The Cleveland Browns have retained Integrated Sports International to assist with team sponsorship sales.
The company is also helping the Browns sell personal seat licenses and will look to develop other revenue streams for the club, which could include restaurants, retail establishments and in-stadium media projects.
ISI has a similar arrangement with the San Francisco 49ers, and when former 49ers boss Carmen Policy joined the Browns as president, the table was set for the team to name ISI as its sales agent — eschewing hometown neighbor International Management Group.
"There is that experience and comfort level with ISI," said Alex Martins, vice president and director of communications for the team.
The Browns already have a five-person sales staff, but with the team's inaugural kickoff fast approaching, the team needed to broaden its reach, Martins said.
Browns owner Al Lerner has announced that the team will not be seeking a naming-rights sponsor, instead leaving "Cleveland Browns Stadium" as the moniker for the team's home field. But the Browns do have extensive in-stadium inventory to sell and will structure deals that include stadium signage as well as promotional rights to the team's logo, along with print and Internet advertising.
The Browns are in the process of negotiating radio and television agreements and hope to emerge with some advertising inventory controlled by the team that could be offered to sponsors.
"It's all about helping teams grow new revenue streams," said Frank Vuono, president of ISI. "It's everything from signage to what turf goes on the field and who lights a stadium. There's no aspect that can't potentially be a revenue stream for clubs."
ISI has a similar arrangement with the Houston Astros, and the firm is in talks with several other teams, according to Vuono. He said that team and venue services is the fastest-growing division of ISI.
Martins said ISI would be paid a percentage of its sponsorship sales, but he would not detail terms of the agreement.
