SBJ Marketing: JetBlue lands at UBS Arena with Islanders

Looking to make an emphatic statement in the hypercompetitive N.Y. market, JetBlue will become the domestic airline sponsor of UBS Arena and the Islanders as part of a new 15-year deal.

The pact, believed to be the 3-year-old arena’s largest sponsorship deal outside of UBS’ 20-year naming-rights deal (which is valued at $17.5 million-$18 million annually), includes entitlement and exterior signage on the arena’s Northwest Terrace and naming rights to the arena’s event level, which becomes the JetBlue Runway Level.

The deal also includes a rebranding of the Spotlight Club premium hospitality area and the Spotlight Suites to the Mosaic Lounge and Mosaic Suites, respectively, in deference to the airline’s frequency/loyalty program. Mosaic members will also get access to a priority lane at the arena’s main entrance.

JetBlue flies out of LaGuardia (14 miles from UBS Arena) and JFK (7 miles from the arena). The airline is headquartered in Long Island City (16 miles from the venue).

"Across our overall campus, we’re building a convergence of sports, music and fashion and [JetBlue] liked both the consumer and B-to-B approach within that and that we are bundling an asset they that they could participate in, as opposed to just selling eyeballs," said Islanders operating partner John Collins, who noted the Video Music Awards being held at UBS Arena next week and the forthcoming "luxury retail outlet" and Belmont Park thoroughbred track renovation due in 2026.

There have traditionally been just a handful of domestic airline brands spending on sponsorship and it was one of the sectors most battered by the COVID lockdown. Anomalies of the N.Y. market notwithstanding, the cross-industry question this large deal must prompt is whether the category is flying again as a sponsorship spender. It's a question I thought about with Emirates' large NBA deal early this year .

Delta is a big spender in the N.Y. market (see chart below). JetBlue has focused largely on the Boston market, with sponsorship rights to the Boston Marathon, Bruins, Celtics, TD Garden, Patriots and Red Sox -- but has other deals in the N.Y. market.

Oak View Group had a stake in developing the arena and sells primary sponsorship assets. "Especially in the larger hubs across the country, this tells me the [airline] category is back," said Dan Griffis, president of global partnerships at OVG. "Locally, this shows it's not just a play for the hockey season -- it's a year-round play for the campus."

Other official sponsors of the Islanders include Dime Community Bank, Ford, Heineken, Hyundai, Northwell, Ticketmaster and Verizon.

NFL SVP/Consumer Products Joe Ruggiero said that new imperative for overseas sales on the sponsorship side of the NFL is no less a priority on the consumer products side of the house.

"Growing the global piece of consumer products is important since it is how most people touch and feel the brands for the first time, and grow their fandom," he said.

The most imminent example is the licensing push behind the Eagles-Packers game this Friday in São Paulo, Brazil. Fanatics is administering six pop-up "NFL Shop" licensed merch stores across São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. There are four in airports, with both event-specific and "a wide swath of NFL teams and licensees" represented. Those stores will be open into October.

There will also be an apparel collaboration with halftime performer Anitta, a Brazilian pop star. Reps from around 15 NFL licensees will be in Brazil, as will Ruggiero.  

Friday’s game will played at Corinthians Arena, where there will be five merch stores -- along with an additional one at the NFL Fan Fest running this weekend at Parque Villa Lobos in São Paulo.

While the Eagles will be opening the season in Brazil, closer to home (or actually at the team's home at Lincoln Financial Field), the team is claiming a sellout for a watch party at the venue, with 9,000+ fans having paid $30+ for tickets (the entire stadium won’t be opened).

Eagles SVP/Corporate Partnerships Brian Napoli noted there will be three giant LED screens on the field. Bud Light is presenting sponsor and Eagles "legends" will be signing autographs in Bud Light’s bar area/activation space on Pepsi Plaza, where other team sponsors will also be activating.

A halftime drone show will be presented by longtime Eagles sponsor Ricoh.

• Goodyear’s status as the official tire of NASCAR and Anheuser-Busch’s official sponsorship of the NFL are the most recognized sponsorships in sports, according to the 18th annual Sponsor Breakthrough studies fielded over the past year by MarketCast and analyzed by SBJ's David Broughton.

• U.S. Open sponsor American Express expanded its presence around the tennis tournament grounds this year through updates to its fan experience pavilion, Centurion Lounge pop-up and checkout-free shop, reports SBJ's Rob Schaefer.

• NASCAR Holdings hired CAA Sports to help it find a new chief commercial officer, according to sources cited by SBJ's Adam Stern, as the auto racing entertainment company hopes to turn its post-pandemic momentum into newfound blue-chip sponsorships.

• PGA Tour official sponsor Amazon Web Services was activating in front of fans for the first time at this past week's Tour Championship in Atlanta as it continues looking to grow awareness about everything it does for the tour, writes SBJ's Josh Carpenter.