Danica’s next move her biggest
A Danica Patrick-Tony Stewart partnership. How long before some kind of volcanic reaction? It’s enough to make the media salivate. Sponsors are already chomping at the bit.
It’s true, Patrick was in the land…
Sports Business
Articles
Colts seal Farm Bureau sponsorship pact
The Indianapolis Colts have become one of the first National Football League teams to sell a corporate sponsorship patch
on players’ practice jersey.
Colts run two-minute sales drill
The Indianapolis Colts continue to be leaders in innovation—and I’m not talking about Peyton Manning’s on-field audibles or Bill Polian’s scouting and drafting system.
The Colts sales and marketing staff has done its fair…
Bob Knight, still The General
Whether he ever gets another job as a basketball coach remains to be seen, but Bob Knight is still The General.
During an exhibition softball game played in St. Louis in conjunction with the…
MainGate takes on Vikings
Indianapolis-based merchandiser MainGate Inc. continues scoring deals with National Football League teams.
On July 7, company officials announced they had signed a 10-year deal to be the exclusive retail and merchandising company
for the Minnesota Vikings.
BENNER: Time for some perspective on Tony George’s legacy
Reports of a Hulman-George family feud proved dead-on accurate when matriarch Mari Hulman-George issued a statement June
30 confirming the ouster of her son, Tony, as CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the family business empire. Shortly
thereafter, Tony George also resigned as CEO of the Indy Racing League.
BENNER: Indiana Fever are adding a little sizzle to summer
Last week’s column about the wide array of events on our July sports calendar in Indy was glaringly lacking in
one aspect: The Indiana Fever. As of this writing, they are the hottest team in the WNBA, reversing an
0-2 start and racing to six straight victories.
Corporate donors standing by $25M Super Bowl pledges
Most of the companies that agreed to help underwrite the 2012 Super Bowl are standing by their commitments even as the recession
wreaks havoc on their businesses. Of $25 million pledged by more than 80 companies before last year’s bid process, only about
$1 million is at risk, said host committee head Mark Miles.
Tony George’s successor might trade tradition for revenue
A management shake-up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has some in the motorsports industry thinking major changes could
be on the horizon at the fabled race venue—maybe as soon as next year.
Indianapolis 500 movie racing toward big screen
A locally born initiative to make a movie about the first Indianapolis 500 has cleared a major obstacle to getting its project to big screens nationwide by May 2011—in time for the race’s centennial.
IRL TV ratings lagging at Richmond
Saturday’s Indy Racing League race—the SunTrust Indy Challenge—posted the second worst national
TV rating…
Economy takes toll on golf spending, but Senior Open on course for profits
Organizers of the 2009 U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick are sinking one birdie putt after another in their efforts to meet
their budget and draw strong crowds to central Indiana later this month. In this economy, sports marketers are calling ticket
and sponsorship sales for the tournament remarkable.
Tribe hitting high attendance mark
Unless you already have a ticket to see this Saturday's Indianapolis Indians game, you won't
be able to see the Tribe's annual fireworks show
unless you’re watching from outside of Victory Field. The Indians…
Pacers, Fever sign major sponsor
Kroger Central Division President Bob Moeder and Pacers Sports & Entertainment President Jim Morris jointly
announced a "comprehensive partnership" at an 11 a.m. news conference today. The announcement included a
dramatic
unveiling of…
Can IRL survive sans IMS support?
It's official. As reported by SpeedTV and IBJ more than a month ago, Tony George has stepped down from
his leadership role at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The biggest question remaining is what will…
Hansbrough to sign at low cost
Tyler Hansbrough is so far turning out to be a popular draft pick among the Indiana Pacers faithful. It will be interesting to see what he does to spike ticket sales. I suspect,…
Circle City Classic names director
For those that missed it in the IBJ print edition two weeks ago, the Circle City Classic has named a new director. The official announcement comes today. For more details on the new…
IRL moves to improve racing
Indy Racing League officials were probably not too pleased to hear Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti telling a national television audience how “dreadful” and “awful” Saturday night’s race at Richmond was.
But…
BENNER: July events rely on big names to draw a crowd
For all the heat and sunshine, July can be a cold, dark hole in the Indianapolis
sports calendar. Other than the ever-beloved Indianapolis Indians, sometimes there’s not much going on.
National cycling event pulled from Velodrome
An 11th-hour deal to keep this year’s USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships at the Major Taylor Velodrome has fallen
flat, and the event has been moved to Colorado Springs.