The new Yankee Stadium is currently being finished up in time for Opening Day, which is scheduled for an April 16th game pitting the Yankees against the Cleveland Indians. Built at an astounding cost of $1.3 billion, it’s going to be a state-of-the-art facility — and you probably won’t be able to walk two feet inside it without seeing something advertising Sony.
This afternoon, the team announced a deal with Sony to bring “a corporate marketing and high-definition technology relationship” to the House that Ruth Steinbrenner Built. What does that entail? Well, there are plans to install over 550 BRAVIA LCD HDTVs around the building — in luxury boxes, administrative offices, suites, lounges, restaurants, and along the concourses — as well as “Sony HD branding elements” everywhere. In addition, fans will have access to PlayStation 3 units and VAIO laptops around the stadium. Presumably, Sony’s equipment will be an addition to Cisco Systems’ extensive high-tech systems, which were unveiled in November.
The agreement doesn’t just apply to the building; the right-field wall will feature a Sony ad, and Sony has now been named the official LCD, HDTV, and consumer electronics manufacturer of the team. Such endorsements are common for entire sports — Samsung is the official HDTV of the NFL, and Sharp is the MLB’s official HDTV — but I can’t recall an individual team having a deal like this. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the first time.
While I personally wouldn’t go to a baseball game to play a baseball videogame, I’m sure it can’t hurt to have Sony’s MLB 09 The Show playable for fans — fans who might end up liking the experience enough to pick up a PS3 (and maybe even a BRAVIA HDTV while they’re at it).
[Thanks, power-glove!]
