Verizon yesterday disputed a report in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, and insisted that the company "has not decided if it will try to renew its naming rights to the Verizon Center after its current deal expires" in '18, according to Will Hobson of the WASHINGTON POST. Verizon PR Manager Sandra Arnett yesterday in an e-mail wrote, "Our review of this partnership ... has not even begun, given we’re several years from the 2018 term end date" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 5/19). In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports Verizon "is not renewing as the title sponsor of the building that it and MCI have held rights to" since the building opened in '97. Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chief Revenue Officer Jim Van Stone in an e-mail wrote the company is "in the process of beginning to explore” finding a new naming-rights partner. But sources said that MSE "is in the final stages of a review to select a sales agency for a new deal." Among the finalists "are Chris Foy’s Impression Sports & Entertainment, Denver; and, intriguingly enough, a pair of ad hoc agencies created specifically for this assignment: one that sees Team Services Principal E.J. Narcise teaming with Brian Corcoran’s Shamrock Sports & Entertainment, and another that has naming-rights veteran Rob Yowell and his Gemini Sports Group joining forces with Scout Sports and Entertainment." Sources said that MSE "is hoping to get" around $7M per year and a deal of at least 10 to 15 years. Sources said that the search "will be global." However, Lefton notes there "will also be local competition." Nationals Park "has never had a corporate moniker," but sources said that the ballpark's naming-rights would carry "a hefty price" of around $10M a year. Meanwhile, DC United "also hopes to build a new stadium to open" in '17 (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/18 issue).
