04/19/24
April 26, 2003
The stadium sponsor curse?: This would join the previously discussed Chunky Soup Curse and the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx. WorldCom and Enron, US Airways and Air Canada - since the start of 2001 there have been 10 sponsors to declare bankruptcy. Does securing stadium naming rights tempt financial peril?
What djacobs said. I think it's just plain stupid, and can't possibly be a good investment (I have also thought this, to a lesser extent, about the huge endorsements people like MJ, Tiger, Serena get. I mean, it's definitely worth some money, but do they really make over 10mil back on sales that are generated solely by their endorsement?) ESPECIALLY PacBell Park. What does Pacific Bell really have to gain from it? It's not like they've got competition, to my knowledge. You want a phone, you get PacBell.
posted by Bernreuther at 07:42 PM on April 26, 2003
oh yeah, and then there's Network Associates Coliseum, which I visited 10+ times over the past 2 years... I don't even know what Network Associates is...
posted by Bernreuther at 08:32 PM on April 26, 2003
Bernreuther, what's really funny is that there is no longer a corporate entity, at least not one used for branding purposes, called Pacific Bell. If you've noticed the ubiquitous ads, Pacific Bell is now SBC.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:38 PM on April 26, 2003
I've been gone from Cali for 4 months but now that you mention it, that changeover was taking place while I was still there... and actually quite a while ago... I think I remember getting SBC bills as far back as last may... SBC is Southwestern Bell something or other, right? also, I was recently in houston, got a great shot in front of Minute Maid Park. And let me tell you, I've never felt more inclined to go buy some orange juice than I did that night!
posted by Bernreuther at 02:28 AM on April 27, 2003
I am realy suprised Conseco Fieldhouse is not listed.
posted by internal at 12:58 PM on April 28, 2003
I tried to find articles or information about this same topic applied to College Football Bowl Games. Seems like the dot com era ushered in alot of questionable sponsorships. Homestore.com Sugar Bowl or something? Anybody have a better recollection than me?
posted by vito90 at 01:14 PM on April 28, 2003
I think there's a galleryfurniture.com bowl. I'm not sure what they pay for those, but it's more in the 10 mill range than the 150+ mill range of naming a stadium....
posted by Bernreuther at 03:46 PM on April 28, 2003
i don't think the stadium naming prices i'd heard went as high as 150 mil. i am thinking of ones in canada that admittedly would not be as high profile as some of the joint NHL/NBA venues in the states. i think $2mil a year for 20 years was typical? internal: conseco was mentioned in an earlier installment of the column.
posted by gspm at 10:25 AM on April 29, 2003
It's clear that companies willing to pay in the hundreds of millions for a questionable promotional value are clearly mis-managed.