Samsung Uses Sponsorship To Invent Sliding Seats

No matter how well stadiums are constructed these days, even the most expensive seats rarely provide the perfect sightline. To promote its latest line of TV's, Samsung and the Qantas Wallabies recently set out to fix that problem. The Samsung SlideLiner is a four person ‘couch’ that will sit on tracks beside the pitch, following the action along the field of play. With a maximum speed of 20km p...

Dannon Ups The Ante In Yogurt Wars

With Dannon CMO Sergio Fuster calling the yogurt maker's latest sponsorship "a big bet," Dannon announced plans on Wednesday to become the Official Yogurt Sponsor of the National Football League in 2015. The deal, which is the latest in an increasingly crowded sponsorship category, will aim to promote health through food while naturally, encouraging Americans to eat yogurt every day. “We want ...

Tablets Surface On NFL Sidelines

As part of last year's $400 million deal between the NFL and Microsoft, the league's players and coaches will get use of Surface tablets on sidelines starting this season. Microsoft a program called the Sideline Viewing System, which allows NFL teams to review photos of plays instantly on the sidelines. Business Week writes that the tablets, thirteen of which will be available to each team, wil...

Toyota Recalls Red Zone Sponsorship

In response to an outcry from some fans regarding Toyota's on-field graphics during the 49ers first televised pre-season game, The Northern California Toyota Dealers Association says it will no longer run the Toyota Red Zone signage once the ball is snapped. Presumably the graphics will still be on field in between downs. Just last May, Toyota was named the exclusive auto partner of the stadium...

Levi's Gets Creative With Trademarks

Almost immediately after Levi's signed its $220 million, 20 year naming rights deal with with the San Francisco 49ers in March, pundits were proposing monikers for the new stadium. It seems fans aren't content with Levi's Stadium. Among the nicknames recently trademarked by the blue jeans maker are the following: "Field of Jeans" "Win one for the Zipper" What do you think? Got anything bett...

Verizon Vies For Direct Value in NFL Deal

The Sports Business Journal is reporting that Verizon is close to announcing a four-year, $1 billion extension of its partnership with the NFL, a deal that will allow the company to “to stream every NFL regular season and playoff game to mobile phones.” The agreement is significant for two reasons. First, it shows the NFL’s power to command a premium price for league-wide sponsorship/media rig...

Oil Co. Uses Game Sponsorship To Beat Hiring Crisis

With the oil industry suffering from an employee recruitment crisis, Danish shipping and oil company Maersk has come up with a curious hiring idea. It's developing and distributing a computer game called 'Quest for Oil' as part of the company’s larger plan to engage and educate the public about oil and gas exploration, and to inspire younger players to consider employment in the industry down t...

NBA Approves On-Court Ads

Under a new plan approved today, the NBA will allow teams to sell on-court advertising decals in front of team benches as well as on top of the backboards. Next season will be a test run for the new inventory, which some experts believe could net teams up to an additional $2 million annually in corporate sponsorship revenue.

It Looks Like Learfield's Now On The Block, Too

Learfield, the Texas-based company that sells marketing and media assets for more than 50 universities may be up for sale. According to the New York Post, escalating rights fees have priced the privately-held company out of the market leaving it to pursue a sale of the company. As recently as late 2011, Learfield secured growth capital by selling a majority stake to Shamrock Capital Advisors. ...

Buzz Aldrin Rips Tang, Wishes Red Bull Was Around

It seems Buzz Aldrin is more than a little envious of Felix Baumgartner's Red Bull deal. When the Apollo 11 pilot presented Baumgartner with an award at Spike TV's Guy's Choice Awards last night, TMZ reports that he took the opportunity to rip the orange flavored drink made famous by his 60's space flights, griping that "no corporate sponsor ever paid HIM to go to space -- not even Tang -- and ...