ATLANTA
Braves plan zip line, concerts
The Atlanta Braves are working on a zip line as the latest new attraction for SunTrust Park. The zip line would most likely be behind the ballpark’s video board and take people from one side of the concourse to the other. Also, the club confirmed the new ballpark will host stand-alone concerts, which would be separate from the Atlanta Braves Summer Concert Series.
ATC, MarathonFoto renew deal
Iconic Group’s MarathonFoto renewed its partnership with Atlanta Track Club. The partnership began in 1984 and includes the AJC Peachtree Road Race and other premier Atlanta Track Club events.
BUFFALO
Sabres ticket prices going up
Buffalo Sabres season-ticket prices are going up next season, with an increase of about 4 percent across the board, according to a Buffalo News report. Prices at First Niagara Center next season will range from $29 to $116 a game.
DALLAS
Final Four logo revealed
The 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four logo was introduced during an event at AT&T Plaza before the Dallas Regional semifinal games being played at American Airlines Center. Dallas will host the Women’s Final Four for the first time, with the national semifinal games set for March 31 and the national championship game April 2.
HOUSTON
Foodies to vote on Astros concessions
At Thursday’s Astros Foodies ballpark event, members of the media and select fans will vote on special concession items to be featured during the team’s first home series. They will also have the opportunity to sample featured items from Aramark’s 2016 Concessions Showcase menu.
LANCASTER, PA.
PNC titling War of the Roses series
PNC Bank is the new title sponsor for the 10th season of the War of the Roses series between the Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution. The 20-game series will feature an even split of 10 games played at each club’s home ballpark. The teams partnered with Skye Design Studios to develop the series identity. Opening day for the series is May 16 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
MIAMI
Beckham group buys land
David Beckham and his investors bought private land needed for a new MLS stadium in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, according to a Miami Herald report. The purchase gives the Beckham partnership ownership of about two-thirds of the 9-acre stadium site.
UFC’s first Florida gym opening
UFC Gym will open its first signature gym in Florida later this summer in nearby Kendall. The 30,000-square-foot facility will feature a 24-foot Octagon, strength training and cardio machines, battle ropes, agility ladders, bag room and a Brazilian jiujitsu studio. UFC Gym has opened more than 135 locations around the world since 2009.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
StubHub signs with NASL team
Minnesota United FC is partnering with StubHub to be the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace for the club. StubHub will provide integrated ticket barcoding through its partnership with Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement for the 2016 NASL season.
NEW YORK
Mayor to sign smokeless law
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed that in the next two weeks he would approve a City Council proposal banning smokeless tobacco at sports venues. De Blasio’s comments came during an appearance on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” on March 27.
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The Wells Fargo Center last held men’s tourney games in 2013.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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PHILADELPHIA
Tourney games’ impact: $18.2M
The Philadelphia Sports Congress said having the Wells Fargo Center host NCAA men’s basketball tournament games March 25 and 27 generated an economic impact of about $18.2 million. The games generated nearly 10,000 hotel room nights and attracted more than 17,000 visitors to the city.
Sixers sign HVAC partner
The Philadelphia 76ers formed a corporate partnership with Tozour Energy Systems, an HVAC and building automation provider based in King of Prussia, Pa. Tozour will be installing rooftop equipment and a building automation system for the Sixers’ $82 million, 125,000-square-foot training complex under construction in Camden, N.J.
PHOENIX
Suns, Mercury open health clinic
The Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Iasis Healthcare opened their Multi Specialty Clinic, which will provide downtown residents and employees with a comprehensive health care option. The 28,000-square-foot clinic is inside what was formerly the Phoenix Suns Athletic Club. It is the cornerstone of a partnership between Iasis Healthcare and the Suns and Mercury.
PITTSBURGH
Pirates rebrand outdoor pub space
The Pittsburgh Pirates are upgrading one of the newest areas of PNC Park, converting the Corner Bar into the Block House Corner. Block House Brewing is a local craft brew owned by Pirates partner Pittsburgh Brewing Co. The outdoor space at the base of the left field rotunda is an extension of the I.C. Light Left Field Landing.
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This rendering shows the massive scoring tower, giving all fans a leaderboard view.
Rendering: SONOMA RACEWAY
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SONOMA, CALIF.
Raceway fans get clearer updates
Sonoma Raceway is upgrading its spectator experience with more than 5,000 square feet of Panasonic LED digital signage. The track will replace its outdated lap/leaderboard, which has stood above Turn 1 of the road course since 1994, with an 85-foot-tall, four-sided LED scoring tower. The new pylon will provide real-time running order for up to 20 positions, dynamic race-related graphics and fan information.
COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA
Suns sign new official partners
Australian Football League side Gold Coast Suns signed a slew of official partners ahead of the 2016 season. Chempro Chemists, Australasian Retail Projects and Zarraffa’s Coffee all joined the club as official partners for the first time, while McDonald’s Gold Coast extended its partnership to a sixth year.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND
Reds keep Carlsberg on tap
Liverpool FC and beer brand Carlsberg extended their relationship by three years. The club’s longest standing partnership will see Carlsberg remain its official beer until the end of the 2018-19 season. Carlsberg has pouring rights at Anfield, pitchside LED signage and access to players and hospitality packages.
LONDON
West Ham adds capacity
West Ham United FC increased the match-day capacity at the former Olympic Stadium from 54,000 to 60,000 in response to spectator demand, according to a (London) Independent report. The club is due to leave Upton Park at the end of this season and will play at the stadium in Stratford from the start of the 2016-17 season.
Johnstone’s awards final trophy
One of English football’s longest running sponsorship agreements came to an end April 3 with Johnstone’s Paint concluding its 10-year partnership of the Football League Trophy after the 2015-16 final between Barnsley and Oxford United at Wembley Stadium. During the last decade, more than 2.2 million people have attended matches in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, the cup competition for clubs from League One and Two.
SYDNEY
Stadium cost threatens strategy
The cost of a new stadium next to the Sydney Cricket Ground has risen to almost $900 million, 50 percent more than previously made public, according to a report in The Australian. The cost threatens to derail the New South Wales government’s stadium strategy, which includes building a stadium at Parramatta and refurbishing the former Olympic stadium at Homebush Bay, now known as ANZ Stadium.
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