Kansas City donates naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

I didn't realize that Adidas has an interest in the jersey sponsorship. Do they get a cut?

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

Not to be cynical, but...

The stadium had to be named something before it opened. If there was a company that wanted to pay the Wiz a few million bucks a year, they could have gone that way.

On the other hand, if there wasn't an offer on the table, donating the name to charity makes more sense than calling it something generic, like "Johnston-Klein Sporting Park" or "The Prekidome," because:

1) You presumably get to write off the value of the naming rights you're donating, even though it doesn't cost you anything more to call the place "LiveStrong Sporting Park" than "L. Frank Baum Memorial Ampitheater."

2) You get some feel-good press, even though you may not actually be donating anything (or more than you otherwise would be) to charity. KC have said they'll guarantee that a certain amount will be raised, but haven't exactly said that they'll be paying it.

3) Most importantly, if you can't get a sponsor this year but want one two years down the road...it's a lot easier for fans to swallow if LiveStrong Sporting Park changes its name because the naming rights expired (charity or not) than to tell them you're changing a name that's become beloved by the locals, like "Candlestick Park" or "Digital Takawira Athletic Venue." This is why no stadium will ever be named after national heroes or war veterans again, because stripping off the sign that says Veterans Stadium or Soldier Field or RFK Stadium or JFK Stadium would be a much bigger deal than switching which bank's name is on the front.

4) Journalists and fans are also more likely to switch usage from Livestrong to Consolidated Carcinogens than they are to switch from a non-corporate to a corporate name--the new Meadowlands will probably stay the Meadowlands to a lot of people now no matter which bank and/or beer company eventually buys its naming rights. Hell, I still call the CoreStates/First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center "Spectrum II" and everyone knows what I mean.

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

No, but Livestrong is most definitely a Nike brand.

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

This.

 

This feed is pretty choppy...

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

What an awesome move a la Barcelona and the Unicef shirt sponsorship. Love it. Great job KC.

By the way, notice the Sporting Club and different-looking crest in the background? Looks sharp.

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

Ahhh... I don't follow cycling so I did not know that. Makes sense. Thanks.

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

assuming you are making money in the first place.

 

amazing partnership. its mere uniqueness is great marketing.

granted im sure you will get the espn boneheads that well yell "look they had to pay someone to sponsor their stadium. soccer is so lame"

but i love the move even if i dont have testicular cancer.

 

More details in the press release:

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2011/03/sporting-club-partners-livestrong

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

afaik, you (or your corporation) don't have to be "making money" to get a tax benefit for donating to a 501(c)(3).

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

Be cynical if you like, but I think that this ownership group is actually interested in doing something good and fighting cancer. Neal Patterson's wife has had a bout with cancer, if that says anything...

 

thanks.

and on a completely unrelated topic --

WiFi access for all at the stadium?

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

After all of the fruitless "investigations" of Armstrong already, I would think that most people stop noticing.

 

Re: Kansas City sells naming rights to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation

exactly.

the Livestrong brand, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (and their work) are much bigger than even a 7-time Tour de France winning athlete.

whatever Lance's future holds (or if his athletic achievements are later re-written), his foundation will carry on its meaningful work.

great move by SKC.

 

That's what we've been told.

 

free, or for a fee?

(maybe if it's for a fee, that would get donated to Livestrong as well.)

 

We'd been told free previously...

 

This sets up SKC to sell a hell of alot of jerseys, if they put Livestrong on their shirts.

 

One rumor over on the KC board is that we're talking with American General (through whom we got introduced to Livestrong) about being the jersey sponsor.