The Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones may have a title before they even kick off in their new stadium – the holder of the biggest naming rights deal in sports history.
The current top spots go to the Barclays Center, future home to the NBA's New Jersey Nets, and Citi Field, where Major League Baseball's New York Mets will play in 2009, each pulling in 20-year, $400 million contracts.
"I would think the Cowboys would expect at minimum what's been done in New York and look to exceed it," said Jim Biegalski, who specializes in naming rights for Millsport, a Dallas-based sports marketing firm.
Sports marketing experts say the marketing prowess of Mr. Jones, combined with the team's global brand strength, could translate into a record.
A spokesman for the Cowboys declined to comment on the team's efforts. However, the team's executive vice president, Stephen Jones, said in a news conference this month that the Cowboys have had talks "with a few people" regarding the stadium's name.
Sports business experts say the companies that could consider such a deal could include some of the region's largest firms – not to mention others not based in the region.
After all, the Cowboys are the world's most valuable sports franchise, worth about $1.5 billion, according to the most recent report by Forbes magazine. That's more valuable than even Manchester United, the world's top soccer team, and the New York Yankees.
The new stadium under way in Arlington – whose construction costs have grown to an estimated $1.1 billion – is expected to be the sport's premier facility, one that team officials have suggested could go unmatched in its amenities.
It is already set to receive additional exposure after the Cowboys kick off there in 2009. The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will move to Arlington from Dallas in 2010, and the Super Bowl will be played there in 2011.
While a naming rights deal could be several months away – experts say Mr. Jones could wait until shortly before the 2009 season opens to make an announcement – it will involve far more than simply hanging a name on a building.
