The New York Liberty became the fourth WNBA team to sell a marquee jersey sponsorship deal on Wednesday, signing a multi-year deal with Foxwoods Resort Casino. Located in Connecticut, it's North America's largest gaming/entertainment establishment.

And the debut will be at Mohegan Sun Casino when the Liberty plays on the road against the Connecticut Sun. New York is the first Eastern Conference team to display a corporation on its road and home jerseys, joining Phoenix (LifeLock), Los Angeles (Farmers Insurance) and Seattle (Bing). The New York home jersey is shown right by the WNBA.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, WNBA president Donna Orender said all her teams' owners were looking for such deals -- worth an estimated $1 million per year -- to help gain profitability.

Here's the complete release on Foxwoods:

Liberty Announce Foxwoods Resort Casino As The Team's New Premier Partner
New multi-year partnership provides Foxwoods with prominent placement on Liberty jersey

New York, NY, June 2, 2010 - The New York Liberty today announced a new multi-year premier partnership with Foxwoods Resort Casino, North America's largest resort casino. As part of the partnership Foxwoods will receive prominent logo placement on the Liberty jersey, a first-of-its-kind partnership for an Eastern Conference WNBA team and the first resort casino to have branding on the front of a professional sports team jersey.

"The New York Liberty has a passionate fan base in the world's largest media market, and we are thrilled by the opportunity this partnership presents to promote our brand to WNBA fans, the team's loyal followers and the New York Metropolitan area at large," said chief marketing officer for Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprises Robert Victoria. "As North America's largest resort casino and the East Coast's premier entertainment destination, Foxwoods always strives to align itself with other best-in-class industry leaders, and we're confident we've done just that with this partnership of the Liberty and its home venue, the legendary Madison Square Garden."

The Foxwoods name and logo will appear on the front of the Liberty's home and road jerseys as well as shooting shirts for all games, providing the company with premium brand exposure to fans in-arena and other consumers via national and local media coverage and television broadcasts. The Liberty will debut its new uniforms when the team takes on the Connecticut Sun on Friday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m.

"We are excited to welcome Foxwoods Resort Casino as the premier partner of the New York Liberty. This partnership between two premium brands and industry leaders is a perfect match, bringing together one of the world's largest resort casinos and 'The World's Most Famous Arena." said Scott O'Neil, president, MSG Sports. "This innovative new partnership provides Foxwoods with a powerful platform that connects an entertainment destination with our incredibly loyal and passionate Liberty fans and New York."

Added Carol Blazejowski, president, New York Liberty: "We are very proud to partner with Foxwoods Resort Casino and welcome their support of the Liberty and WNBA. We look forward to strategically integrating the Foxwoods brand across all of our business platforms and developing a partnership that will be great for our team and fans both on and off the court."

The partnership helps build presence for Foxwoods in the New York area and beyond, with brand integration across all of the Liberty's promotional and marketing platforms, including extensive presence in-arena during Liberty home games with courtside LED signage, logo presence on-court, a feature on GardenVision, and Foxwoods branded on-court contests. In addition, Foxwoods will be promoted to the thousands of passersby daily on The Garden's outdoor marquees on 7th and 8th Avenue.

"This partnership between Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Liberty is emblematic of the fact that there is strong interest among brands to align with the WNBA, not only for its elite athletes, high level of play, and outstanding entertainment, but also for its authentic connection to communities and to women," said WNBA president Donna Orender. "For Foxwoods, this unique partnership is a great way to build their business by reaching the loyal and passionate WNBA fanbase."

As part of the new partnership, the Liberty and Foxwoods will also join together to host a number of community events each season, furthering each company's strong commitment to the community. Through the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the Liberty along with all other areas of Madison Square Garden help "to make dreams come true for kids in crisis" by creating unique and unforgettable events and activities that have brightened the lives of more than 135,000 special children and their families. Foxwoods, which recently celebrated a milestone $3 billion cumulative contribution to the state of Connecticut, has a long, committed history of charitable giving. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, owner of Foxwoods Resort Casino, has donated tens of millions of dollars in cash and in-kind services to hundreds of charitable organizations both locally and nationally. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation first established a revenue sharing act with the state in 1993 to ensure that the benefits of tourism and commerce enjoyed by Foxwoods extended to the local community.

View Original Post at seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/womenshoopsblog/index.html

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