Author: Don Muret

Miami Open: Paradise in a Parking Lot …

Miami Open: Paradise in a Parking Lot …

Posted by | Feb 27, 2019 |

At Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami Open extends to 30 combined competition and practice courts outside the NFL facility. (Courtesy Hard Rock Stadium) … and inside an NFL venue, as the Miami Open makes its debut at Hard Rock Stadium Over the past decade, big league teams have become more aggressive and creative in booking nontraditional sports events to fill stadiums and generate incremental revenue. The X Games, the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, the U.S. Women’s Open bowling tournament and Fenway Park’s Big Air snowboarding and ski jumping competition are just a few examples. In South Florida, the Miami Dolphins are ready for the next step: For the first time in sports, professional tennis is taking over an NFL venue.  The Dolphins’ 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium and a portion of the vast parking lots surrounding the building have been transformed into a sports and cultural oasis for the Miami Open… Continue Reading Miami Open: Paradise in a Parking Lot …

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Braves at a Florida Crossroads

Braves at a Florida Crossroads

Posted by | Feb 27, 2019 | ,

An aerial view from late January shows the Atlanta Braves’ new spring training complex in North Port, Fla. (Courtesy Atlanta Braves) Natural habitats, rising developments surround new CoolToday Park Baby alligators, turtles, wild boars and baseball. What else could you want from spring training? CoolToday Park, the Atlanta Braves’ $120 million spring training complex under construction in North Port, Fla., has its fair share of critters, including young gators inhabiting a retention pond near the minor league fields behind the stadium. “Watch where you step,” said Pendulum Studio’s Jonathan Cole, the Kansas City sports architect teaming with local firm Fawley Bryant to design the ballpark. The site, situated 35 miles south of Sarasota, is part of an old cattle ranch that once spanned 10,000 acres of farmland on Florida’s west coast. The ballpark and other developments are slowly encroaching on the state’s natural habitat. Such is life. It’s all part… Continue Reading Braves at a Florida Crossroads

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Rays Make a Bold Move With Cashless Conversion

Rays Make a Bold Move With Cashless Conversion

Posted by | Feb 26, 2019 |

Concession stands at Tropicana Field will no longer take cash this season. (Courtesy Tampa Bay Rays) Experts agree that’s where industry is heading, but some say hard money still has a place Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays are fully committed to cashless technology. They’re the first big league team to convert all food service, merchandise, parking and ticketing operations at their stadium to cash-free systems. At Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the Rays’ home since their inaugural season in 1998, baseball fans must use credit or debit cards, the team’s affinity card, mobile technology such as Apple Pay or gift cards to pay for concessions and retail.  When fans buy gift cards with cash at merchandise stands and from team employees roaming the ballpark, it’s the only time currency is exchanged as part of the cashless program. The gift cards are available in all dollar values, said Bill Walsh,… Continue Reading Rays Make a Bold Move With Cashless Conversion

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For Ballparks, Market’s Right for Naming Rights

For Ballparks, Market’s Right for Naming Rights

Posted by | Feb 26, 2019 | ,

A rendering shows the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark once new signs and lighting have been installed. (Courtesy Seattle Mariners) Milwaukee, San Francisco, Seattle all find partners for new long-term deals The recent trend for Major League Baseball teams nearing the end of stadium naming-rights deals has been to find new partners for long-term agreements. Over the past few months, the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners announced new deals to rebrand their venues for American Family Insurance, Oracle and T-Mobile, respectively. The agreements for Oracle Park in San Francisco and T-Mobile Park in Seattle took effect before the 2019 season. In Milwaukee, American Family’s deal kicks in after the 2020 season. The agreement extends to the Brewers’ spring training facility in Maryvale, Ariz., which is now called American Family Fields of Phoenix after going through $60 million in upgrades. Brewer MillerCoors, AT&T and Safeco Insurance all declined to renew naming… Continue Reading For Ballparks, Market’s Right for Naming Rights

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AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries

AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries

Posted by | Feb 26, 2019 | ,

AEG, as a corporation, owns and operates Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Getty Images) Food, ticketing and events components could be key as companies with differing strategies combine as ASM Global The blockbuster merger of AEG Facilities and SMG Worldwide should not greatly affect the venue operations side, industry officials said. But they say it’s worth keeping an eye on the evolution of the companies’ ticketing, events and food service businesses, because all three ancillaries provide critical revenue sources.  The companies, which are the two biggest players in the private management of sports and entertainment venues, announced in early February that they have formed a definitive merger, creating a new entity that will be called ASM Global. Financial terms were not disclosed.  AEG Facilities and Onex, a private equity firm that acquired SMG for $1 billion in 2017, will each own 50 percent of the new company. The merger will… Continue Reading AEG Facilities-SMG Merger: Watch for the Ancillaries

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