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Media & Entertainment Law

: Sports Biz

Timex and New York Giants Naming Rights Pact Extends Beyond Practice Field

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So far, the Jets and the Giants have been unable to secure a naming rights sponsor for the $1.3 billion New Meadowlands Stadium scheduled to open for the 2010 season. That has not stopped the Giants from finding other ways to bring sponsors aboard. The Giants training facility located adjacent to the new stadium, will sport the name Timex Performance Center, as the centerpiece of a 15 year $35-40 million deal. The deal, however, includes much more than just the name on the training facility. Timex has obtained some highly visible turf for its money.

The Giants training jerseys will be sporting a Timex patch on the left shoulder, as the NFL has just recently allowed teams to sell practice jersey sponsorships. Perhaps this is the first step down that slippery slope to game jersey sponsorship? There are several NFL owners with English Premier League teams so they know the value of that jersey space. I expect to see it coming down the road and maybe sooner than most expected.

In addition, Timex will have "Countdown to Kickoff" clocks on the 16 video towers encircling the stadium, as well as "Timex Timeouts" on the jumbotrons for each timeout. There will also be branding opportunities on the Giants radio and local television broadcasts and the Giants health and fitness magazine which is distributed to 100,000 doctors' offices in the Giants market.

Will all of this work for Timex? It better help Timex in its attempts to reposition its brand because it is a fairly large bet for the company in rather unfriendly economic times for a consumer goods company. Timex is trying to shed the image of cheap but durable and move into the performance category that will allow it to expand margins. This deal is a cornerstone of that strategy. The exposure will be there; the product has to follow.

Full post as published by Sports Biz on June 19, 2009 (boomark / email).