Another round of
birthday tickets are on
the house for Orioles
fans at Camden Yards.
BALTIMORE
O’s doing ‘free birthdays’ again
The Baltimore Orioles are bringing back their Come Free for Your Birthday promotion, presented this year by Carvel. More than 45,000 fans participated last year. All fans who register on the team Web site will receive a voucher good for one complimentary ticket to any non-prime game in their birthday month. Fans with offseason birthdays will receive a voucher to either an April or September game.
BOSTON
‘Home Court’ back for Celtics
The Boston Celtics and RE/MAX of New England launched the RE/MAX of New England Home Court Program for 2010. Now in its fifth year, the program awards three Celtics fans with a home basketball court and driveway renovation. Each winner will also receive a Celtics-themed bedroom makeover.
CHARLOTTE
NASCAR hall signs sponsor
NASCAR Automotive Group has signed as a sponsor of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, with plans to incorporate brands such a Goodyear, Mobil 1 and Raybestos into exhibits. The group committed to a three-year deal with two one-year options. Initial rates for the sponsorship are in the $500,000 to $750,000 range annually.
DALLAS
Stars drop premium-seat prices
The Dallas Stars plan to lower prices on full-season tickets for 5,267 seats in the best sections at American Airlines Center next season, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. The StarsClub Premium section, a lower level between the blue lines, will see a 28 percent reduction, from $139 to $99 a game, according to the report.
HOUSTON
City picked for Olympic trials
The city of Houston and Harris County plan to invest $1.7 million to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the men’s and women’s marathon. USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee selected Houston from among a group of candidates that also included Boston and New York.
Sports group joins stadium talks
The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority agreed to talk to city and county officials about its possible involvement in a stadium for the MLS Houston Dynamo, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle. The authority will form a task force to determine its response to an invitation from the city and county to take “a limited administrative role,” according to the report.
JACKSONVILLE
Jags promote 30/30 ticket plan
Team Teal, the group aimed at building support for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is in the midst of a monthlong promotion to tout the team’s 30/30 ticket plan. Fans can lock in the 2010 price for three seasons and allow payments for 30 games to be paid over 30 months with no interest and no deposit.
LAS VEGAS
StubHub in with Mayweather-Mosley
StubHub has signed a deal to become a presenting sponsor and the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace of the May 1 welterweight title bout between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley. StubHub’s assets in the deal will include ring signage, broadcast and print inventory, and pre-fight publicity.
LEXINGTON, KY.
Calipari making mark on label
University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari will be featured on the latest edition of collector series bottles produced by Maker’s Mark as part of the bourbon distiller’s partnership with race track operator Keeneland Association. The limited-edition bottles are expected to be on sale across Kentucky beginning April 2.
MIAMI
Dolphins, Clear Channel ink deal
The Miami Dolphins reached a new six-year radio broadcast rights partnership with Clear Channel Communications. WBGG-FM and WINZ-AM will be the Dolphins’ flagship stations. The team also launched an integrated marketing services division — the Dolphins Integrated Media Sales Group — that will provide corporate partners with customized multimedia sponsorships.
Heats partners with Panini trading cards
The Miami Heat entered into a multiyear partnership with Panini America, a subsidiary of publisher The Panini Group. As part the agreement, the Heat held a Panini Adrenalyn Night on March 4 at their game with the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. The team distributed 12,000 packs of Adrenalyn Trading Cards and Adrenalyn Game Boards to fans entering AmericanAirlines Arena.
The campaign’s grand prize is a trip to
New York for the 2010 NBA draft.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL
Wolves launch ‘Pack’ program
The Minnesota Timberwolves launched a campaign called Run with the Pack, a fan development program that will reward loyal fans this month with season-ticket pricing and prize giveaways. Fans pledging their support will get discounts on all lower-bowl season-ticket pricing, with some seats discounted by as much as 50 percent.
Qwest gets standing with Twins
Qwest Communications signed an exclusive multiyear agreement with the Minnesota Twins to become the team’s official communications provider. Qwest designed and deployed a converged voice, video, wireless LAN and data-networking system at Target Field. Qwest’s relationship with the Twins goes back nearly a decade.
PHILADELPHIA
Union signs affiliate USL club
The MLS expansion Philadelphia Union has partnered with the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division, extending the club’s player-development model. The City Islanders will be the Union’s exclusive USL-2 affiliate.
Phillies start new fan club
The Philadelphia Phillies have created an organization for the 2010 season called the Fightin’ Phils Fan Club. Among the perks that come with the $24.99 membership are coupons for the Majestic Clubhouse Store at Citizens Bank Park and the team’s online shop, discounted tickets for a behind-the-scenes tour of the ballpark, and access to Fightin’ Phils members-only pages on the team’s Web site.
RICHMOND, VA.
Virginia 529 sponsoring CAA
The Virginia 529 College Savings Plan and the Colonial Athletic Association reached a three-year sponsorship agreement. The deal includes title sponsorship of the CAA’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The CAA has its headquarters in Richmond.
SACRAMENTO
Cal Expo ends NBA exclusivity
Cal Expo’s leaders terminated their exclusive negotiating agreement with the NBA so they can evaluate the downtown arena proposal for the Sacramento Kings now backed by the NBA as well as alternate redevelopment possibilities for the state fairground. By ending the nearly two-year-old agreement, the Cal Expo board gains the flexibility to continue discussionswith the group led by local developer Gerry Kamilos.
SAN ANTONIO
UFL looking to expand
The United Football League wants to place an expansion team in San Antonio, and league officials have requested a meeting with the city to discuss playing games at the Alamodome, according to a report in the San Antonio Express-News. The UFL, which played its first season last year, also is eying Austin, Texas; Omaha, Neb.; and Salt Lake City as potential markets.
SAN DIEGO
Marathon route includes Petco
The Competitor Group’s 2010 Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon on June 6 will finish at SeaWorld, adjacent to Mission Bay Park. A revamped route for the race will feature more than nine miles along San Diego’s waterfront and also will include a stretch through Petco Park. There also, for the first time, will be a 13.1-mile, half-marathon option.
