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2004 Another Solid Year For Naming Rights

The 2004 calendar year turned out to be another productive one for the naming rights industry. There were 20 deals completed during the past year making 2004 the fourth-best year ever for naming rights sales finishing behind only 1999 (34) and 2000 & 2002 (24 each).

The year got off to a blazing start both in the first and second quarters of the year but slowed as the year... (more)

NBA Naming Rights Overview

The National Basketball Association has 76.6% of its teams (23/30) playing in facilities named for corporate sponsors or individuals who are paying for that right. This ratio places the NBA second (behind the NHL) among the five major professional sports leagues in terms of teams playing in corporately-named facilities. The NBA is also unique in that there are only 22 agreements in place. The remaining situation is that the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers share the Staples Center.... (more)

New Greensboro Stadium Gets NR Sponsor

A reported 10-year, $3 million agreement will name the new home of the South Atlantic League's Greensboro Grasshoppers as First Horizon Park. The deal was the 20th and final one inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year... (more)

Worcester's Centrum Centre Gets New Name

A 10-year, $5.2 million agreement will change the name of Worcester's Centrum Centre, home of the AHL Worcester Ice Cats, to the DCU Center. The deal was the 19th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year so far... (more)

NHL Naming Rights Overview

The National Hockey League has always been at the forefront of securing naming rights partners for its facilities. The league is currently tops among all U.S.-based major sports leagues with 26 out of the league's 30 teams (87%) playing in named facilities. The number is likely to grow as published reports indicate that the Phoenix Coyotes are currently in the midst of seeking a sponsor for their new arena... (more)

Pair of Interior NR Agreements Completed

The NFL's Seattle Seahawks and AHL's Cleveland Barons each announced new interior naming agreements for parts of their home facilities in early October. These deals continued a growing trend in this area to name additional portions of respective facilities in order to generate incremental revenues... (more)

NR Growth Slows in Third Quarter

As noted on this site earlier this year, the first half of 2004 saw a strong start for the sale of naming rights for professional sports facilities throughout North America. This trend slowed dramatically in the third quarter of the calendar year with only three deals completed. However, it is important to remember that 2004 has been a top-five year for naming rights agreements signed... (more)

Candlestick Gets New Name

The San Francisco 49ers became the 18th National Football League team to play in a named facility after inking a reported 4-year, $6 million contract with Monster Cable. The deal was the 17th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year so far... (more)

P&C Name Comes Off Of Syracuse Stadium

The class-AAA International League's Syracuse SkyChiefs became the 31st team to see a corporate name taken off of their stadium before the originally contracted conclusion date. P&C's parent company filed for bankruptcy and asked the bankruptcy court to allow it to exit the 25-year deal the company had signed with Onondaga County... (more)

Busch Name Remains On New Cardinals Stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals continued a long-standing tradition that dates back to the 1950s by inking an agreement with St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch to place the company's name on the team's new stadium scheduled to open in 2006. The deal was the 16th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year to date... (more)

Iowa Cubs Secure New Naming Sponsor

The class-AAA Pacific Coast League's Iowa Cubs signage a new naming rights sponsor for the former Sec Taylor Stadium with Principal Financial Group. The deal was the 15th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year to date... (more)

Sprint Signs NR Agreement For New KC Arena

The efforts to build a new arena in Kansas City were given a solid boost in July when local telecommunications company Sprint committed to buying the naming rights for the proposed facility. The 25-year deal is structured so that the company pays a different fee based upon whether there is an NBA or an NHL tenant playing in the facility... (more)

Strong 2004 Start For NR Continues

As noted on this site earlier this year, the first quarter of 2004 saw a strong start for the sale of naming rights for professional sports facilities throughout North America. This trend continued in the second quarter of the calendar year as we have now seen 14 naming rights agreements announced through the halfway point of 2004. However, it is important... (more)

Seahawks Ink NR Agreement

The Seattle Seahawks became the 17th National Football League team to play in a named facility after inking a reported 15-year, $75 million contract with Qwest Communications. The deal was the 14th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year so far... (more)

NR Bell Tolls For Rangers

The Texas Rangers became the 16th Major League Baseball team to play in a named facility when they inked an agreement with Ameriquest Mortgage for the newly-named Ameriquest Field in Arlington. The deal was the 11th inked for a professional sports facility during the 2004 calendar year so far... (more)

When Naming Rights Go Bad...

It is no secret that there have been several high-profile naming rights agreements that have failed over the past several years. Some members of the media accurately point out that the sports marketing landscape is littered with naming rights failures as names like Enron Field, Adelphia Coliseum and the Trans World Dome become distant memories. However, it is also clear that the alleged "failure" of stadium & arena naming rights from the perspective of teams and facilities may be overblown... (more)

A Diamond By Any Other Name...

There are now 58 naming rights deals currently in place in professional baseball. For the purposes of this analysis, this industry segment includes Minor League Baseball and the various independent professional baseball leagues. (Major League Baseball is not included in this analysis.) Of the 58 facilities, five (Clearwater, Dunedin, Jupiter, St. Lucie & Tucson) are... (more)

What Slump?

It has been commonplace for many observers to argue that the sale of naming rights for professional sports facilities has reached its peak. The failure of several high-profile agreements such as Enron and PSINet has certainly fueled the negative theories regarding the future of naming rights. However, the first quarter of 2004 has seen another solid start... (more)


Welcome to Naming Rights Online

A sincere and hearty welcome. Thanks to each of you for visiting Naming Rights Online. This site was developed by Bill Miller of The Leib Group, LLC in April 2004 for the purpose of serving as an information resource on the basics of the naming rights industry in professional sports and entertainment venues around North America.

This site is designed to look at naming rights from the perspective of teams, facilities and, occasionally, sponsors. For those opposed to stadium and arena naming rights, we certainly respect your opinion and suggest that you use your favorite search engine and check out the numerous resources created by those who share that opinion with you available elsewhere on the web.

This site is still under construction and it is only updated or added to as the schedule permits. We strongly suggest you visit here before you begin looking around. Thanks again for stopping by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome!
Thanks for stopping by Naming Rights Online: Your Naming Rights Information Source...

Coming soon!
The 2004 edition of Facility Naming Rights authored by Bill Miller will be available in Spring 2005.

Check here for updated publication details and ordering information...

Current Deals
As of 1/05/05, there are 72 Major League and 107 Minor League naming rights agreements currently in place.