The world's largest telecom company is about to connect with one of the planet's most iconic sports franchises. And, for the first time in its 53-year history, America's Team will have a corporate name on its home field.
Welcome to AT&T Cowboys Stadium.
According to team and industry sources, the Dallas Cowboys will announce this week at training camp in Oxnard, California - or perhaps in Arlington - that they have reached a multi-year, multi-million-dollar naming-rights deal that, possibly beginning with the 2013 season but 2014 at the latest, will re-brand Cowboys Stadium to include its new AT&T partner.
As camp commenced over the weekend owner Jerry Jones caused a buzz by denying that this season is an "Armageddon year" for head coach Jason Garrett, second-team defensive end Tyrone Crawford suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and quarterback Tony Romo arrived weighing more (236 pounds) than middle linebacker Sean Lee.
But when the Cowboys finally break camp in mid-August and return to Arlington for their Sept. 8 opener against the New York Giants, their home will have a new, yet very familiar name.
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Since their inception in 1960 the Cowboys have played in stadiums sans corporate naming rights - Cotton Bowl ('60-'71), Texas Stadium ('71-'08) and Cowboys Stadium ('09-). But the enormous cost of building the stadium in Arlington combined with the allure of being associated with one of the world's most valuable and recognizable sports brands led to persistent speculation that Jones would land a giant corporate sponsor.
The owner looked long. But he didn't have to look far.
AT&T -
America's 11th-largest company in 2012 and the naming-rights partner of the Giants' baseball park in San Francisco and Texas Tech's football stadium in Lubbock - is headquartered in downtown Dallas. It sponsors the annual Cotton Bowl Classic played in Cowboys Stadium. And the company's logo is already affixed to the Cowboys' practice jerseys.
The marriage makes perfect sense.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.
In 2013, AT&T finally bundled the Corporate Cowboys.
More $ for Jerry...Get rid of $340 seats with $50k price tag & sell all seats for $99. Then the stadium will have a chance to be filled with REAL rowdy fans & give Cowboys a true advantange! How many wins would that be worth, RW?
ReplyDeleteP.S. i am a season ticket holder
I hear ya, but since he averaged 80,000+ per game I don't think the prices are coming down any time soon.
Deletep.s...nobody cares...
ReplyDeleteDidn't mean it in an arrogant way, but being a TH gives me the right to critique the peeps in the seats. Shameful that college games are more fun than NFL at this $tadium!
DeleteCowboys need to give the fans something to cheer about. - TC
DeleteJerrys World or The Death Star are much more fitting.
ReplyDelete