The Celtics and Arbella Insurance announced that the Boston-based company will be the presenting sponsor of the team’s playoff run for the second consecutive season. A co-branded Celtics-Arbella logo will appear throughout the team's marketing promotions before and during the playoffs. Arbella also will be featured on team broadcast partners Comcast SportsNet New England and Sports Radio WEEI-AM (Celtics).
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Makita Industrial Power Tools yesterday announced a deal making it the official power tool of X Games competitor and Metal Mulisha founder Brian Deegan. The three-year personal services agreement makes Makita an associate sponsor of the trucks Deegan drives in the Lucas Oil series, the rally car he will drive in the X Games and his freestyle motocross bike. The parties are in discussions around a tool partnership between Makita and Metal Mulisha, too. The deal was brokered by the California-based agency Connexions Sports & Entertainment (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).
SCORE UPDATE: In Detroit, Dale Buss notes Michigan-based technology company iDashboards has "introduced an NCAA tournament computer 'dashboard' that will bring scores, statistics and other game data to the desktop screen of visitors” to a company website. iDashboards CEO Shadan Malik said the company, not an NCAA partner, is “very careful" about how it refers to the tournament. Last year, it "cleaned up" a graphic that the NCAA questioned (DETROIT NEWS, 3/17).
ON THE HOT MARKET: In N.Y., Garett Sloane profiles Massachusetts-based tech start-up StarStreet, which allows basketball fans to "invest" in virtual athletes and "rack up profits or losses based on other investor interest" in the athletes. StarStreet co-Founder Jeremy Levine said, "It's a digital version of sports cards with a market attached. It's a lot like trading with ETrade except you're trading players.” StarStreet said that in the past seven days, Knicks F Carmelo Anthony’s “value has soared 20 percent to $3.39 a share.” The firm is planning an Initial Player Offering of Yankee SS Derek Jeter today (N.Y. POST, 3/17).
I GOT SOUL: Soldier Field spokesperson Lucca Serra said that “legal documents are being drawn up for a deal with EA Sports that would give the company the right to include" the Bears' stadium in its "Madden NFL 12" video game. In the past, Soldier Field had been referred to as “Chicago Stadium” in Madden games. The facility is “expected to receive a minimal stipend to cover legal fees” (CHICAGOBREAKINGSPORTS.com, 3/14).
