Dolphins and Sprint Create Fantasy Lounge
Dolphin Stadium officials have promised the venue’s $213 million renovation will vastly improve the fan experience.
Among the new amenities will be the “Sprint Fantasy Lounge,” a specially designated area on the stadium’s club level that will cater to all things fantasy football. Designed like a high-end sports bar with big screen TVs, the lounge will show the DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket package. Kiosks outfitted with computers will allow fans to check their fantasy teams and a sports ticker will keep them updated on the latest statistics.
Sprint hopes the lounge will be open in time for Dolphins preseason games, said Nanci Schwartz, a Sprint spokeswoman. Once open, it will also be accessible during Marlins games, she said.
The fantasy lounge, which is a first for Sprint, is the result of a new multi-year “premier” partnership with the Dolphins and the stadium. The Dolphins’ Premier Partnership is an elite level of sponsorship for a limited number of corporate partners who will have individually designed sponsor programs that go far beyond just stadium signage or game program advertising.
“We’re working with Sprint on activation. We’re trying to have experiential programs for fans,” said George Torres, spokesman for Dolphins Enterprises, which includes the stadium. “We want to make it more interactive and more of an experience for them, rather than having just a Sprint banner or logo.”
Other Premier Partners include Wachovia, Publix and Budweiser. Budweiser, for example, will sponsor the Bud Light Deck area on the 400 Level.
The Sprint partnership will also play up the company’s NFL Mobile content available on Sprint cellular phones. At the stadium, fans will be able to learn more about the application, which includes the ability to watch the NFL Network and get NFL and Dolphins updates on your phone. In addition to its partnership with the Dolphins, Sprint, the official wireless carrier of the NFL, has deals with seven other NFL teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins.
Sprint’s NFL Mobile Access Tour, a tractor-trailer with interactive displays, will also make a stop at a Dolphins game this season.
CRAIG DAVIS In more than 33 years at the Sun Sentinel, Craig Davis has written about a wide variety of sports topics from baseball to yachting, fishing to triathlons, and also worked as a copy editor and page designer. Recently he reported on local sports, including running, swimming, cycling, equestrian and beach volleyball. He enjoys sports as a participant as well as a spectator, is active in the South Florida running scene plays in the curling club at Saveology Iceplex. This blog offers a glimpse at the business side of sports in the interest of enhancing enjoyment of the games and sporting options as a spectator as well as a participant.
