ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Snickers presenting WrestleMania
Snickers signed on as presenting sponsor of WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium on April 3. Mars’ top-selling candy brand will integrate WWE talent with Snickers’ 6-year-old “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign, created by BBDO, New York, with digital content extensions on WWE.com, YouTube, social media and WWE’s OTT net.
BOSTON
BC to invest $200M in sports projects
Boston College Athletic Director Brad Bates released plans for a major makeover of the varsity sports and intramural athletic facilities and said that the school intends to invest $200 million on three projects, according to a Boston Herald report. The efforts would be on available land adjacent to Alumni Stadium and the Yawkey Center.
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Foundation EVP and life trustee Mary Owen was joined by hall President David Baker at the announcement on Feb. 17.
Photo by: PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
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CANTON, OHIO
Hall gets $2.5 million Wilson grant
The Pro Football Hall of Fame received a $2.5 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The grant will be used for the effort aimed at creating a comprehensive digital archive for every NFL player, past and present.
CARY, N.C.
Lacrosse final heading south
WakeMed Stadium will host the 2017 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship. Campbell University will serve as the host institution. It marks the first time in the championship’s more than 30-year history that the event will be held outside of the Northeast.
COLUMBIA, S.C.
Gamecocks renew Under Armour
The University of South Carolina’s board of trustees agreed to a new 10-year deal with Under Armour valued at $71.5 million, according to a (Columbia) State report. School officials said the deal is the second-most valuable in the SEC and seventh-most valuable in the nation. The school’s current deal with UA, which expires at the end of June, is for six years and $6.2 million.
HOUSTON
Dynamo signs with CBS Radio
The Houston Dynamo and CBS Radio Houston agreed to a multiyear agreement that will make CBS Sports Radio 650 and SportsRadio 610 the radio home of the MLS team. The deal also provides for a half-hour pregame show and ancillary programming.
LOS ANGELES
Emirates signs Dodgers deal
Emirates signed a deal making it the official airline of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal provides for home plate and foul pole signage as well as the new Emirates Lounge at Dodger Stadium, a 70-person hospitality space for Emirates and guests. The Dodgers will sponsor the Dubai Little League All Star Travel Teams, which will now go by the name the Dubai Dodgers.
Matadors to wear Under Armour
Cal State-Northridge reached a multiyear deal making Under Armour its exclusive athletics outfitter and supplier. The deal, which takes effect in July, marks UA’s first deal with a public institution on the West Coast.
Fewer Dodgers games on RSN
Two years after launching Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA, the Dodgers-owned cable channel has cut its spring training broadcast schedule in half, according to a Los Angeles Times report. SportsNet LA plans to air 16 games this spring, down from 31 last spring and 22 in 2014.
MILWAUKEE
Bucks, city to recruit for jobs
The Milwaukee Bucks and city officials are embarking on a $650,000 initiative — with each organization contributing half the funds — to recruit and train local residents to work on construction projects in the planned new Bucks arena district. The effort was approved by the city’s redevelopment authority Feb. 18. A Bucks officials said the goal is to launch workforce development, training and hiring programs as construction begins on the team’s new arena and related projects this summer.
ORLANDO
Magic to bid on All-Star Game
Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said the franchise intends to submit bids to host the NBA All-Star Game in 2019 or 2020, according to an Orlando Sentinel report. The report quoted Martins: “I like our chances. Our community works really well on these big events, and everybody at the league has said that they were really pleased with the last time that we hosted it [in 2012].”
PHILADELPHIA
Phillies, CBS extend radio agreement
The Philadelphia Phillies and CBS Radio’s SportsRadio 94WIP agreed to an extension of their broadcast partnership for live play-by-play coverage of Phillies’ preseason, regular-season and postseason games. The deal takes effect with live coverage of the team’s spring training games from Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., this year.
Union renews official applesauce
The Philadelphia Union renewed a partnership for the 2016 MLS season with Musselman’s, the club’s official applesauce. Musselman’s will now be included in a new kids meal at select stadium concessions stands. Musselman’s is the official applesauce of the Union, Talen Energy Stadium and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer.
PITTSBURGH
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Steel Cactus at PNC Park will offer lunch, dinner and game-day specials.
Rendering: COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES
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Steel Cactus puts roots at PNC Park
The Pittsburgh Pirates and the AMPD Group announced the grand opening of the AMPD Group’s third Steel Cactus Mexican Restaurante and Cantina, located at PNC Park. The location on Federal Street was formerly Dominic’s Famous Deli and Bottle Shop.
SARASOTA, FLA.
Orioles’ impact set at $81M
An economic impact analysis by Sarasota County Government concluded that the Baltimore Orioles’ corporate presence through spring training and year-round baseball activities generated approximately $81 million in the Greater Sarasota community in the past year. The study included the tourism impact of games and additional events hosted by the team at Ed Smith Stadium and the Buck O’Neil Baseball Complex.
SALT LAKE CITY
MSI acquires off-road truck series
Mountain Sports International acquired full ownership of TORC: The Off Road Racing Championship presented by Amsoil. MSI, a marketing and events company, is based in Salt Lake City.
ST. LOUIS
Rams on deadline to remove signs
Edward Jones is canceling the naming-rights contract on its namesake downtown football stadium, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report. The financial services company sent termination letters to the Rams, who are relocating to Los Angeles, and to the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which runs the facility. The Rams have until March 31 to get the 40-foot-tall lettering off the stadium’s roof and to remove other signage.
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Phase 2 of renovations at the venue includes a canopy roof above three sides.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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TORONTO
BMO renews naming rights
BMO and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment agreed to a 10-year renewal of the bank’s naming-rights sponsorship of Toronto FC’s home stadium. BMO also will extend its placement as the MLS club’s kit sponsor for the 2016 season. BMO Field opened in 2007.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
National Golf Day set for May
The ninth annual National Golf Day will be held May 18 on Capitol Hill. Industry leaders will meet with members of Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies to discuss golf’s impact on the economy, its charitable impact, environmental and fitness benefits of the game, and the tax-revenue creation and tourism value related to the sport.
COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS
ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS
Team, venue renew with Amstel
Dutch Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar renewed its sponsorship contract with beer brand Amstel, according to a SoccerEx report. The new six-year deal runs until 2021. Amstel operates a food and beverage outlet called the Sportcafé at AFAS Stadion, north of Amsterdam.
BEIJING
City says venues will be ready early
Zhangjiakou, the city set to co-host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games with Beijing, said it will have its Olympic venues ready by 2020, according to a Xinhua report. While releasing the city’s five-year development plan, Zhangjiakou Mayor Ma Yujun said all the construction will be completed by the end of 2020, when the city will be capable of holding test events.
BERLIN
New track planned for ePrix
Formula E officials said this year’s Berlin ePrix will take place on a new custom-made track in the heart of the German capital. The electric racing series was forced to find a replacement venue after Berlin’s decommissioned Tempelhof Airport was unavailable to host this year’s second edition of the event.
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The lock gates have various obstacles to conquer between swim segments.
Photo by: RED BULL
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GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Lock swimming returns in April
The Red Bull Neptune Steps event is set to return to Glasgow’s Maryhill Locks on April 9. Participants must complete a 460-yard swim that also calls for them to climb 19 yards over eight of the canal lock gates en route to the finish at the top of the locks.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND
Team seeks Chinese sponsor
Liverpool FC is looking to tie up deals in China that could see a sponsor pay $128 million annually for naming rights to the new Main Stand area at Anfield, according to a (London) Daily Mail report. Billy Hogan, chief commercial officer for the club, was in China to meet with representatives of three companies.
LONDON
Rugby group supports alcohol campaign
England Rugby partnered with Drinkaware to raise awareness of responsible alcohol consumption during the Six Nations games, according to a report in The Spirits Business. The campaign will be displayed at Twickenham Stadium during the two Six Nations home fixtures.
MEXICO CITY
Coach calls for celebration rules
Cruz Azul coach Tomas Boy wants guidelines issued about celebrations after he was sent to the stands for his dancing reaction to Liga MX club’s late equalizer in a 3-3 draw with rival Club America. A Reuters report quoted Boy: “There ought to be directive from the Referees Commission listing the permitted celebrations.”
SEVILLE, SPAIN
Sevilla calls on tech partner
ZTE Mobile Devices signed a sponsorship deal with La Liga side Sevilla to serve as the club’s official technology partner and official smartphone of the team. Both ZTE and Sevilla will carry out several events throughout the season to engage with fans.
TURIN, ITALY
Juventus lights up with Philips
Juventus signed a two-year partnership with Philips that will run until the end of the 2016-17 Serie A season. Philips becomes Juventus’ official lighting partner and plans to spearhead a renovation of the interior of Juventus Stadium, where atmospheric lighting is currently found only in certain hospitality zones.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
FFA grants license extension
Football Federation Australia granted the Wellington Phoenix a 10-year A-League license extension. Wellington gets an immediate four-year deal and two additional three-year extensions that are tied to provisions, such as greater attendance and financial contributions to the league.
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