Coast to Coast

ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Mazda adds to Rangers deal
The Texas Rangers and Mazda renewed their sponsorship deal for the 2016 season, giving Mazda naming rights to one of the Globe Life Park entrance gates, now called the Mazda Home Plate Gate. Mazda also is title sponsor of the postgame show on the 75-station Texas Rangers Radio Network.

ATLANTA
New team draws up plan for HQ
MLS expansion club Atlanta United FC announced plans for a $60 million training complex and team headquarters in Cobb County. Construction on the 30,000-square-foot center is expected to be completed by April 2017, with its six fields scheduled to be finished by January.

Silverbacks to sport Capelli
The NASL Atlanta Silverbacks reached a deal for Capelli Sport to be the club’s official apparel supplier. Capelli will handle the club’s merchandise for the 2016 season. The Silverbacks on Saturday will reveal their 2016 kit designs.

BALTIMORE
Ravens try variable pricing
The Baltimore Ravens will shift to variable pricing for game tickets for the 2016 season, according to a Baltimore Sun report. Though the cost of a 10-game season ticket will remain the same for the fourth consecutive year, the face price of preseason tickets will go down by 50 percent and the face price of regular-season tickets will increase by 12 percent.

CINCINNATI

The “PNC Power Stacks” have prominent visibility at Great American Ball Park. Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

Reds stay with longtime bank PNC
PNC Bank is renewing its sponsorship of the Cincinnati Reds through the 2022 season. PNC is the team’s official financial adviser, trust and mortgage banker, investment management and brokerage service provider. The sponsorship started in 2000.

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
Aggies name official software provider
Texas A&M named Teamworks its official collaboration software provider. Teamworks as part of the agreement will streamline communications for coaches, trainers, advisers and administrators.

DALLAS
New Mavs practice facility planned
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is closing on a downtown building that will be renovated as the team’s practice facility, according to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram report. The Mavs have been practicing in an underground facility inside American Airlines Center since the arena opened in 2001.

GREENVILLE, S.C.
Daktronics lighting up with Drive
Daktronics partnered with the Greenville Drive to bring a large LED video display to Fluor Field at the West End. Daktronics designed, manufactured and installed the display this winter for the Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The new display measures 27.5 feet high by 49 feet wide.

MIAMI
Marlins adding fingerprint entry
The Miami Marlins are offering full or partial season-ticket holders the opportunity to register for one of the two Clear Lanes, which will allow users to press a finger, scan a ticket and skip the metal detectors when entering Marlins Park, according to a Miami Herald report. The Miami Heat has been using the lanes at AmericanAirlines Arena since late January.

Hyundai drives into stadium
The Miami Dolphins reached a multiyear partnership with Hyundai as an official automotive sponsor. The partnership includes title rights at the North Sideline Club, now the Hyundai Club, in the Dolphins’ stadium. Hyundai will have three vehicles on display at all Dolphins home games this year, and will have digital LED signage running on all team-related announcements at the stadium.

OAKLAND
Sutter Health partners with A’s
The Oakland Athletics and Sutter Health reached a multiyear deal that names the Northern California network as the team’s preferred health care provider. Sutter Health will sponsor Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the seventh-inning stretch, and a new youth wellness program, the Fitness Sluggers.

OKLAHOMA CITY
IndyCar event possible in 2018
The group organizing the Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Boston earned approval from the Oklahoma City Council to attempt to gain an open-wheel race there, according to a USA Today report. Sportserve was granted exclusive rights to develop plans for a race in Oklahoma City, perhaps as early as 2018.

Five matches at CenturyLink Field will be louder than usual for the Sounders. Photo by: SEATTLE

SEATTLE
Sounders opening upper deck
The Seattle Sounders are opening the full capacity of CenturyLink Field for five matches in 2016. Upper-deck seating will be available against NYCFC on June 25, the LA Galaxy on July 31, Portland Timbers on Aug. 21, Vancouver Whitecaps on Sept. 17 and Real Salt Lake on Oct. 23. The Sounders have an active streak of 129 MLS sellouts, a league record.

Delta sending fan to all road games
Delta Air Lines will provide round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and two game tickets for one fan and guest to every Seattle Seahawks road game this season. The Seahawks Road Warrior Sweepstakes runs through April 29, and the winner will be drawn in early May. Delta and the Seahawks reached a multiyear partnership extension last October.

TUCSON, ARIZ.
Coyotes to move AHL Falcons
The Arizona Coyotes and the American Hockey League’s Springfield (Mass.) Falcons signed an agreement for the Coyotes to buy the Falcons franchise. Once approved, the Coyotes hope the team will play at Tucson Convention Center and are in conversations with the city to relocate the franchise to Tucson beginning with the 2016-17 AHL season.

TUSCALOOSA, ALA.
Business wins Alabama sponsorship
McAleer’s Office Furniture Co. in Mobile, Ala., was named winner of the first “Small Business Game Changer” by the Business Council of Alabama and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. McAleer’s will be awarded a complimentary 2016 University of Alabama football sponsorship. The competition was open to state-based businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Cozy newborns are hockey fans before they can even sleep through the night. Photo by: WASHINGTON CAPITALS PHOTOGRAPHY

Instant Caps fans at MedStar
In conjunction with the Washington Capitals’ postseason run, all babies born at MedStar Washington Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital will receive a complimentary Capitals onesie, cap and bib. Fans can share photos of their newborns by using the #CapsPlayoffBaby hashtag on social media platforms.

WINDSOR, ONTARIO
FINA convention renews with Malmsten
Swimming pool equipment company Malmsten AB renewed its long-term partnership with the FINA World Aquatics Convention for the next two editions of the event taking place in Windsor (December) and Hangzhou, China (2018). An official supplier for FINA, Malmsten AB has been involved with FINA’s convention since its inception in 2010.

      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS

DORTMUND, GERMANY
Team signs Thai partnerships
Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund agreed to two new partnerships in Thailand, according to a Sponsors report. The club entered into a cooperation with the Suphanburi Academy for three years, and signed a deal with Thai media company PPTV. Both deals were brokered by the club’s international office in Singapore.

HOFFENHEIM, GERMANY
TSG remains with Audi
Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim extended its partnership with Audi for another two years until 2018. Audi has been the club’s official car partner since 2009.

LYON, FRANCE
OL keeps Hyundai on shirts
Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais extended its partnership with Hyundai as the club’s primary shirt sponsor until 2018. OL President Jean-Michel Aulas and Hyundai Motor France President Kyoo-Bok Lee announced the renewal at the Parc OL.

NANTES, FRANCE
Team deals another year for Winamax
Online poker site Winamax renewed its partnership with Ligue 1 side Nantes for the 2016-17 season, according to a CB News report. The red “W” will be featured on the club’s shorts and Winamax will continue to offer supporters VIP seats at Beaujoire Stadium and a chance to play poker with the club’s players.

The themed room has the comforts of home and a view to the competition below.

RIO DE JANEIRO
Airbnb promotes gymnastics listing
Airbnb created a bedroom inside the Rio Olympic Arena, and it is offering fans the chance to stay there, according to an Event Magazine report. The room at the gymnastics arena includes a range of gymnastics equipment. One winner and a guest were scheduled to fly to Rio to stay in the listing on April 20. Guests were also scheduled to attend the final international rhythmic gymnastics qualifier event.

Ticket frenzy after Rio soccer draw
Organizers said that more than 32,000 tickets were sold for the Rio 2016 men’s and women’s soccer tournaments within 24 hours of the competition draw, according to an Ians report. Rio 2016 ticketing chief Donovan Ferreti said that the figure was about 32 times greater than the daily average before the April 14 draw.

SÃO PAULO
Corinthians renews with Caixa
Brazilian state bank Caixa renewed its sponsorship deal with top-tier club Corinthians, according to a SoccerEx report. Caixa has been a sponsor of the São Paulo club since 2012. The latest 12-month deal is worth $8.5 million, the same amount as the bank paid for its 2015 deal.

SYDNEY
Beckham on roster for potential match
David Beckham is leading an all-star cast for a legends match in Sydney, according to a Sydney Morning Herald report. A deal for the former England captain to play in an exhibition match in October or November between former Manchester United and Juventus players is reportedly close to being sealed.

TOKYO
More 2020 venues approved
The International Paralympic Committee Governing Board approved the powerlifting and track cycling venues that will be used for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, bringing the total number of approved venues to 21.

Government has eye on cyber threats
Japan’s National Diet enacted legislation to increase the number of specialists with skills to counter cyber attacks ahead of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, according to a Kyodo report. The legislation also will expand the scope of entities subject to vulnerability checks.

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY
Team renews with beer brand
Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg renewed its partnership with beer brand Veltins for another three years until 2019. Veltins has been a partner of the club since 2013.

For more international news, visit www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/global.