NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Madison Square Garden Company (Nasdaq:MSG) and SAP (NYSE:SAP), the market leader in enterprise application software, announced today a new, long-term technology and marketing partnership, making SAP a Signature Partner of MSG with year-round brand exposure through the company's unrivaled set of sports, entertainment and media properties in New York. As part of the partnership, SAP will have a prominent presence in the completely transformed Madison Square Garden Arena that will debut later this week, following the completion of the historic, $1 billion Transformation project. SAP will become the naming partner of the Madison Concourse (6th floor) and presenting partner for the Arena's "Defining Moments" and "Garden 366" exhibits, which pay homage to The Garden's rich history in sports, entertainment, politics and culture.
"We are extremely proud to have SAP join the lineup of industry leading brands that make up our MSG Signature Partners, and we're confident this partnership will provide SAP unparalleled brand exposure in New York," said Hank Ratner, president and chief executive officer, The Madison Square Garden Company. "With the completion of our unprecedented, three-year Transformation project, The World's Most Famous Arena is now also the most state-of-the-art. Our technology and marketing partnership with SAP, who serves as the presenting partner for The Garden's Defining Moments and Garden 366 exhibits and will help us transform our business technology, brings together some of the most iconic moments in sports and entertainment history with a company that has built a reputation as a pioneer in technology and software solutions. This is an exciting time to be part of Madison Square Garden, and we are thrilled to welcome SAP who shares our vision for delivering new innovations and service to our fans and customers."
"It is a true honor for SAP to provide leading-edge technology for The World's Most Famous Arena," said Bill McDermott, Co-CEO of SAP. "We look forward to working with Madison Square Garden to present every individual fan a personal and thrilling experience that creates life-lasting memories. SAP is transforming sports and entertainment with technology across the value chain – to engage fans, drive player performance, run better teams and expand the reach of leagues to fans everywhere."
Today's announcement makes SAP the exclusive Official Social Media Analytics Partner of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Liberty, the Concert Series at Madison Square Garden and the annual BNP Paribas Showdown tennis event at The Garden. In addition, SAP will have a presence on The Garden's Seventh and Eighth Avenue Marquees, which provide exposure to the more than 600 million people that walk by the Arena annually.
The SAP® Madison Concourse (6th floor) will provide SAP with expansive exposure to the thousands of sports and entertainment fans that pack the Garden Arena almost every night of the year. Integration will include a fixed presence on the arena's IPTV system as well as a customized, dedicated space on the 6th floor concourse. As the presenting partner of the historical "Defining Moments" and "Garden 366" exhibits on the SAP Madison Concourse, SAP will be closely associated with some of the most iconic moments in Garden history and will use its cloud solutions to bring the stories to life. The remaining 10 of 20 "Defining Moments" exhibits, which include memorabilia, photos, and artifacts, will debut on the Garden Concourse (8th floor) this week as part of the third and final phase of the Transformation.
SAP's Official Social Media Analytics designation will include significant branding and technology exposure at Madison Square Garden for all Knicks, Rangers and Liberty games, as well as the annual BNP Paribas Showdown tennis event and the Arena Concert Series. Integration at these events will incorporate a variety of elements, including digital and static signage throughout the Arena; features on GardenVision, the new center-hung multi-media display; and on-court and on-ice branding. They will also be integrated on the digital platforms for the brands, including the Knicks and Rangers mobile applications as well as all three teams' websites.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company is a fully-integrated sports, media and entertainment business. The Company is comprised of three business segments: MSG Sports, MSG Media and MSG Entertainment, which are strategically aligned to work together to drive the Company's overall business, which is built on a foundation of iconic venues and compelling content that the company creates, produces, presents and/or distributes through its programming networks and other media assets. MSG Sports owns and operates the following sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL), the New York Liberty (WNBA), and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). MSG Sports also features the presentation of a wide variety of live sporting events including professional boxing, college basketball, bull riding and tennis. MSG Media is a leader in production and content development for multiple distribution platforms, including content originating from the Company's venues. MSG Media's television networks consist of regional sports networks, MSG Network and MSG+, collectively referred to as MSG Networks; and Fuse, a national television network dedicated to music. MSG Networks also include high-definition channels, MSG HD and MSG+ HD, and Fuse includes its high-definition channel, Fuse HD. MSG Entertainment is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in the Company's diverse collection of venues. These venues consist of Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Forum in Inglewood, CA, The Chicago Theatre, and the Wang Theatre in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com.
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CONTACT: MSG Contact:
Stacey Escudero/212-465-5902
stacey.escudero@msg.com
SAP Contact:
Evan Welsh/610-661-8393
Evan.welsh@sap.com
