BUFFALO
CFL team won’t market Bills in Toronto
There is opposition north of the border to the Buffalo Bills playing games in Toronto. The CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats will not take part in helping to market eight Bills’ games in Toronto over the next five years. The Tiger-Cats would have received 5,000 tickets for availability to their season-ticket holders for the games. Team officials cited cost as one consideration. Tickets for each game may average around $250 per seat at the Rogers Centre.
CHICAGO
Marathon gets Bank of America title
Following its acquisition of LaSalle Bank last October, Bank of America will take over title sponsorship of the Chicago Marathon, beginning with the 2008 race on Oct. 12. The move adds to the company’s extensive sports sponsorship portfolio that includes MLB, NASCAR, the NFL, PGA Tour and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.
DALLAS
Cowboys enter second sales phase
The Dallas Cowboys last week were to launch their second sales phase for seats at their new $1 billion Arlington stadium, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. Current season-ticket holders for the 15,000 seats between the goal lines at Texas Stadium had the first chance to purchase PSLs for club seats in phase one.
The price increases are from 3 percent to
10 percent, depending on seat location.
DENVER
Broncos raising ticket prices
The Denver Broncos are raising ticket prices for the seventh time since the team’s 1998 Super Bowl victory, according to a report in the Rocky Mountain News. Sideline seats in the lower bowl will jump 10 percent from $100 to $110 per game, while seats in the lower bowl plaza in the end zone also increased 10 percent, from $70 to $77, according to the report.
Rockies extend flagship TV deal
The Colorado Rockies extended their television contract with Denver TV station KTVD through the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The station will carry 24 games each year as the flagship station of the Rockies. KTVD is owned by Gannett Co. Terms weren’t announced.
Senate OKs ticket reselling bill
The Colorado Senate last week unanimously approved a bill allowing sports fans to resell their tickets. Dubbed the “Colorado Fan Act,” the bill now goes to the House for consideration. Sponsored by Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, the bill would allow a ticket holder to resell their tickets to another fan. The bill also would forbid a sports team from requiring a fan to use a particular vendor for the deal, and ensures fans receive refunds if an event is canceled or a ticket turns out to be counterfeit.
MILWAUKEE
Brewers’ ticket freebie proves popular
The Milwaukee Brewers through Feb. 1 had sold about 9,000 nine-game ticket packages that included a free home-opener ticket, causing the team to end the offer, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Now, the club is offering fans buying the package a ticket to any of the remaining 80 home games as their free seat, according to the report.
Demand at Shea is high for
Opening Day, the Yankees
series, and the final game.
NEW YORK
Mets start lottery for premium series
The New York Mets launched an online registration drawing for the opportunity to purchase tickets to Opening Day, the Subway Series and the final regular-season game at Shea Stadium. The online random drawing will be the sole means of purchasing single-game tickets for the home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies (April 8), the Subway Series games (June 27-29) and the final regular-season game (Sept. 28).
OKLAHOMA CITY
Bennett endorses Ford Center plan
Seattle SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett, while speaking at Oklahoma City University, gave a ringing endorsement to a proposed $120 million Ford Center improvement plan, according to a report in The Oklahoman. The report quoted Bennett: “We think that it is exactly what we need for the foreseeable future. … The goal is to come to Oklahoma.”
PHILADELPHIA
Global Spectrum has eyes on Singapore
Philadelphia-based Global Spectrum is part of a consortium to design, finance, build and manage the Singapore Sports Hub, the world’s largest sports and entertainment public-private partnership. The $1.25 billion project will be built on an 87-acre site on Singapore’s waterfront. The complex will include a 55,000-seat multipurpose stadium with a retractable roof; an aquatic center with Olympic and recreational pools; multipurpose halls, a hotel and retail elements.
Phillies host college media day
More than 200 students turned out for the third annual “College Media Day” hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The event is geared for students pursuing careers in sports media. ESPN baseball analyst Jayson Stark served as the keynote speaker. About 20 Philadelphia-area journalists also talked about their careers with the students.
PHOENIX
Bacardi Rum Bar opens at arena
The Phoenix Suns and US Airways Center debuted the Bacardi Rum Bar. The newly branded bar is located on the east side of the lower-level concourse. Designed with Bacardi’s trademark red and black colors, the newest addition to the arena features flat-screen TVs and seats 130 guests.
SAN DIEGO
Chargers tickets up by $8 average
San Diego Chargers’ season-ticket prices for next season at Qualcomm Stadium will range from $48-$90 per ticket, and all single-game tickets will range from $54-$98, reflecting an average increase of $8 per ticket. Season-ticket holders receive a savings of up to $110 over single-gamepurchases.
Chargers revoke 300 season tickets
The San Diego Chargers revoked the season tickets of 300 fans because of violations of the team’s code of conduct. Those who lost their tickets will not be allowed to purchase tickets through team outlets in the future. Most fans who lost their ticket rights were ejected from the stadium by police or the team’s private security firm during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
The Force 10 Hoops transaction
requires approval by the WNBA
board of governors.
High schoolers to play at Petco Park
The San Diego Padres are making Petco Park available to 10 local high school teams April 11-12, when five league games will be played over two days while the Padres are in Los Angeles. Admission is $5 each day, with revenue going to the San Diego Section of the California Interscholastic Federation. Padres players Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez and Mark Prior all played their high school ball in the section.
SEATTLE
City council wants Storm at KeyArena
The Seattle City Council is in support of the WNBA Storm keeping KeyArena as its home, according to a report in The Seattle Times. A proposed resolution requests that Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, the Seattle Center and Storm ownership group Force 10 Hoops work together to extend the team’s lease, according to the report. Force 10 Hoops purchased the team in January from Sonics owner Clay Bennett for $10 million.
ST. LOUIS
Rams hold prices level for PSL owners
The St. Louis Rams are freezing ticket prices for PSL owners after eight consecutive seasons of price increases, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Individual game tickets will go up slightly for those who aren’t PSL owners, but the team’s average ticket price will probably come in below the NFL average, according to the report.
