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Coast to Coast

Coast to Coast

ALLENTOWN, PA.
AHL Classic set for PPL Center

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and PPL Center were selected to host the 2017 AHL All-Star Classic. The Jan. 28-30 weekend will include a Phan Fest & Tailgate Party, the AHL All-Star Skills Competition, the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, and the All-Star Game.

BALTIMORE
O’s put stamp on Passport program

The Baltimore Orioles’ popular Birdland Passport program will return for another season. All five minor league affiliates — the Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys, Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds — will participate. Fans who visit all six Orioles-affiliated ballparks will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to see the team play in 2017 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla., the club’s spring training home.

COLUMBIA, S.C.
Fireflies light up new board

The Columbia Fireflies partnered with Daktronics for LED video displays at their new home, Spirit Communications Park. The main video display in left field is more than 25 feet high by 50 feet wide. Two ribbon displays are installed along the seating fascia in the stadium to provide supplemental content. The Fireflies are a Class A affiliate of the New York Mets.

Marathon activates its sponsorship by commemorating the Blue Jackets’ 17 home-ice hat tricks.
Photo by: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
COLUMBUS
Jackets filling Hat Trick Tank

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Marathon Petroleum Co. renewed and expanded their multiyear corporate partnership. The newest component, unveiled before the end of the regular season, is the Marathon Hat Trick Tank on Nationwide Arena’s main concourse. The attraction celebrates the team’s history of three-goal performances at home with a highlight reel that runs above a tank holding all of the hats collected since Geoff Sanderson recorded the team’s first hat trick in 2001.

DAVIDSON, N.C.
Wildcats go with Learfield

Davidson College selected Learfield as its multimedia rights partner through the 2026-27 athletic season. Learfield will officially begin representing the Wildcats on July 1. Plans are in motion for the establishment of Davidson Sports Properties, Learfield’s local team that will manage the comprehensive rights including signage, digital, corporate sponsorships, television and radio play-by-play, and coaches shows.

JONESBORO, ARK.
Red Wolves sign Learfield

Learfield was selected as Arkansas State University’s exclusive multimedia rights holder for the next 10 years. Learfield will establish a local Red Wolves Sports Properties team to manage the Red Wolves’ signage, digital, corporate sponsorships, television and radio play-by-play, and coaches shows.

LOS ANGELES
Street renamed for Scully

Elysian Park Avenue near Dodger Stadium was formally renamed Vin Scully Avenue Street signs were changed ahead of a dedication ceremony last week. The Los Angeles City Council on April 8 voted in favor of the street name, finalizing a process started in January. Scully is in his 67th and final season in the broadcast booth.

MEMPHIS
Freund takes reins at Redbirds

Peter Freund is the new principal owner of the Memphis Redbirds, the Class AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals will retain a minority stake in the Redbirds. The Redbirds and the Cardinals also announced an extension to their player development contract, which now runs through the 2020 season.

NASHVILLE
Sounds building artsy golf course

The Nashville Sounds and Strategic Hospitality are expanding an area at First Tennessee Park known as The Band Box. In partnership with OZ Arts Nashville, a nine-hole miniature golf course will double as a public art showcase in right field. Each hole in the course will exhibit different local or regional artists. The new area is projected to open in July.

PHILADELPHIA
Phillies fill out menu boards

The Philadelphia Phillies and Aramark unveiled a host of new food selections that will be featured at Citizens Bank Park this season. An Amish Turkey Burger will be among the new menu items at Harry the K’s restaurant. Other new items include a Korean fried pork belly sandwich created by Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods” program. New food vendors include Rita’s and Chick-fil-A.

Soul dials in The Fanatic
The AFL Philadelphia Soul signed a radio deal with 97.5 The Fanatic, which will provide live broadcasts of all remaining games this season. Game broadcasts will include discussions with special guests including Soul owners Ron Jaworski, Dick Vermeil, Marques Colston and Jahri Evans along with other current and former NFL stars. Last season, The Fanatic aired Soul playoff games.

PHOENIX
D-Backs favor city over county

The Arizona Diamondbacks want the city of Phoenix to replace Maricopa County as Chase Field’s landlord, according to an Arizona Republic report. Team President and CEO Derrick Hall confirmed that a swap would give the team, currently at odds with the county over stadium enhancements, an opportunity to have the ballpark renovated or to get a new facility by taking advantage of the city’s municipal bonding authority.

D-Backs top index for 10th year
The Diamondbacks have the lowest fan cost index ($132.10) in Major League Baseball for the 10th consecutive season, according to Team Marketing Report. The D-Backs finished almost $88 below the industry average of $219.53. The fan cost index is composed of four average tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking for one car and two adult-sized hats.

STOCKTON, CALIF.
A’s, Ports extend PDC

The Oakland Athletics and Stockton Ports extended their player development contract through the 2020 season. This year is the 12th year of the affiliation.


      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS


BERLIN
Team setting merchandise record

Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin is anticipating a new revenue record from merchandise during the 2016-17 season, according to a Sponsors report. Hertha finance director Ingo Schiller expects merchandise revenue of around $4.6 million, a 20 percent increase over last season.

CATANIA, ITALY
Vergara may buy Catania

Jorge Vergara, owner of Liga MX side Chivas Guadalajara, is considering buying former Italian Serie A club Calcio Catania as a way to helping Mexican players improve their skills in Europe, according to a Reuters report. Catania, relegated from Serie A in 2014, was demoted to the third tier the following year for match-fixing.

PARIS
Euro 2016 upgrades ticket tech

Nanotech Security Corp. was selected to provide authentication and brand-protection technology for tickets to the UEFA Euro 2016 Football Championship, the finals of which take place at Stade de France on July 10. Nanotech’s KolourOptik technology was chosen because of its intense high-definition, full-color imaging capabilities and anti-counterfeiting security features.

SUVA, FIJI
Telecom sponsoring Olympic team

Vodafone Fiji announced gold sponsorship of the Team Fiji contingent going to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The partnership with the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee earned Vodafone the official tag of Gold Sponsor Team Fiji.


TOKYO
2020 logo finalists revealed

Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers unveiled four replacement logos after the original design was scrapped in September amid accusations of plagiarism, according to a Japan Times report. The logo selection committee, which will present the winner on April 25, chose the four candidates from almost 15,000 entries.

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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