Premier Partnerships to market Atlanta stadium naming rights
Editor’s note: This story is revised from the print edition.
Both the NFL Falcons and a still-nameless MLS expansion franchise will play at the venue when the new stadium opens, although an MLS game is slated to be the building’s first event. Officials on hand for last week’s groundbreaking were hopeful of attracting world-class events, including FIFA World Cup matches and a Super Bowl.
The Falcons’ new home will
Other inventory at the stadium, where ground was broken last week, includes an innovative LED ribbon board above the field. |
While the official groundbreaking for the new stadium was just last week, Premier and the Falcons have been making pitches to local and national marketers since early this year.
Premier President and CEO Randy Bernstein was mum on pricing, but other industry sources said the team was looking for a 30-year deal averaging in the high teens annually. Those same sources said Premier beat out CAA Sports and Legends among others agencies for the assignment.
Premier handled the 2011 naming-rights deal that rebranded what was once the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to O.co Coliseum. However, the Atlanta assignment is the first time Premier is the lead sales agency for a new NFL stadium.
“This is a dream project for any agency,” Bernstein said. “Being able to create a commercial program at a new facility from the ground up will hopefully allow us to set some standards for NFL stadiums.”
Working with the Falcons’ Jim Smith (executive vice president, chief marketing and revenue officer) and Tim Zulawski (vice president, sponsorship sales and service), Premier’s assignment goes beyond naming rights. It also will sell sponsorships bearing an “elite” level moniker, some b-to-b deals, and some naming rights on various parts of the facility, along with team inventory from the Falcons and the embryonic MLS team.
Smith could not be reached for comment.
Included among the signage offerings will be a 360-degree LED ribbon board around the top of the stadium that will encompass an astounding 66,000 square feet.
> WORLD CUP GOLD: While Sports Endeavors (operator of soccer.com and lacrosse.com) administers the official online store for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, licensed sports e-retailer Fanatics.com is teaming with longtime FIFA World Cup sponsor McDonald’s for the QSR’s largest North American World Cup promo ever. A June/July on-pack instant-win promotion in 15,000 locations will involve more than 200 million instant-game pieces offering discounts on any licensed merchandise at Fanatics.com.
A weekly sweepstakes will offer trips to the World Cup Final in Brazil.
Alliance Marketing Partners is the sports marketing agency for Fanatics.com, which sells thousands of different licensed World Cup items despite its less-than-official status with soccer’s governing body.
Chang |
Terry Lefton can be reached at tlefton@sportsbusinessjournal.com.