| • | NFL Owners Say More Time Needed To Formulate Labor Plan |
| • | NFL Set To Announce '09 Opening-Weekend Primetime Games |
| • | Cartoon Network, NBA Partnering On Hoops-Themed Content |
| • | Audi Agrees To Sponsor Yankees As Team's Official Luxury Car |
NFL OWNERS NOT YET READY TO OFFER NFLPA PROPOSAL FOR NEW LABOR DEAL
By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
 |
Irsay Says NFL Owners Need More
Time To Work On CBA Proposal |
Colts Owner
Jim Irsay indicated to reporters at the NFL owners meetings today that the owners needed more dialogue with the NFLPA before putting forward a proposal for a new labor deal. Irsay, responding to a question about how much labor planning will be accomplished at the meetings that began today at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, California, said, "Well, I think there will be discussion as there has been discussion, but you know, at this point, I think it is hard to say how much actual planning will go on."
“We probably, obviously, have to have a little more dialogue and really have to have more substantive things to talk about before we can actually plan that sort of thing,” Irsay said after Commissioner Roger Goodell’s opening address to owners and staff. “That is something that is on the horizon, but I don’t know how much literal planning we’ll do. There has been a lot of that done so far. I think at this point it’s really having communication start going back and forth so we can get some information that we can take in and start moving in a direction for a future.”
Texans Owner Bob McNair, asked if the NFL was waiting on the NFLPA electing a new Exec Dir before making a labor proposal, said “The commissioner is going to speak to the labor matters, so I am not going to speak to that. But certainly everyone has been waiting on that.” DC-based attorney DeMaurice Smith was elected NFLPA Executive Director about a week ago.
NFL ANNOUNCES OPENING-WEEKEND PRIMETIME GAMES FOR '09 SEASON
The NFL today announced its opening-weekend primetime and Thanksgiving Day games for the '09 season. The season will begin with the Steelers hosting the Titans on opening night, Thursday, September 10 on NBC. In its 40th season, "MNF" will debut with Bills-Patriots and Chargers-Raiders on September 14 (NFL). The Titans-Steelers matchup makes the "long-awaited Dallas stadium-opener possible in Week 2, not Week 1" (SI.com, 3/23).
| '09 NFL Kickoff Weekend National Primetime and Thanksgiving Day Games |
| DATE | DAY | GAME | NET | START |
| 9/10 | Thurs. | Titans-Steelers | NBC | 8:30pm |
| 9/13 | Sun. | Bears-Packers | NBC | 8:30pm |
| 9/14 | Mon. | Bills-Patriots | ESPN | 7:00pm |
| 9/14 | Mon. | Chargers-Raiders | ESPN | 10:15pm |
| 11/26 | Thurs. | Packers-Lions | Fox | 12:30pm |
| 11/26 | Thurs. | Raiders-Cowboys | CBS | 4:15pm |
| 11/26 | Thurs. | Giants-Broncos | NFLN | 8:20pm |
CARTOON NETWORK, NBA PARTNERING TO DEVELOP BASKETBALL-THEMED CONTENT
Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoon Network is partnering with the NBA to develop long- and short-form basketball-themed content across multiple platforms, including online, mobile, VOD and on-air. In the fall, Cartoon Network will debut “My Dad’s a Pro,” a short-form series that follows children of NBA players, to coincide with the start of the ‘09-10 season. The network also has plans to launch a basketball section on its Web site (Turner Broadcasting).
AUDI INKS DEAL TO BECOME OFFICIAL LUXURY CAR OF YANKEES
Audi today announced that it has signed a multi-year deal to become the Yankees’ official luxury vehicle. Per the deal, Audi will receive entitlement to the Audi Yankees Club located on H&R Block Suite Level in Yankee Stadium. The Audi logo will be featured on the club’s glass doors and be prominently displayed on the exterior façade of the suite level. The deal begins this season and runs through ’11 (Audi).
Meanwhile, the Yankees today announced that 70% of the concession areas in Yankee Stadium will have cooking capability, five times the 14% that existed in the original Yankee Stadium (Yankees).
RAZORGATOR FORMALLY NAMES ROSS AS NEW CEO, REPLACING LAPIN
RazorGator today announced that it has named Ross Asset Advisors founder Brendan Ross as its new CEO, replacing Jeff Lapin. Ross, a former Ticketmaster exec, is expected to spend the $17M in venture capital RazorGator raised this year on "expansion and improvements to the company's systems and marketing." Details of Lapin's departure were not disclosed, but the "abruptness of his leaving would appear to suggest that he was forced out" (TICKETNEWS.com, 3/23).
CANADIENS CONFIRM GEORGE GILLETT IS CONSIDERING SALE OF NHL TEAM
The Canadiens today confirmed earlier reports that Owner George Gillett may look to sell the NHL franchise. Canadiens President Pierre Boivin said in a statement, "The Gillett Family has retained the services of financial advisors in order to assess various strategic alternatives to optimize the value of its corporate assets." Those assets include 80.1% of the Canadiens and Bell Centre, 50% of EPL club Liverpool and Richard Petty Motorsports (ESPN.com, 3/23).
DC MAYOR SUGGESTS MERGING DCSEC WITH CONVENTION CENTER AUTHORITY
DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's latest budget proposal calls for the Washington Convention Center Authority to absorb the DC Sports & Entertainment Commission (DCSEC). Fenty's proposed '10 budget "calls for the elimination of all public subsidy" for the DCSEC and "suggests the commission and convention center authority would merge operations to form a single organization charged with managing and promoting" of DC's public event space (WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 3/23).
TVN ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH ZUFFA ON UFC ON DEMAND NETWORK
 |
TVN Entertainment Partnering With
Zuffa For UFC On Demand Network |
On-Demand provider TVN Entertainment today announced it has agreed to partner with Zuffa LLC on the UFC On Demand network. TVN is handling sales, licensing and distribution deals for the net, which is already available in about 6 million homes. Affiliate deals currently in the works likely will bring distribution to a total of about 15 million homes over the coming months (
TVN).
The three-tiered channel will deliver about 20 hours of content per month and will offer "both unlimited free and transactional-based content" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 3/23).
LOUISVILLE ARENA AUTHORITY FORCED TO DIP INTO CONTINGENCY FUND
The Louisville Arena Authority today revealed that “unexpected building foundations, railroad ties and trestles, boulders and concrete slab” at the site of the proposed downtown arena has added $4.8M in addition construction costs. The $4.8M figure includes overtime for workers “who had to labor extra hours to get the project back on schedule.” The costs have reduced the “arena’s contingency fund to $6.5[M] from its original $11.3[M]” (COURIER-JOURNAL.com, 3/23).
BUZZER BEATERS….
Under a deal announced today, Massachusetts State Lottery will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Celtics' playoff run for a second consecutive season. The platform will again fully integrate the lottery into all facets of the Celtics' playoff experience (
Celtics).
Under Armour today announced that Senior VP/Business Development Bill Kraus has resigned and plans to start his own sports marketing company (Under Armour).
Vancouver's MLS expansion franchise today announced it has sold out the first wave of 5,000 season-ticket deposits of $50 for the team, which is scheduled to begin play in '11 (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Scottrade today announced that it has inked a deal to sponsor the '09 Sony Ericsson Open as the tennis tournament's official online broker. The combined event will be held March 25-April 5 in Miami (Scottrade).
Ocean Downs Racetrack in Berlin, Maryland, and the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association have signed a deal ensuring that the track will host 40 nights of live racing annually for the next three years. The track's '09 meet runs June 13-August 23 (Ocean Downs).
Ecco has launched a multi-platform ad campaign to promote its new line of BIOM running shoes, which will hit retail this month in seven countries (Ecco).
QUICK HITS….
“Despite the crisis, we will have to finance those volumes which were planned. These clauses in the budget are secure (from cuts)” – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, on concerns that the economic crisis could negatively impact public funding for the ‘14 Sochi Olympics (REUTERS, 3/23).
“Maybe the Coyotes had a hugely successful ticket promotion at the morgue” – The VANCOUVER SUN’s Iain MacIntyre, on the announced sellout for Saturday's Canucks-Coyotes game having “at least 5,000 empty seats” (VANCOUVER SUN, 3/23).
“I’m not out there to be No. 1. We all know who No. 1 is and forever will be. … I go out there to win races, to be No. 1 on the race track. That’s where I feel like I win” – NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, on his marketability compared to Dale Earnhardt Jr. (THATSRACIN.com, 3/22).
THE DAILY'S HOT READS….
The L.A. TIMES' Meg James writes of Fox Networks Group Chair & CEO Tony Vinciquerra assuming control of all News Corp. TV networks, "Known for keeping a low profile, the onetime television ad salesman won the nod after proving himself a shrewd deal maker" (L.A. TIMES).
The TORONTO STAR's Damien Cox writes Russia is "supplying fewer and fewer players to the NHL these days. … At the same time, however, Mother Russia's athletes have never soared on North American rinks in quite the style they do now" (TORONTO STAR).
Also:
See the Hot Reads section for more sports business-related links.
TONIGHT'S EVENTS….
The Knicks will honor past players at halftime of their game against the Magic at MSG. The team will name its greatest players of each decade – Carl Braun ('40s), Richie Guerin ('50s), Willis Reed ('60s), Walt Frazier ('70s), Bernard King (80s) and Patrick Ewing ('90s) – as part of an initiative by President Donnie Walsh to celebrate the legacy of the franchise.
DAILY DOWNLOAD….
This slideshow supplements a N.Y. Times Magazine article on Allonzo Trier, an AAU basketball star. At age 13, Trier is already being groomed for a career in pro basketball.
CHANNEL SURF….
Charles Barkley during Golf Channel’s “The Haney Project,” which airs at 9:00pm ET, will reveal a “hit list” of friends who have upset him by making fun of his golf swing. The list includes Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and WIP-AM’s Howard Eskin.
HEADLINERS….
Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
| “Late Show” | Hugh Laurie |
| “Tonight Show” | Simon Cowell |
| “Late Late Show” | Paul Rudd |
| “Late Night” | Regis Philbin |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Calista Flockhart (r) |
DAILY DIGIT….
70 – Approximate percentage of NBA players who have at least one tattoo (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 3/23).
NOTES & QUOTES FROM THIS DAY IN SBD HISTORY….
2006
Allstate inks a four-year agreement with Fox and the Sugar Bowl Committee to title sponsor the annual college football game.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
pbounds@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
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