Forget Shea Stadium. As of 2009, the New York Mets will play in a ballpark called Citi Field, thanks to a $400 million deal between Citigroup and the National League team.
The 20-year naming agreement, said to be the largest of its kind, was announced yesterday. It rivals a 32-year, $300 million naming rights deal forged in 2000 between Reliant Energy and the National Football League’s Houston Texans team for Reliant Stadium.
The deal, which is bound to irritate some fans, calls for extensive brand presence at the new stadium, including video programming and signage on walls and scoreboards.
In addition, Citigroup branding will be integrated into Mets television, print, radio and Web sites, including Mets.com and LosMets.com). It will also be featured in Mets publications and publicity materials, and on new outdoor marquees at Citi Field, Citigroup said.
Citigroup and the Mets will develop a variety of marketing, advertising, and promotional programs, including special offers for fans and Citigroup clients and employees on tickets, merchandise and experiences at Citi Field.
And Citigroup will pursue international sports, media, and entertainment-related business ventures. The logo for the new Citi Field ballpark will be unveiled shortly, Citigroup said.
As part of the deal, Citigroup will purchase media time on SportsNet New York (SNY), the year-round TV home of the Mets. The financial company’s media presence will include TV spots, special programming features and promotions in up to 125 regular season Mets game telecasts. Citi will also leverage SNY’s other live game telecasts, news programs, and online presence at SNY.tv.
Meanwhile, Citigroup and the Mets will build on their respective community outreach activities through the Citigroup Foundation and the New York Mets Foundation. As part of this, the two will commission a statue and name the entry rotunda of Citi Field to honor Jackie Robinson, the legendary American who broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
In addition, the entities will help create the Jackie Robinson Foundation Museum and Education Center in lower Manhattan to educate children about Jackie Robinson’s spirit and leading role in social change.
Partly underwritten by Citibank, construction of the 45,000-seat Citi Field began this summer in the outfield parking lot of Shea Stadium, the Mets’ current ballpark, in Queens, New York. It is expected to cost more than $600 million.
Network
