Recent Blog Posts
-
Magic Coming to Dodgers Stadium
Mar 28 201211:06 am EDT -
Einhorn-Mets Deal Falls Through
Sep 01 201111:43 am EDT -
NFL Makes a Deal
Jul 25 20117:51 am EDT -
ESPN top winner at Sports Business Awards
May 19 201111:12 am EDT -
Jocks That Rock on Product Tweets
May 04 20115:17 pm EDT -
Score One for NFL Players With Judge's Call
Apr 25 20116:25 pm EDT -
Yet Another Career Fumble?
Mar 09 20119:54 am EDT -
Time-Out Gets Called in NFL Labor Talks
Mar 03 20115:45 pm EDT -
Power Players: Sports Business Journal Taps 2010 Influencers
Dec 14 20104:29 pm EDT -
The Game Is Not U.S.
Dec 02 201012:02 pm EDT
Starbucks Ends Link with NBA's Seattle SuperSonics
Starbucks, which has sponsored the Seattle SuperSonics since the 2001-02 season, has ended their relationship with the National Basketball Association team, a year after Starbucks Chair Howard Schultz sold the team, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Starbucks has also ended its sponsorship with Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, and spokesperson Valerie O'Neil said the company is "moving away from sports sponsorships," although it will remain a sponsor of the WNBA Storm.
O'Neil added Starbucks' deal with the Sonics was "completely separate from [Schultz'] ownership of the team."
Photos by Matt A. Brown/Icon SMI (left) / Frances M. Roberts (right).
The Schultz-led Basketball Club of Seattle bought the Sonics and Storm for $200 million in 2001, and Starbucks' sponsorship amount "increased significantly" a year later. The annual payments "continued to rise" until 2006, when Schultz put the team up for sale.
Seattle-based Caffe Appassionato has gained the coffee pouring rights at KeyArena to go along with earlier deals at Qwest Field and its Events Center.
Comments
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
