Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment as of today has rebranded as Vinik Sports Group, which will now have "three separate divisions" and "will continue to be led" by Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK, according to Mark J. Burns in this week's SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL. VSG Live will "sell live entertainment for Amalie Arena, home of the Lightning, along with Yuengling Center" on the USF campus. VSG also is contracted with WWE to "sell tickets to WrestleMania 36 at Raymond James Stadium on April 5." VSG Commercial sales will "sell sponsorships across its entire portfolio" and will monetize the Vinik-backed OTT platform The Identity, which has "local lifestyle and sports content." VSG Facilities includes the "overall management of the two venues in addition to the Embarc Collective, a new entrepreneurship hub in Tampa." Lightning CEO STEVE GRIGGS will "operate as the CEO for the new enterprise" (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/24 issue). Griggs said that the Lightning will "always be at the core of Vinik's sports and entertainment portfolio." In Tampa, Ashley Gurbal Kritzer writes after a decade-long transformation, the Lightning "can make a compelling case for exporting their expertise." Griggs: "The Vinik brand is not just a local or regional name in sports; it's become a national name, and his name is synonymous with being world class" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/24).
PRICE REDUCTION: In Tampa, Diana Nearhos noted the Lightning's concession prices at Amalie Arena are "going down." More than 300 items, including alcoholic beverages, will be "reduced by an average" of about 15%. The team "cited specific examples of reductions like a large popcorn going down" by 26%, bottled water by 25% and bottled Pepsi by 21% (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/21).
