Citi Stands By Mets Naming Rights Deal

As the days go by, the pressure seems to be mounting on the folks at Citi to get out of their 20-year, $400 million naming rights deal with the New York Mets.

Citigroup has received $45 billion in government bailout money and some believe the deal for the new stadium is therefore not the best use of funds.

Despite all the noise, including a front page story in the Wall Street Journal today, the Mets just sent us this statement.

"In conversations this morning, Citi reinforced that they will honor our legally binding agreement."

Costas To Join Upstart MLB Network; Remain At NBC

Bob Costas, a 19-time Emmy Award winner and NBC broadcaster, has signed a multi-year contract to join the upstart MLB Network, CNBC has learned, though he will remain at NBC Sports.

The MLB network, which debuted on Jan. 1 as the largest launch in cable history at 50 million homes, will announce the news later today.

Costas will host original programming on the channel and will serve as play-by-play commentator for a select group of regular season games broadcast by the network, which is owned by the league.

"Bob's love for baseball is well documented and very sincere," said his agent Sandy Montag of IMG. "When this opportunity came up, it made a lot of sense. The network's distribution out of the box is strong, the management is strong and the place looks great."

He is the author of the bestseller, "Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball," which was written in 2000.

Montag also said the network's geographical location was also a plus. The MLB Network is based in Secaucus, N.J., close to New York, where Costas now lives.

Costas, who hosted NBC's recent coverage of Super Bowl XLIII, will continue his responsibilities with NBC Sports, including hosting the Olympics and the Sunday Night Football show, "Football Night in America." Costas has been with the network since 1980.

As part of the deal, Costas will leave HBO, where he hosted "Costas Now" and "Inside the NFL" over the last eight years.

Although a deal wasn't finalized at that point, Costas interviewed Don Larsen and Yogi Berra for the network as part of its rebroadcast of the 1956 World Series perfect game, which was the first thing viewers saw when the network debuted on Jan. 1.

Costas will host a new one-hour program for the network called "MLB Network Studio 42 with Bob Costas."

His first interview, with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, will air on Thursday, Feb. 5.

Chiefs Change Supermarket Sponsorship

Say so long to “Chiefs and Chopper.”

After nearly three decades, the homegrown Price Chopper chain will no longer be the Kansas City Chiefs’ “official” grocery sponsor. Price Chopper said the Chiefs indicated that when the sponsorship contract ran out in March, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Food & Drug would take over.

“Price Chopper has been a sponsor for 28 years, back when the Chiefs were building their fan base and the stadium wasn’t as full as it is now,” said Phil Hermanson, a spokesman for Price Chopper. “Being a local company, Price Chopper wants to support the Chiefs.”

Hy-Vee declined to comment, referring calls to the Chiefs.

Tammy Fruits, vice president of sales and marketing for the Chiefs, said the National Football League team had a “long and good relationship” with Price Chopper, but she confirmed that the contract was ending. She declined to elaborate “out of respect to our partners.”

Industry experts say grocers depend on community support and that one way to garner that is by supporting things the community cares about — from local schools to major-league sports teams.

Indeed. Sports have become one of the largest categories of sponsorship spending in the United States. IEG, a Chicago research firm, estimates that sports leagues and their teams generated $11.4 billion in sponsorship revenue in 2008, compared with $9.9 billion in 2007, a nearly 15 percent increase.

Hy-Vee’s timing may be pretty good. Although the Chiefs’ last two seasons were dismal — the team compiled records of 4-12 in 2007 and 2-14 in 2008 — there is renewed excitement since Scott Pioli was named general manager this month.

Still, overcoming the Chiefs and Chopper connection may be a challenge.

“Hy-Vee bought a category, so they are the ‘official’ grocery. But that only gets them in the game,” said Dave Wilson, a partner of InQuest Marketing LLC, a Leawood-based marketing and communications company that has worked with Price Chopper owners and other grocers. “Then it’s how you leverage it.”

The Chiefs logo has been prominent in Price Chopper ads and in the stores. Players, team owners, broadcasters, cheerleaders and even the KC Wolf mascot have made guest appearances at Price Chopper supermarkets. And the chain used the Chiefs to push its deli value meals called Wolf Packs.

How Hy-Vee handles the sponsorship remains to be seen.

“In the early days, Price Chopper would buy out remaining tickets — sometimes thousands — so the local game would be televised,” Wilson said.

William Chipps, senior editor for IEG, said Hy-Vee, which is based in West Des Moines, Iowa, probably had to offer something “pretty extraordinary” to the Chiefs.

If the chain offered more money, Hy-Vee has the luxury of spreading costs across its region of 225 stores in seven states. Price Chopper is a local banner of Associated Wholesale Grocers with 48 locations in Kansas and Missouri.

In response to losing the official sponsorship, Price Chopper recently made a “major commitment” to advertising within KCTV-5’s telecasts of Chiefs games and pregame and post-game specials, along with “Locker Room” and “Kick-off” shows.

Super Bowl XLIII Winners and Losers

By Darren Rovell, CNBC

WINNERS

Santonio Holmes: His 131 yards receiving and amazing game-winning TD grab secured him the MVP, the Disney World spot, and a nice pension of sorts from the collectible world for always being a Super Bowl MVP.

The Business of the Super Bowl

Dick's Sporting Goods: the Pittsburgh-based sports retailer hit the jackpot with the Steelers winning. They have virtually no competition in Pennsylvania, made a huge bet on the Steelers winning it all and it will pay off to the tune of major sales of full priced merchandise -- a rarity in these times.

The NFL: Incredible championship games like this help separate the NFL from the rest of the major sports leagues.

James Harrison: The NFL Defensive Player of the Year, previously cut three times by the Steelers, will forever be known for the amazing 100 yard touchdown return.

Disney: Not only did they get Roethlisberger and Holmes on the contingency list so that they had them "Going To Disney World" after they won. But officials with the company were surprised when Bruce Springsteen finished his set with "I'm going to Disneyland."

Bridgestone: The tire company gets halftime when Springsteen finally says yes. Not only that, two of their ads -- tires on the moon and Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head -- are among the most popular.

NBC: The network still managed to sell out ads to the tune of record revenue and actually gave those who bought second-half spots value for their money.

Ben Roethlisberger: Two titles at such a young age, combined with the tradition and fan base of the Steelers, makes him the most marketable player in the league once again.

President Barack Obama: To our new president's credit, he avoided being politically safe and boldly picked the Steelers, proving that he knows a winner. Getting thanked by Dan Rooney as the biggest member of Steeler Nation in the postgame gave him more cred.

Mike Tomlin: Winning Super Bowl coaches have a long leash. For Tomlin, the youngest coach to win the Big Game, this is the best job security you can hope for.

PUSH

Bruce Springsteen: Sure, it's a big deal to play at the Super Bowl Halftime show. Just see Tom Petty's rise in digital music sales last year. But the crowd was dead when he was trying to convince them to like his latest, "Working On A Dream."

Michael Phelps: Nothing good can come from evidence of smoking pot, but if there were a day for this story to emerge, you'd want this game, and a five-setter between Nadal and Federer, to bury it deep into the paper.

Kurt Warner: The Arizona Cardinals quarterback still comes away with a book deal, though a bit less lucrative, and another great game to add to his legacy.

El Salvador: They will still get a great donation of "Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl Champion" gear, but the donation would have been larger had the Steelers lost.

Ticket Sellers: After predictions that this would be the worst market ever, no one was getting tickets at face, as too many Steelers fans showed up with no tickets to keep the ticket market soft.

LOSERS

Larry Fitzgerald: An amazing game for the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver -- two touchdowns in less than five minutes in the fourth quarter. But it's hard to get attention in Arizona and Fitzgerald won't get big marketing deals without a championship and a Super Bowl MVP in his hands.

Stanley Druckenmiller: With the Rooneys squabbling over what to do with the Steelers, Druckenmiller appeared to have the cash to do the deal before the Rooneys backed off. Having a championship months after buying the team would have been sweet.

Tampa Business Owners: It's better than normal business, but it doesn't seem like there was a whole lot of spending going on here. Not only were people pouring their hard earned dollars into the game ticket, but there was a big contingent of people staying 80 miles away in Orlando.