Airline Biggest Winner In NBA Finals
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – One could argue that the impending finals could be bigger for the Dallas Mavericks or the Miami Heat. But, the biggest winner of them all may be someone not even playing in the Finals, American Airlines.
The company owns the naming rights to both arenas in Miami and Dallas, the AmericanAirlines Arena and the American Airlines Center respectively. Coincidentally, American also has two of its biggest hubs in both Dallas and Miami.
American paid $195 million over 30 years for the naming rights to the Dallas arena and is paying $42 million over 20 years in Miami for the AAA. The company once considered giving up the naming rights in 2003 as it hovered near bankruptcy.
AMR, which owns American Airlines, has lost $12 billion in the last decade; so this year's NBA Finals will provide a much needed boost to its bottom line.
How much?
According to Front Row Marketing Services, estimates for American's windfall will be pegged at roughly $10 million per game in national advertising. Front Row came to that number based on how many times the company's name appears on screen or is mentioned by advertisers.
So, while Heat fans want the team to sweep the Mavericks right out of the Finals; it's safe to say American Airlines hopes this series goes the distance to 7 games.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
