Edge Sports International, Inc.

AHEAD OF THE GAME

AHEAD OF THE GAME will streamline relevant sports branding news into a bi-monthly capsule providing you with the most important and most interesting issues as they pertain to sports marketing and professinal athletes. If you have topical news relating to your company or clientele, please fell free to share withus at info@edgesportsintl.com. We welcome your comments and suggestions. We look forward to keeping your entire staff abreast of the latest trends and breaking news.

Marketing and Sponsorship Update
The Marketing and Sponsorship Update provides the latest news on deals that have been negotiated between professional athletes, sports properties and the media.Peruse this section for breaking news within the sport marketing industry, as well as to track the success of sports properties and sporting events.

•	Dr. Pepper has signed a five year deal with ABC and the ACC to be the title sponsor of the first ever conference title football game, adding to their bowl-sponsorship resume of the Big Twelve and SEC Championship games.
•	ESPN has signed a new deal with Tennis Australia to broadcast the Australian Open, which ESPN will broadcast on ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN.com and ESPN Mobile.
•	McDonald's and the NBA have agreed to expand their partnership to four continents.
•	FIFA increases its total prize money to $280 Million for the 2006 World Cup.
•	XM Satellite Radio to launch a twenty-four hour Spanish sports station
•	In a move that will add $3-5 Million revenue for many athletic departments, the NCAA board of directors have added a twelfth game to the regular season football schedule.
•	Allstate will be the title sponsor of the Brickyard 400, which will be renamed the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Allstate is also set to become the official life, home and auto insurance company of NASCAR.
•	The Carolina Panthers have signed a deal to make Anheuser Busch and Miller their official beer sponsors. The deal is worth $4 Million annually.
•	Adidas-Salomon AG will sell its Salomon division to Amer Sports Corporation of Finland for $623.7 Million so that it can concentrate on the growth of their core products.
•	Alex Rodriguez has terminated his relationship with memorabilia company, A-Rod Authentication, so that his own company, Impact Sports, can handle his memorabilia business. The move coming after A-Rod Authentication was found selling signed baseballs that Rodriguez never signed.
•	Visa extended its sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby for five more years but has decided to drop its sponsorship of the Triple Crown.
•	Burger King and the NFL have agreed to a one- year youth-focused promotional deal in the low seven figures with options that could extend the deal over three years.
•	Maria Sharapova has signed a three- year deal with Colgate Palmolive worth at least $2 Million annually.
•	The NFL has signed a one-year deal with CHUM-TV (Canada) to air Monday Night Football

Inside the Industry
Browse this section to view the most recent personnel changes within the front offices of professional sports teams, sports properties, events, leagues, advertising agencies and companies that invest money in sports. Inside the Industry will Keep you updated on the most recent and most important mergers and acquisitions affecting the sports marketplace as well.

•	Mike Burns, the former Saatchi and Saatchi worldwide executive whose departure from the agency set off a chain of events that included the walkout of seventeen staffers, has responded to a lawsuit by his former agency with a suit of his own.
•	Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide announces the restructuring of its west coast operations, establishing a new entity called TBWA/California and developing a “media arts” initiative.
•	Trevor Beattie, the U.K.'s highest-profile adman and Chairman and Creative Director of Omnicom Group's TBWA London, has quit the agency to start up his own shop, Beattie McGuinness Bungay.
•	E-marketer projects that Internet ad spending will grow by thirty-four percent this year.
•	The pending merger of Sprint Corporation and Nextel Communications has the two companies' ad agencies battling for their share of a nearly $1 Billion account.
•	Mattel retains Mediavest for its $100 Million media account.
•	Following competitor Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Hilton Hotels Corporation has signed a deal with a Hollywood talent agency and is shifting more of its marketing efforts toward branded entertainment.

Seeking Sponsorship Opportunities
Having trouble deciding which properties to align you or your client's brand with? There is an overabundance of sponsorship opportunities within the marketplace these days and choosing the right one can often be an overwhelming decision. The Edge Sports Sponsorship Page will continue to provide you with overviews of sponsorship opportunities that may be able to enhance your brand. We will update the page on a weekly basis. Be sure to check the page periodically for opportunities that will help you effectively reach your sponsorship and marketing goals.

Seeking Sponsors
The Migala Report provides sports marketing executives with in-depth monthly reports that will help your entire organization learn from the best and maximize your potential to sell sponsorships. Here are a few tips the Migala Report hopes your business can benefit from.

Learn some fun ideas that teams are doing to spread the love to their ticket buyers

Steve Schanwald, Executive Vice President-Business Operations, Chicago Bulls,
"We have some longtime season ticket holders who have been with us, if I may coin a phrase, 'Through Thick and Thin.' We felt it was appropriate to honor them in some way and show our appreciation. Accordingly, every season ticket holder who has been with us more than 20 consecutive years we honor by putting their name on our LED board and thanking them for their great support over the years. They deserve it! It's kind of a Bulls Season Ticket Holders Hall of Fame if you will. Also, many season ticket holders are featured in our Media Guide, and a season ticket holder is selected at each home game as the "Fan of the Game" and then featured on Bulls.com."

Mike Stanfield, Director of Ticket Sales and Operation Services, New Orleans Saints, "We created a program called 'Lots of Lagniappe' for our season ticket holders to play on our saying in New Orleans. It basically means 'extra stuff.' We are offering 26 benefits to our season ticket holders, including a team photo, a personalized press release, an e-mail newsletter, a bumper sticker, a media guide, an autograph session with our cheerleaders and a kids activity day."

John Schriever, Vice President of Ticket Operations, Houston Texans, "We electronically scan tickets when fans attend games. Those who come to every home game are entered to win a trip for two to the Pro Bowl. This is our second year of doing this. We want to sell season tickets but we push the use of these tickets."

Ed Sweeney, Sales Representative, Les Capitales de Quebec, "We did a promotion to try to get husbands and boyfriends to bring their wife or girlfriend to the game. We drew six names and the winners entered a limo with the mascot and the women went on a two- hour shopping spree while her husband or boyfriend watched the game. It gives the sponsor exposure as the women were carrying their bags and we did a beauty product
giveaway at the game."

Todd Taylor, Vice President, Ticket Sales and Customer Service, Portland Trail Blazers, "We created the 'We Want You Back' program as a re- branding effort and a way to reconnect with the community. When you think about it, relationships with fans are like any other relationships. Good relationships take a lot of work and there are many ups and downs, like marriage. We had four stages to this program. First, we sent flowers to former season ticket holders. The staff delivered 1,500 dozen roses door to door. We as a staff traveled 5,000 miles in a two-day period. We also delivered 1,500 pounds of Rocky Road chocolate to show how we've been rocky in the past but we're willing to work at it. The third step of the program was inviting former season ticket holders to dinner on the floor of the Rose Garden. We covered the floor in round tables and the General Manager and Head Coach gave speeches. The final stage of 'We Want You Back' was inviting the former season ticket holders out to opening day. We got a great response and we'd do it again. The greatest thing was that our entire organization rallied around it and it energized us internally."