Louisville Arena Secures Sponsorship With Norton Healthcare
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Louisville Arena Signs Norton Healthcare
To 10-Year, $10M Sponsorship |
Louisville-based Norton Healthcare has agreed to a 10-year, $10M deal to become the "first cornerstone partner" of the city's new downtown arena, according to Michael Smith of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. As part of the deal, Norton will receive "space inside the building to place an immediate-care facility." Team Services, which represents the marketing rights for Louisville Arena Sports & Entertainment Properties, sold the deal, which is the "first of four to six cornerstone sponsorships the group intends to sell" for the arena. The facility is scheduled to open in October '10. Louisville Arena Authority (LAA) Chair Jim Host said, "You've got to do this sort of thing in this (economic) environment to make things works. Companies have money to spend, but they're not looking for the normal media buy anymore. They want marketing solutions, and this is a great example of a way that the arena can help drive business." Smith reports Norton's in-arena facility will stay open year-round and will be visible from outside. Norton also receives "signs on the interior and exterior of the building, as well as additional exposure" at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, the home of Univ. of Louisville (UL) football (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/2 issue). In Louisville, Marcus Green reports the Norton partnership will "provide $700,000 annually to help the arena authority pay off construction debt," while UL, whose basketball team will play at the arena, will receive $300,000 a year under its lease with the LAA. Host noted that "discussions are under way with three other potential cornerstone sponsors," but did not reveal whether they were also local companies. Announcements on those deals "could come in four to six weeks" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 3/2).
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