Month: June 2021

Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and entertainment destination, and YouTube have partnered in an extensive multi-year agreement that names the development’s 6,000-seat performance venue, YouTube Theater. The partnership is the first-of-its-kind for YouTube, with the venue hosting a variety of live entertainment from concerts to comedy, award shows, esports competitions, community events, conferences, and distinctive YouTube creator events. YouTube Theater is part of the sprawling Hollywood Park mixed-use development in Inglewood, Calif., which is being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke, and construction is set to complete for the theater in summer 2021. The first event to officially open the venue is slated for mid summer.

“YouTube Theater will drive the uniqueness of YouTube by combining physical, ‘in real life’ events that bring creators and fans together, while simultaneously sharing ​that same event​ experience with our two billion global monthly users through livestreams and VOD content,” said Angela Courtin, Vice President of Brand Marketing, YouTube. “YouTube creators and artists are the heart of YouTube and YouTube Theater adds to the portfolio of opportunities to drive their creativity, build their businesses, grow their communities and so much more.”

“When he set out to build YouTube Theater, Stan Kroenke envisioned an intimate, world-class venue that exemplified three core aspects: technology, creativity, and entertainment. We cannot imagine a better partner to help us bring this vision to life than YouTube,” said Jason Gannon, managing director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. “YouTube Theater will be open to the public this summer as Los Angeles’ new home for esports, community gatherings, concerts, and all types of live entertainment. YouTube Theater is the next step for Hollywood Park as we develop and deliver on creating a true sports and entertainment destination across our 300 acres.”

YouTube Theater is designed to be home to a variety of live entertainment events. Hollywood Park and Live Nation have partnered in an exclusive multi-year booking agreement and have already confirmed Caifanes, Los Angeles Azules, Pitbull, Black Pumas, Devo, Trippie Redd, Alejandro Sanz, Christian Nodal, Marina, and Louis Tomlinson to play shows at the theater in 2021 and 2022. Guests at the theater will be introduced to state-of-the-art technology and premium finishes that elevate the fan experience.

The innovative features at YouTube Theater focus on interactivity, including a large scale digital YouTube play button icon outside the venue, which can transform into an immersive video screen that guests can interact with by mirroring themselves on the screen and by viewing highlights of YouTube’s creator and artist content. The venue also features a dynamic digital wall on the interior that will be used to celebrate YouTube creators and artists by showcasing them in a gallery-like setting.

This agreement builds upon YouTube parent company Google’s previously announced partnerships with Hollywood Park that made Google Cloud the exclusive cloud partner of the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and their home SoFi Stadium. Google Cloud is the exclusive cloud partner of YouTube Theater as well. YouTube will be the exclusive video services and music streaming services partner of YouTube Theater, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park and the exclusive video services partner and an official music streaming services partner of the Rams and Chargers.

YouTube Theater is a 227,000 square foot, three-story indoor venue. Built to be a best-in-class event venue, the 6,100 square-feet stage is an expansive area to get creative, and every seat is close to the action on-stage, with the farthest seat in the house only 164 feet away from the stage. The venue itself is blended seamlessly in at the southernmost corner of the same roof canopy that stretches over SoFi Stadium and American Airlines Plaza. Complete with a two-story Kaynemaile chandelier, the theater will feature six luxury boxes, a 1,200 square-foot premium back-of-house hospitality space — with adjacent dressing rooms — and a 3,500 square-foot private club with 140 premium seats.

Legends Global Partnerships division sourced, negotiated and represented Hollywood Park in securing this partnership.

For more information about YouTube Theater and to learn of upcoming events, visit www.YouTubeTheater.com or @YouTubeTheater on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Columbus Crew and Lower today announced a long-term partnership that includes naming rights to the Crew’s new downtown home, which will be named Lower.com Field, effective immediately. The partnership sees two Columbus-based organizations who are invested in the local community come together in a landmark agreement, terms of which were not disclosed.

“We are proud to partner with Lower in naming our new Stadium,” said Dee Haslam, Columbus Crew Investor-Operator. “Dan Snyder’s leadership and vision align so strongly with the goals of the Crew. Lower is a world class company, rooted in Columbus, renowned for their culture and fully invested in giving back to our community. Lower.com Field will provide our players a home-field advantage and our supporters a best-in-class experience. In addition to match days, we are immensely excited that Lower.com Field will be the cornerstone of a new live, work, and play neighborhood in Astor Park. On behalf of the Haslam and Edwards Families, we look forward to working together to make a sustainable and positive difference in Columbus and for our supporters.”

Lower is a fintech company whose mission is make the traditionally daunting task of buying or refinancing a home simple. The millennial and Gen-z home finance platform is differentiated from other digital lenders by taking a holistic approach to the homeownership journey. Consumers can go online or download the app and find a one-stop shop experience where they can save for a home, get a great mortgage, and protect their home through its insurance marketplace. With more than 10,000 five-star reviews in less than two years, Lower is becoming the go-to destination for those looking to save for, insure, buy, or refinance a home across the country.

“We have nearly 1,000 local team members, have funded billions in loans, and have been named the top workplace in Columbus, and yet, we’re still relatively unknown as a company. So, this partnership, to some extent, is the coming out party for our brand. Very few companies ever get to name a stadium, let alone a brand new one, in their hometown. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, said Lower CEO Dan Snyder. “On behalf of my partners and the entire team, we couldn’t be more excited to open up Lower.com Field to the city of Columbus on July 3.”

Lower is heavily invested in the Columbus community and will collaborate with the Crew on several community-based initiatives as a focal point throughout the partnership. Lower becomes the Presenting Partner to the Crew’s Mini-Pitch Project. The Mini-Pitch Project is a field development project that aims to provide local youth in underserved communities with the opportunity to get outside and play soccer in safe and fun environments. As previously announced, the Club’s 11th field development project – a mini pitch at Northgate Intermediate School in Columbus – is set to open later  month. On matchdays, for each goal scored by the Crew, Lower will donate $1,000 to Healthy Homes. Healthy Homes is a non-profit housing organization and collaboration between Community Development for All People and Nationwide Children’s Hospital that works to preserve and create high-quality affordable housing. On top of the charitable donation, there will be a second goal-based opportunity, which benefits Crew supporters. For each goal scored in the regular season, supporters will unlock $500 toward their home financing, up to $1,500.

Lower also becomes an Associate Partner to Give Forward becoming an integral part of the Club’s community efforts. Give Forward is a platform of the Columbus Crew Foundation that serves challenged youth, encouraging healthy and positive lifestyles, honoring the military, and keeping Columbus beautiful.

“We couldn’t have found a more perfect fit with Lower as our naming rights partner,” said Columbus Crew Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer Steve Lyons. “It was critical for us to find a like-minded company, Columbus-based, and committed to our community. At the same time, Lower’s bold, upward trajectory reflects the direction of the Crew and the personality of Lower Field. As a leading innovative technological company, they focus on creating world-class customer experiences and their core mission of making home ownership more accessible is impactful for our fans. We are thrilled to welcome Lower and their associates to the Crew family.”

Continued Lyons: “As we prepare to open Lower.com Field, we are excited that this stadium will represent our players, club and city on a national and international stage through events such as Campeones Cup later this summer and potential U.S. Soccer matches in the future. The ability to host high-profile events of this magnitude provides incredible exposure to the club, the city and our partners through the global game of soccer.”

The Crew also announced today that the second largest supporters section in Major League Soccer, the Nordecke (3,364) has now officially sold out. While the Nordecke, and as previously announced, all premium club, suites and loge boxes at New Crew Stadium sold out for the current season, limited general seating 2021 Season Tickets are still available at a pro-rated price. Similarly, Limited Partial Plans for four to 10 matches are currently available. Supporters can ensure priority access to single match tickets and purchase full or partial Season Ticket Memberships by visiting the following link: https://bit.ly/2SuhKsD.

As part of the partnership, Lower is also the Entitlement Partner to the East Field Club, which is set to be named the “Lower.com Lounge.” The lounge is the most premier space within Lower.com Field and is inclusive of 10 private field-level suites and 120 field seats.

Lower.com Field is set to open its gates at full capacity on Saturday, July 3, when the Crew hosts the New England Revolution for the venue’s Inaugural Match [5:00 p.m. ET / ESPN, ESPN App (Stream) / 97.1 The Fan & 971thefan.com (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)]. The new world-class stadium has a capacity for 20,011 supporters and includes seats that are as much as 28 feet closer to the pitch than any of the seats at Historic Crew Stadium. Additionally, the incline is steeper, providing improved sightlines for supporters in every part of the venue. A defining feature of the stadium is a 220,000 square-foot canopy that will cover all supporters during the match, providing shelter from weather conditions throughout the season.

The premium spaces at the new home of the Crew are among the highest-end premium experiences in MLS and include Ledge Seats which hang over the lower bowl, offering one of the best views of the pitch.

The New Nordecke at Lower.com Field is located on the north end of the stadium and is set to be the second-largest supporters section in MLS, with standing-only capacity for 3,356 supporters. Notably, it features a state-of-the-art tifo-rigging system designed for the Black & Gold supporters. Upon arrival to the southeast entrance of Lower.com Field, supporters will be able to walk up to and congregate in a 62,000 square-foot public plaza featuring a large, outdoor 14-feet by 24-feet video screen. Supporters can then walk across the plaza to the Pub Restaurant and Crew Shop, which will be open on non-matchdays. The concession stands at the venue are also set to feature several local food and beverage options.

At 225 feet wide by 360 feet long, the surface of the pitch at Lower.com Field – which sits 22 feet below the concourse level – will be surrounded by thirteen feet of synthetic turf on the sidelines and eleven feet of synthetic turf on the end lines. The SubAir system used in the pitch will allow it to recover faster from adverse weather conditions, as it can increase the temperature of the pitch root zone by up to 28 degrees, allowing for events played in cold conditions to occur with less buildup that normally might affect the flow of the game. Additionally, the SubAir system can drain water from the pitch in three minutes, while gravity systems usually used in stadiums can take up to 60 minutes.

Before Lower.com Field opens, the Club is set to hold multiple activations as part of its matchday programming for the Club’s Farewell to Historic Crew Stadium this weekend. The Crew’s final match at the historic venue is set to take place on Saturday, June 19 with the Club hosting Chicago Fire FC [7:30 p.m. ET / Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports App (Stream) / 97.1 The Fan & 971thefan.com (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)]. Ahead of the match, Bally Sports Ohio is scheduled to host a one-hour pre-match special commemorating the day, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Columbus Crew was represented by Legends Global Partnerships in this wide-ranging partnership with Lower.com.

Notre Dame Global Partnerships (NDGP), the multimedia rightsholder for the University of Notre Dame’s Athletics Department, today announced a partnership with digital-first fintech innovator Deserve, and the launch of the new Notre Dame PRO Mastercard for alumni and fans. The new card program will help support the student scholarship funds of local Notre Dame clubs.

With the Notre Dame PRO card, alumni and fans can earn cash back rewards – 3% on travel, 2% on restaurants, 1% on everything else – as well as participate in exclusive Notre Dame experiences like virtual season preview events and autograph sessions on game weekends. PRO cardholders also receive a one-year membership to Priority Pass™, which gives cardholders access to over 1,300 of the world’s premier airport lounges and experiences at a discounted rate. Additionally, cardholders receive cell phone protection for up to $600; Mastercard World Benefits, including identity theft protection and stolen wallet assistance; and no international transaction fees.

“Our alumni and fans are some of the best and most supportive in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with Deserve to offer them a credit card with benefits and perks that matter to Fighting Irish Fans,” said President of Notre Dame Global Partnerships, Theodore Loehrke.

“With Notre Dame Global Partnerships, we’ve been able to build a card that is seamless, easy to sign up for, and directly benefits the University itself,” said Kalpesh Kapadia, CEO and Co-Founder of Deserve.

Learn more or sign up for the Notre Dame PRO card here.

Legends today announced that Chris Foy has joined as Executive Vice President, Legends Global Partnerships. Foy brings more than 25 years of experience across sports, sponsorships, and live events.

In this newly created role, Foy will be a key leader within Legends Global Partnerships and will focus on venue & facility naming rights, global partnerships sales, collegiate partnerships, and other platforms in the evolving global partnerships space. Foy will collaborate with Legends Global Partnerships staff throughout the United States and globally.

“Chris brings a depth of experience that spans professional sports, live entertainment, and collegiate athletics,” said Chris Hibbs, President, Legends Global Partnerships. “The landscape across sponsorships, new venue projects, live events, and collegiate athletics is evolving quickly, and Chris’ extensive expertise will be a critical resource for our new and existing clients as we work together to drive game-changing results.”

Prior to joining Legends, Foy was President & Founder of Impression Sports & Entertainment, a national sports sponsorship agency that he launched in 2011. With the creation of Impression Sports & Entertainment, Foy delivered an extensive portfolio of experience and high-end sales and marketing solutions for high-profile clients including ESPN Events, Fiesta Bowl Association, USA Swimming, FOX Sports/USC, the ECHL, Gator Bowl Association, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Greenville Arena District, New Orleans Pelicans, Florida Citrus Sports, Chip Ganassi Racing, the Sun Bowl Association, the Independence Bowl Foundation, Minnesota Timberwolves, the Arizona Bowl, City of Memphis (MMG), Wisconsin City District, among several more.

“Legends Global Partnerships is an exceptional team known for delivering results for the largest and most complex projects in sports and entertainment,” said Foy. “Through their incredible body of work, they have earned their best-in-class designation. I look forward to providing immediate value to our team, our clients, and to the overall success of the company.”

Prior to launching Impression, Chris was managing partner of General Sports Alliances, where key clients included the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Progressive Gator Bowl, and Detroit Metro Airport.

Earlier in his career, Foy held VP sales roles with Live Nation and The Bonham Group. Born and raised in Toronto, Chris was a draft pick of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and played professional hockey for four years (AHL, IHL, and ECHL). In college, Chris was a member of the Northeastern University Huskies (Boston, MA) Division 1 hockey team, playing in the elite Hockey East Conference for four years and earning Hockey East All-Academic Team honors in 1991 and 1993.

Foy graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He resides in Denver, Colorado with his wife Justine, and their three children Taylor, Keaton, and Connor.