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Fans who visit five of the six Orioles affiliated ballparks and have their passport marked with a 2015 stamp will receive a limited edition Birdland Passport Drawstring Bag.
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BALTIMORE
O’s reward traveling fans
The Baltimore Orioles’ Birdland Passport program is back for another season. All five minor league affiliates — the Norfolk Tides, Bowie Baysox, Frederick Keys, Delmarva Shorebirds and Aberdeen IronBirds — will participate. Fans who visit all six Orioles affiliated ballparks in one year will be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to see the Orioles play in 2016 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla.
BUFFALO
NWHL team joins HarborCenter
The Buffalo Beauts will play home games at the HarborCenter beginning in October, joining the Canisius College and Erie Community College men’s programs and the Buffalo Jr. Sabres as the facility’s anchor teams. The Beauts are one of four teams that will help inaugurate the National Women’s Hockey League.
DANVILLE, VA.
Track signs Nissan as official partner
Virginia International Raceway signed Nissan as its official track auto partner in a multiyear deal. Nissan will have signs throughout VIR as well as interactive fan experiences at many of its events. Nissan hosted a large exhibit and fan zone during the 2014 Oak Tree Grand Prix Tudor United SportsCar Championship at VIR.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
LPGA event purse boosted to $2M
Organizers of the Meijer LPGA Classic announced a purse increase of 33 percent, from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2015. The July 21-26 tournament will be played at Blythefield Country Club outside of Grand Rapids.
HOUSTON
Cougar Field getting giant display
Daktronics will design, manufacture and install the largest LED video display in college baseball at the University of Houston’s Cougar Field. The new outfield video display will measure roughly 28 feet high by more than 55 feet wide. The display incorporates variable content zoning to provide one large image or a number of smaller windows for content.
KANSAS CITY
Toyota titles truck series race
Toyota will sponsor the May 8 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, naming it the Toyota Tundra 250. Since 2004, Toyota has four wins, 25 top-fives, and 47 top-10 finishes in the truck series at Kansas Speedway.
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The curved, high-definition display will incorporate variable content zoning.
Rendering: DAKTRONICS |
LOS ANGELES
Curved HD coming to StubHub Center
StubHub Center and the LA Galaxy will have the largest LED video display for professional soccer-specific venues when a Daktronics installation is complete. The unique curved HD display will measure 36 feet high by 129 feet wide.
A/V firm sponsors Lakers events
The Los Angeles Lakers reached a multiseason sponsorship with MIR Audio Video-Bang & Olufsen. The company will become the official presenting sponsor of the franchise’s annual celebrity golf invitational and dinner.
Arena opts for Hebrew National
Hebrew National hot dogs will be the official hot dog of Staples Center, replacing Farmer John at all arena events. Pricing will remain the same on all hot dog offerings at all concession stands and on the suite levels.
LOUISVILLE, KY.
Derby says “no” to selfie sticks
Churchill Downs has banned selfie sticks for the Kentucky Derby, according to an AP report. The report quoted John Asher, Churchill Downs vice president of communications: “You’ll still be able to take a selfie. You just won’t be able to take one of yourself as if your arms were nine feet long.”
MEMPHIS
Grizzlies partner with airport
The Memphis Grizzlies and FedEx Forum have a new partnership with the Memphis International Airport as it undergoes a rebranding and modernization. Grizzlies guard Tony Allen will serve as the official spokesman. One promotion will be “Take Off With the Grizzlies,” in which fans will have the chance to win airline tickets and game tickets to away games.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Wild adding new video boards
The Minnesota Wild made several upgrades to Xcel Energy Center ahead of last Monday’s home playoff game against the St. Louis Blues, including two massive new video boards. Three more will be installed during the playoffs. Video boards also will be installed in the main lobby and near the food court. The Wild replaced about 500 TVs and concession menu boards in the arena’s concourses.
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More than 300 fans created the ice canvas.
Photo by: NEW JERSEY DEVILS
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NEWARK
Devils’ ice gets fan treatment
The New Jersey Devils earlier this month allowed season-ticket holders and corporate partners to paint messages on the Prudential Center ice as part of the team’s second annual Paint and Skate presented by Lawns by Yorkshire.
PHILADELPHIA
Eagles reach new TV broadcast deal
Comcast SportsNet, WCAU-TV and the Philadelphia Eagles reached a new broadcast partnership that makes WCAU the official television station of the team, and expands Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the team. The partnership includes live game-day, pregame and postgame programming and weekly shows.
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The D-backs are nearly $11 below the MLB average ticket price of $28.94 in 2015.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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PHOENIX
D-Backs lead affordability index
The Arizona Diamondbacks have the lowest Fan Cost Index ($126.89) in MLB for the ninth consecutive season, according to Team Marketing Report. The D-Backs finished almost $85 below the industry average of $211.68. The Fan Cost Index is a representative look at the costs for a family of four to attend an MLB game.
PITTSBURGH
StarKist on Pirates’ roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates reached a partnership with locally based StarKist for this season. One element includes the StarKist “Win a Major League Contract for a Day” promotion giving fans an opportunity to be a big leaguer for a day. StarKist will have rotational signage behind home plate at PNC Park.
SAN DIEGO
Padres break ground on Village
Officials for San Diego’s Ballpark Village this month gathered for a groundbreaking for a $250 million housing and retail project east of Petco Park, according to a San Diego Union-Tribune report. Turner Construction expected actual work to begin last week, with completion expected in 2018.
SAN FRANCISCO
Giants boosting Wi-Fi capability
An additional 400 antennas for AT&T Park’s distributed antenna system will be placed under seats in the “view reserve” section in the upper deck this season. Ordering food by smartphone has been upgraded to include an expanded menu as well as delivery of popular Tony’s Slice House pizza to any seat.
ST. LOUIS
Rams’ stadium manager selected
The St. Louis Regional Convention & Sports Complex Authority selected HCKL Stadium Partners as the construction manager for the proposed St. Louis Rams stadium project. HCKL is made up of Hunt Construction, Clayco, Kennedy Associates and Legacy Building Group.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Courage program raises six figures
Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and Telos Corp. presented Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors with a check for $144,500 at Verizon Center. The proceeds from thousands of Courage program hats and T-shirts sold during the 2014-15 season benefit TAPS, an organization providing care for the families that have lost loved ones in the military.
COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS
BAD GRIESBACH, GERMANY
Porsche tees up sponsorship
Porsche will title sponsor the European Open at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach, scheduled for Sept. 24-27. The carmaker agreed with promoter 4sports & Entertainment AG to sponsor the $2.1 million tournament, Porsche’s first title sponsorship in professional golf.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN
Azercosmos to beam Baku 2015
Baku 2015 European Games appointed Azercosmos as an official supporter and official satellite services provider for the inaugural event. Azercosmos will play a role in transmitting the images of the event to billions of viewers across Europe and the globe.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Rangers fined for breach
Scottish Championship side Rangers was fined by Scottish football’s governing body for breaching dual ownership rules relating to Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, according to a (Glasgow) Evening Times report. The club has been ordered to pay $8,230 after a similar $11,200 fine for Ashley last month for the same offense.
MADRID
Atlético players driving blind
Volkswagen renewed its partnership with reigning La Liga champions Atlético Madrid, according to a Latin Times report. To celebrate, several players went through a peculiar driving test. Arda Turan, Antoine Griezmann, Koke, Diego Godín and Miguel Ángel Moyà all tried out a new camera system by driving completely blind around a closed course.
MANCHESTER
Man U to install practice lights
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal won a battle to install floodlights at the club’s Carrington training ground, according to a (London) Daily Mail report. Van Gaal was stunned to find that players could not train after dark at the complex when he arrived last summer.
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San Siro Stadium
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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MILAN
AC Milan, Audi renew pact
Serie A side AC Milan renewed its sponsorship agreement with Audi Italy, according to a SoccerEx report. The new partnership continues a relationship that began in 2007 and was brokered by Infront Italy. Financial terms were not available.
MOSCOW
Stadium capacity recalculated
The Russian government will cut the seating capacity of the Luzhniki stadium, which will hold the final of the 2018 World Cup, according to a Reuters report. A statement on the government’s website stated: “It has been agreed to change the capacity of the Big Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic complex from 89,000 to 81,000.”
MUNICH
Bayern Munich teams with MSN
Bayern Munich signed a media partnership with MSN to syndicate Bayern’s premium and exclusive content directly to MSN. Club ambassador Franz Beckenbauer will lend his voice to Bayern’s U.S. media property with a regularly featured column.
ODESSA, UKRAINE
Property offered in lieu of wages
The struggling Ukrainian football club Chernomorets is offering its players real estate rather than wages. The team’s general director, Sergei Kernitsky, stated on Ukrainian TV network 2+2: “We told our players that they should choose: Either we pay off the wage arrears in cash by the end of the year, or we can offer them ownership of residential property in Odessa right now.”
PARIS
French Open brewing Lavazza
Italian coffee brand Lavazza will become an official sponsor of the French Open tennis tournament. The contract will run for three years. Lavazza has been an official partner of Wimbledon since 2011 and the U.S. Open since February.
RIO DE JANEIRO
Government phones disconnected
The state government of Rio de Janeiro has failed to pay its phone and Internet bills, triggering a cutoff in service, according to a Reuters report. Brazilian telecommunications firm Oi SA said that it had cut the lines after the state government racked up debt of $55.7 million in unpaid bills.
Sponsor target short by $200M
Organizers of next year’s Summer Olympic Games are roughly $200 million short of reaching their sponsorship target of $1.2 billion, according to a local organizing committee official. Mario Andrada, Rio 2016 executive director of communications, said that organizers are preparing the groundwork to close the remaining deals during the second half of the year.
Training base getting $8M boost
The base of the Brazilian national teams’ final preparations for the 2016 Rio Games, the Fort São João in Rio de Janeiro, will receive an investment of $8 million from the federal government, according to a Folha De São Paulo report. The sum will cover the renovation of the courts, gym floors and wrestling rooms and the purchase of equipment for the military structure.
SWINDON, ENGLAND
Puma outfitting Swindon Town FC
Puma and League One side Swindon Town FC reached a deal that makes Puma the club’s official kit supplier. The deal, which begins June 1, will see Puma supply the club’s home, away and third kits, as well as training wear for the next three years.
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