Foxwoods Now Owns the Final 5 Minutes at MSG
Foxwoods Resort Casino and Madison Square Garden announced today that they have extended and expanded their existing marketing partnership to include the new “Foxwoods Final Five” platform that provides Foxwoods with exclusive advertising rights to the final five minutes of New York Knicks (NBA), New York Rangers (NHL), New York Islanders (NHL), and New Jersey Devils (NHL) home game telecasts on MSG and MSG Plus. Deal terms were not released, but the NYT quotes a source close to the negotiations as saying the deal is worth about $1 million a year over a five year term.
According to MSG & Foxwoods, this is the first time a sponsor has acquired exclusive in-game promotions during the last five minutes of a game telecast. The deal will extend arena where Foxwoods will become the exclusive in-arena advertiser during the last five minutes of every Knicks and Rangers home game. Earlier this year, the resort casino brand secured a deal with the WNBA's New York Liberty whereby the Foxwoods logo now appears on the New York Liberty’s team jerseys and on-court.
“The last five minutes of any sporting event are the most exciting and widely viewed part of the game, so the ‘Foxwoods Final Five’ presents a signature opportunity for Foxwoods to engage a captive audience in the world’s largest media market while they are intently watching the teams they love,” said Chief Marketing Officer for Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises Robert Victoria. “Sports are a way of life in the tri-state area, and our partnership with MSG helps Foxwoods promote everything our award-winning property has to offer to an incredibly passionate sports fan base.”
The multi-year agreement designates Foxwoods as an Official Partner of the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty and MSG Networks. The partnership increases Foxwoods’ visibility in the New York area and beyond, giving resort casino brand integration across many of MSG’s promotional and marketing platforms, including arena signage, in-game promotions and features, and outdoor visibility on the Garden’s 7th and 8th Avenue Marquees.
“Foxwoods has been an MSG partner for nearly two years and we continue to expand the relationship to include innovative and exciting opportunities for them to showcase their brand to tri-state area consumers,” said Greg Elliott, senior vice president, marketing partnerships, MSG Sports. “The ‘Foxwoods Final Five’ represents another way that MSG is able to offer marketing partners unique integration opportunities with our teams, venues and networks that no other company in New York can provide.”
Art Ventura, senior vice president, sales, MSG Media added: “This partnership represents a brand new way to integrate partners into an exciting part of the game telecast. MSG Media is one of the few television outlets in the country that can provide this collection of assets – five professional teams – in which a partner could own the last five minutes of a telecast, and we are proud to partner with Foxwoods on this unique program.”
Foxwoods sponsorship portfolio continues to expand its brand beyond gaming to connect with customers across different markets and interests. Foxwoods has secured the following marketing sponsorships in the New York area: naming rights to the Foxwoods Theatre in Times Square, formerly the Hilton Theater and home of the highly-anticipated Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway production; a partnership with the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) that features naming rights to three major graded stakes races; and an agreement to become the New Jersey Nets’ official resort casino, providing Foxwoods with significant exposure in Atlantic City’s backyard.
