Nissan Motor Co. will be the new sponsor of the stadium that is
home to the Tennessee Titans in Nashville after reaching a 20-year
agreement with the National Football League team.
The stadium serves as home field for the Titans, Tennessee State
University and the Music City Bowl and a variety of concerts and
other events, including the Country Music Awards Festival.
Nissan Stadium joins Ford Field as the only two NFL venues named
after auto makers. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Nissan
already has focused its advertising on sports, sponsoring the
"Heisman House" college football program and advertising during the
2015 Super Bowl.
"We have a strong desire to be in sports properties," said Fred
Diaz, vice president of the Nissan brand in North America. "We know
that DVR programming is very, very popular in television. People
record and zip through commercials. But live sports is something
people love to watch in real time."
Nissan's North American operations are based in Franklin, Tenn.,
just south of Nashville, and the company has large vehicle
manufacturing facility in Smyrna and an engine plant in
Decherd.
Interestingly, Nissan also has a full-size pickup called the
Titan, something Mr. Diaz described as "serendipity."
Ford Motor Co.'s deal to sponsor the Detroit Lions' new stadium
in 2002 was for $50 million for 25 years—or $2 million a year. That
deal is a relative bargain. According to an ESPN.com analysis, NRG
Energy is paying $10 million a year for naming rights to NRG
Stadium in Houston, where the Texans play.
Write to Mike Ramsey at michael.ramsey@wsj.com
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