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NR Field Sees
Fourth Biggest Year To Date
By Bill Miller
 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 drew to a close with only
two agreements announced in the fourth quarter. This
continued slowing of sales throughout each quarter is
obviously something that the industry will have to watch
closely early in 2005 to determine whether we are seeing
another plateau or merely a natural undulation in the
sales cycle.
There were five major league agreements and 15 minor
league agreements announced during 2004. The geographic
spread of the completed agreements was throughout the
United States and Canada seemingly indicating that sales
were not focused on one particular area of the
continent.
Of the twenty agreements announced
in 2004, ten involved new names for
existing facilities (San Francisco, Worcester, Iowa,
Texas, Seattle, Florence, Dunedin, Saskatoon, St. Lucie
& Harrisburg); seven were for new
facilities (St. Louis, Corpus Christi Hooks, Greensboro,
Corpus Christi Rayz, Clearwater, Victoria &
Allentown);
two exchanged one corporate name for another (Carolina & Kelowna)
and one was the restructuring and finalizing of a deal
preliminarily announced several years ago (Rochester/PaeTec).
The naming rights agreements
completed in 2004 are as follows:
|
Ameriquest Field in Arlington |
Texas Rangers |
30 |
$75,000,000
|
|
Bank of America Stadium |
Carolina Panthers |
20 |
$140,000,000 |
|
Bright House Networks Field |
Clearwater Threshers |
10 |
$1,700,000 |
|
Commerce Bank Park |
Harrisburg Senators |
15 |
$3,500,000 |
|
Credit Union Centre |
Saskatoon Blades |
10 |
$1,600,000 |
|
Knology Park |
Dunedin Blue Jays |
5 |
$400,000 |
|
PaeTec Park |
Rochester Rhinos |
7 |
$2,100,000 |
|
Prospera Place |
Kelowna Rockets |
10 |
n/a |
|
Walson Stadium |
Allentown Ambassadors |
10 |
$3,000,000 |
|
Tradition Field |
St. Lucie Mets |
10 |
n/a |
|
Whataburger Field |
Corpus Christi Hooks |
15 |
n/a |
|
Save-On-Foods Centre |
Victoria Salmon Kings |
10 |
$1,250,000 |
|
Qwest Field |
Seattle Seahawks |
15 |
$75,000,000 |
|
Champion Window Field |
Florence Freedom |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Busch Stadium |
St. Louis Cardinals |
20 |
n/a |
|
Monster Park |
San Francisco 49ers |
4 |
$6,000,000 |
|
Principal Park |
Iowa Cubs |
Inf. |
$2,500,000 |
|
American Bank Center |
Corpus Christi Rayz |
n/a |
n/a |
|
DCU Center |
Worcester Ice Cats |
10 |
$5,200,000 |
|
First Horizon Park |
Greensboro Grasshoppers |
10 |
$3,000,000 |
Source: Various published reports and Naming Rights
Online research.
Unfortunately, only nineteen of these
agreements will be implemented as the proposed baseball
stadium that was to be named in Allentown was unable to
secure funding despite the presence of a naming rights
agreement and will not be constructed. In addition, the
status of the agreement in Florence is uncertain due to
problems involving team ownership.
As the following chart illustrates,
there have been 210 naming rights agreements announced
for major league and minor league sports facilities
since the first agreement was completed for Buffalo's
Rich Stadium in 1972. This total does not include any naming
rights agreements for training facilities, concert &
entertainment venues, theatres, college facilities, high
schools or other venues.
Announced Naming Rights
Agreements
-
2004 (20)
-
2003 (18)
-
2002 (24)
-
2001 (15)
-
2000 (24)
-
1999 (34)
-
1998 (14)
-
1997 (10)
-
1996 (15)
-
1995 (14)
-
1994 (9)
-
1993 (2)
-
1992 (1)
-
1991 (2)
-
1990 (4)
-
1989 (0)
-
1988 (1)
-
1987 (0)
-
1986 (2)
-
***
-
1972 (1)
Posted 1/05/2005.
Bill Miller is an Executive Vice President at The
Leib Group, LLC in Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a regular
contributor to Naming Rights Online and can be reached
at
bmiller@namingrightsonline.com |
