Madison Square Garden Co. and Forest City Ratner, the two largest developers competing to rebuild the Nassau Coliseum, “have begun running television and print ads in what experts called an effort to convince local residents and public officials that their projects can finally revitalize the property,” according to Robert Brodsky of NEWSDAY. The ads “began earlier this month.” MSG's 30-second commercial “focuses" on its $250M proposal to "renovate the arena with 14,500 seats and construct Long IslandLive!, an entertainment complex that would include restaurants, clubs and sports bars.” The video “features renderings of the project and highlights the plan's potential to create jobs and boost revenue for Nassau County.” Forest City Ratner Chair & CEO Bruce Ratner’s video for his $229M proposal “begins with the words ‘Nassau Like Never Before’ and a rendering of a renovated 13,000-seat Coliseum.” The ad also “shows video clips of potential attractions.” Ithaca College sports management professor Stephen Mosher said Ratner is "attempting to appeal to a younger, more transient demographic," while MSG "is attempting to engage the residents of Nassau County who actually live there and have their roots there.” NYU Tisch Center sports management professor Lee Igel said both companies "are trying to appeal to the people who will buy tickets and to those in politics and government that will ultimately pull the lever here." Long Island-based Blumenfeld Development Group and New York Sports LLC, the other two Coliseum bidders, “have not run any ads promoting their plans.” MSG and Ratner “declined to disclose details about their television ad buys.” MSG and Ratner in addition to the TV ads “are running full-page ads in Newsday.” MSG also has “launched a website devoted to its proposal.” The Ratner team “has not created a website focused on its Coliseum plan” (NEWSDAY, 5/28).
