NBA’s Miami HEAT announced today that they have entered into a multi-year partnership with T-Mobile USA, Inc., one of the largest national providers of wireless voice, messaging, and data services.

T-Mobile will be the Official Wireless Telecommunications Provider of the Miami HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena. The sponsorship also includes extensive in-game features, exposure on English and Spanish radio, in-arena signage, retail promotions, social media integration, and other online elements including Presenter of HEAT.com’s TV Companion. T-Mobile will also sponsor the team’s “Noche Latina” initiatives scheduled to take place during three March home games.

“I’m pretty certain HEAT fans are already familiar with the superiority of the T-Mobile brand thanks to the numerous and memorable television commercials Dwyane Wade has starred in throughout the years,” said Eric Woolworth, President of The HEAT Group’s Business Operations. “Their partnership with the HEAT is, thus, an entirely organic endeavor and we are thrilled to have them on board.”

Wade’s relationship with T-Mobile dates back to the 2006-07 season. Since then he has starred in numerous commercials for T-Mobile’s NBA campaign. In addition, Wade served as a coach for the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam as part of the NBA All-Star Game activities in Phoenix.

“Dwyane Wade has been one of our great partners, so this new sponsorship with the Miami HEAT is a natural fit,” said Derek Chang, Director of Sponsorships at T-Mobile USA. “We’re looking forward to working with the HEAT to develop exciting programs for the fans and our customers. The T-Mobile Tip-Off event couldn’t be a better way to start the new season.”

Premier League champions Manchester United and technology giant Google today announced a partnership to launch a new campaign that will offer a select group of the Reds’ international fanbase the opportunity to visit Old Trafford.

In a break though initiative entitled Front Row, United fans will have the opportunity to cheer on the team, appearing via live Google+ Hangout – the free, multi-person video call feature – on Old Trafford’s pioneering pitchside digital hoardings for the Liverpool Clash on March 16.

Throughout the match, Front Row supporters will be able to share in the magic of being at Old Trafford, joining 75,000 ticket holders and fellow Front Row participants the world over.

Manchester United’s group managing director Richard Arnold said: “This ground-breaking initiative offers a dynamic and innovative way for our fans worldwide to get even closer to the club they love. When we expanded our latest social media platforms last summer Manchester United became the fastest sports organisation to reach one million followers on Google+. Working with Google we are giving the chance for some of our 659 million followers around the globe to have a unique opportunity to be pitchside at one of the biggest games in world football.”

Head of Google+ EMEA, Cristian Cussen, added: “For Google, Front Row is an exciting experiment into what the future of supporting your team could be, and we couldn’t think of a greater partner than Manchester United to kick it off.”

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) have renewed their partnership with commercial strategy agency JUMP for a third consecutive year.

JUMP has been working with FIH since January 2012 to shape and deliver a new commercial strategy, treat which covers all areas of revenue including event assignment, viagra media, rights packaging and sponsorship and licensing. The extension runs from January 2014 – January 2015. 

All FIH events for 2015-2018 were assigned last November with the ?agship World Cups going to India (men’s) and England (women’s). In addition, FIH recently agreed an 8-year deal with Star Sports, which brings a new level of TV production for international hockey, and much stronger revenues and distribution. 

Kelly Fairweather, FIH CEO commented “JUMP has guided us through the strategic process to identify and follow the best path for international hockey. It is now helping us to implement new areas of commercial activity, particularly sponsorship. We look forward to working with them for another year and growing the game of hockey on a global scale.”

Matthew Osmon, JUMP CEO added: “It has been a pleasure to help to transform FIH into one of the most innovative and energetic International Federations, and it is exciting to see the new strategy start to bear fruit.”

JUMP has played a key role in the commercial development of FIH’s ?agship events, with the World Cup, annual Hockey World League and Champions Trophy now established worldwide and a new format targeting youth coming under the spotlight in 2014.

Proposed plans to revamp the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been boosted today after the Indiana Motorsports Commission approved preliminary plans by Hulman & Company to invest state funds on infrastructure upgrades.

The commission approved a resolution to adopt the IMS improvement plan, including creation of a new Motorsports Investment District for IMS, a step toward issuing bonds to fund improvements at the facility.

“We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from Hoosiers, the Indiana General Assembly and Governor Mike Pence to assist us with needed capital improvements,” said Jeff Belskus, Hulman & Company president and chief administrative officer. “We have a plan for IMS that assures the best return for taxpayers and enhances our role as an economic engine for the state.”

IMS has an annual economic impact of more than $500 million in Indiana, and the motorsports industry in Indiana supports more than 6,200 Indiana jobs that pay an average wage of $63,000, according to an Indiana University Public Policy Institute report released earlier this year.

The plan submitted to the IMC used these criteria to broadly identify the types of improvements to fund with bond proceeds over the next several years:

•Focus on necessary track modifications, including:
o The addition of an apron in the four turns of the IMS oval to be used in NASCAR events, enhancing competition
o Repaving and reconfiguration of the IMS road course, a project completed in November 2013
o Refurbishing of catch fencing

•Focus on the fan experience, including:
o Seating improvements to improve comfort, better grandstand access with more elevators and suite renovations
o New video screens and Scoring Pylon
o Modernized restroom facilities
o Increasing concession choices, expanding fan zones and providing more entertainment
o Need for improved access, traffic flow and parking

•Focus on technology, including:
o Availability of wireless access throughout the facility
o State-of-the-art data, video and audio availability

Some components of the plan already have been implemented. Improvements to the IMS road course were pivotal to the creation of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis IndyCar Series race on May 8-10, 2014 and the retention of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP World Championship race Aug. 8-10, 2014 – two events with significant economic impact for Indiana.

“We’ll complete our master plan next spring, but the first upgrades, which complement our new Month of May, are already underway,” Belskus said. “We just completed paving the newly modified road course that will host the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10 and be used by MotoGP competitors in August. Our fans also will see a new Scoring Pylon and new video screens next spring. And that’s just the beginning.”

Additional plans for IMS development and enhancement beyond the funding managed by the Indiana Motorsports Commission also will be included in the master plan to be released in spring 2014.

“We started with ideas for improvements that totaled hundreds of millions of dollars, and we’ve reduced our list to a list of potential projects with total spending of about $140 million,” Belskus said. “Now we have some difficult decisions ahead to pare the list further before we ask the commission for its approval.”

The plan does not include installing lights on the famed, 2.5-mile IMS oval for night races. Economic studies showed this $20-million investment did not provide the best return for taxpayers.

Instead, capital improvements in fan experience and track modifications will make IMS a more attractive venue with higher quality racing events. IMS will continue to put a top priority on investments that grow ticket sales and protect revenue from existing events.

“Improving the quality of racing will grow ticket sales,” Belskus said. “For example, adding an apron to the track would improve the passing opportunities during the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard.”

Silverstone have announced the 2013 British Grand Prix was the third highest attended of all time with 120,000 flocking to the race.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, belives the race was an overwhelming success and one of the biggest and best in recent years. to a dramatic, action packed race at a sun drenched Silverstone. 

Phillips commented: “The British Grand Prix was back to its very best this year. For us it’s all about the fans’ experience and I don’t think the event could have gone any better. We had huge crowds here on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Sunday was our third biggest attendance of all time – and early feedback from the fans has been exemplary. The biggest indicator for us is on-event sales for next year’s British Grand Prix, which were up 50% over the weekend. That alone speaks volumes about the success of this year’s event. 

“There was a real festival atmosphere; the sun shone, everyone got in and out of the circuit in record time and the race itself was full of drama, keeping us all on the edge of our seats. We almost had a British driver on the podium too – a few more laps and Lewis would have been up there. But if we can’t have a British driver, we’ll settle for two local teams; I was pleased for Mercedes and Red Bull.” 

Race winner Nico Rosberg later joined British drivers Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Paul Di Resta and Max Chilton, plus a host of British motor sport legends and current F1 drivers, at Silverstone’s post-race Grand Prix Party on Sunday evening. 

More than 18,000 fans stayed behind for the traditional post-race finale to hear from the drivers at the Grand Prix Party, which was free to all ticket holders.

The NBA is set to adopt advertising on courts next season for the first time according to reports.

ESPN reports teams are permitted to sell space on the out-of-bounds area on the sideline between the baselines and the coaches’ box where teams currently advertise their website or Twitter handles.

A team can place a company’s logo on the floor in front of both team benches, but it has to be a decal. That’s because teams can sell the space to a company only for games that are televised locally.

One team executive says that the deals could range anywhere from mid six figures to $2 million annually, with the value of the signage likely varying depending on the market.

Players will get a slice of the pie from any revenue generated from the new signage opportunity as it will be calculated into the league’s basketball related income.

The idea, proposed by deputy commissioner Adam Silver, will be on trial for a one-year period to determine whether the league wants to make it a permanent piece of space to sell in the future.