling, which was due to be decided by this week, is still higher than the initially estimated cost of 130 billion yen for the main stadium, reflecting rising material prices and personnel costs.

Postal services partner signed
The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee appointed Japan Post Holdings as the Games’ official postal services partner. Japan Post Holdings will become the 18th partner of the organizing committee. Tokyo 2020 now has 13 Gold Partners, the top domestic tier of the sponsorship program, and five official partners, the second tier.

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

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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