What once was a significant stream of free money for sports teams now has become a dry, dusty hole.
The market for naming rights -- i.e., the slapping of a corporate moniker on a stadium -- has softened dramatically, due largely to the current economic climate.
The latest look at the problem centers on Jacksonville, where the three-years-and-counting inability to find a successor to Alltel shouldn't be surprising, given that the Jags still have a hard time selling enough tickets to their home games to avoid local blackouts.
Still, it might be more than the economy and/or a mid-size market that doesn't support its team like it should.
It could be that companies are realizing that having their names mentioned whenever the name of the venue is mentioned really doesn't do much to impact the bottom line.
Sure, it helps to promote brand awareness. And that makes plenty of sense for a brand that is relatively unknown.
But it becomes a chicken-and-the-egg proposition for many smaller companies looking to establish a national platform. If they have the financial wherewithal to justify buying the naming rights to a football stadium, they likely already enjoy sufficient brand recognition.
The new relationship between Land Shark and the Dolphins therefore makes sense, since the up-and-coming beer behind the name is part of a bigger conglomerate (Anheuser-Busch) that can afford to write the check. As a result, an otherwise niche product takes on a much higher profile.
So that might be the ideal approach for a team like the Jaguars.
Unfortunately, however, a prime local opportunity already has been missed.
Every bottle of Land Shark Lager points out that it was made by the Margaritaville Brewing Company. Located in Jacksonville.
Naming rights deals remain stagnant
Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2009 8:35 AM ET
Permalink
7 Comments 
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Transactions, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Transactions, Top Stories
Wow, why go to Harvard Business School when you can get this kind of insight from Florio.
how's jerrah doing with the naming rights to the new cowboy's stadium??
i've come up cold on any funny name for cowboy's stadium,any body out there ready to carry the water??
The league should contract back to 30 or 28 teams.
You can do away with the Jaguars, the vikings or one of the Ohio teams. It is time to get rid of the some weak franchises.
C'mon Florio, the Jags had no chance at that deal. The only reason the Dolphins got Land Shark was because Jimmy Buffett bought a percentage of the team. Also, the deal isn't even for a full year. It think its ironic, yes, but you're leaving some details out.
Jones has no shortage of potential naming rights partners for the new stadium but he is waiting until Obama and Congress stop trying to kill the US economy before he pulls the trigger.
The story & commenter above are wrong in regard to the Dolphins / Land Shark.
1) Buffett did NOT buy a percentage of the team. There are talks about him doing it eventually, but he did not.
2) According to Ross, LandShark is not paying the Dolphins a penny for the naming rights of the stadium. It is not a money deal. The benefit the Dolphins are receiving is supposed to be publicity, notoriety, Buffett re-writing his Fins song as "Fins for Dol-fans," a potential Margaritaville area at the stadium and a possible Buffett concert at the stadium.
It is amazing how assumptions are used as facts rather than facts themselves.
Well, money or no money, Buffet or not, ownership or not, I'm one Jaguar fan who's glad our building isn't called "Land Shark Stadium".
Considering the fact that most people on this board and outside of our area consider the Jaguars somewhat of a joke, the last thing we needed in the world was for our crib to be saddled with what has to be the Stupidest Name Ever. Even if it is only for part of the year.
Money issues notwithstanding, I still fail to understand what's wrong with just keeping the traditional names that stadiums used to have. Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Three Rivers Stadium, Texas Stadium, even a wine-and-cheese palace like Candlestick Park...you *know* where those buildings are and what they represent. Frankly, if they just called the place Jacksonville Municipal Stadium forever, that would be fine.
Think about the conversations you have with your non-fan friends:
"So, what did you do yesterday?"
Normal response:
"I was at the Jack all day, watching the Jaguars pound [insert team here]."
Abnormal response:
"I was at Land Shark all day, watching the Jaguars pound [insert team here]."
and to share the pain:
"I was at the M&T Bank all day, watching the Ravens pound [insert team here]."
Hell, half the state still calls the place the Gator Bowl.