The San Francisco 49ers have proved that, when dealing in matters of big business, football rivalries matter not.
The ‘Niners have hired a subsidiary of the Dallas Cowboys, their longtime hated rival and NFC nemesis, to help “in the pricing and positioning of premium seats” in their proposed stadium, which would to be built in Santa Clara at a cost of $937 million. (A number Jerry Jones scoffs at.)
Legends Hospitality Management, a joint venture between the Cowboys and the New York Yankees, were brought on as a consultant for the project, particularly in the development and sale of suites and club seats--which is probably a good move.
The 40-person Legends sales and marketing team hired by San Francisco was responsible for a seat licensing program for the $1.2 billion behemoth that yielded $300 million in upfront cash, which went a long way in getting the House That Jerry Built, built.
“They are helping us brainstorm a lot of different things to help us figure out the strategy around pricing for premium seating,” said Paraag Marathe, the 49ers’ vice president of football operations, per the DBJ. “They have exceeded our expectations, and we are very pleased to be working with them.”
After Cowboys Stadium opened its doors in June of 2009, the marketing team turned its focus to other major pro and college programs. And when San Francisco needed some guidance in their quest for new digs, the past rivalry between the organizations was no great deterrent--rather, Marathe says, this is standard practice.
“A lot of the other companies that are out there in this space have either worked for or have direct experience with other clubs as well,” he said.
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