Cue the Music - ADT is Out As LPGA Sponsor
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 16, 2008 4:40 PM EDT
11 comments
The rumor mill had been flying about the future of the ADT Championship. It had been declared everything from dead, to moving to the START of the season, to being a part of the new network television package that the LPGA Tour is trying to negotiate. Any of those things may still be true, but one thing is certain: ADT is no longer sponsor of the season ending (and thrilling) event on the LPGA Tour.
A press release on LPGA.com explains the situation.
First, Carolyn Bivens:
The LPGA has enjoyed an excellent relationship with ADT as a title sponsor of our season-ending event since 2001, and we are tremendously grateful for ADT's strong support and loyalty to the LPGA and our members throughout the years. While we are disappointed that ADT won't title the event beyond 2008, we look forward to working with them to ensure the 2008 event is the most successful to date. As it relates to the future title of this event, which features golf's most compelling format, we are having discussions with several groups for title sponsorship.
Not even the coolest format in golf could keep ADT on board. That either says something about the home security business or the LPGA Tour.
And ADT politely slaps down their relationship with the LPGA Tour:
ADT maintains an excellent relationship with the LPGA and continues to be committed to our other partners including the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, the Pepsi Center in Denver as well as several Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) properties, the Home Depot Center and LA Live in Southern California and the O2 Dome in London.
ADT's strategy is to make significant investments in growth areas of our business that are more closely aligned with meeting the needs of our customers.
Basically, ADT sounds like they are stepping away from the LPGA Tour because they want to get involved in sports that are perceived as a bigger deal. After all, golf fans are generally pretty well off. And people who are pretty well off usually get scared that bad guys are going to steal their things. So, they would want ADT's services.
Even worse news is that ADT is still the sponsor of the silly season ADT Skills Challenge.
This doesn't mean anything has changed about the status of the event for this season, but continues to call into question how the LPGA Tour will look in 2009.
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"they don't play in a building..."
“…so they don’t really show off our services” is basically what they are saying…outwardly.
What they mean back in the board room is that they don’t get as much bang for the buck as they do with the events in all those other sporting events in buildings. (NBA, soccer, football…etc)
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 16, 2008 9:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ding ding
But, the bad part is that they still sponsor the ADT Skills Challenge. So is it the LPGA Tour in particular, or golf?
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 16, 2008 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
have to ask them
but the Skills Challenge does get decent TV coverage and is much cheaper than the LPGA event – it’s a “2 day event” for just a couple of hours – much easier to put on than a four day tournament with all trappings. It’s all about bang for the buck.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 16, 2008 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
very true
But, then why do it in the first place?
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 16, 2008 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
why do what ?
sponsor the LPGA tournament ? the Skills Challenge ? golf in general ?
easy – it seemed like a good idea at the time.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 20, 2008 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Then why stick with the skills challenge
and dump the ADT? Has to be the LPGA Tour then.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 21, 2008 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
bang for the buck
Nobody expects huge numbers for something like the Skills Challenge – but enough people tune in because it is entertaining to see big names it great shots head to head., then do a little good natured trash talking. It doesn’t take four days to cover and big bucks – it’s a dozen folding chairs and four TV hours total over 2 days.
People expect big things from a tournament that has the top names playing for a million bucks. Four days of TV time plus all the production and tournament costs involved.
"this ball will fit in that fairway"
by courtgolf on Oct 21, 2008 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sirak chimes in, too
See my update!
by The Constructivist on Oct 17, 2008 4:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I read Sirak
and felt like I didn’t learn anything new other than the speculation about the Stanford event to end the season is a little firmer. I am VERY curious, though, to see what the schedule will look like at ADT. Will it have as many TBDs as the Euro Tour schedule (11)?
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 17, 2008 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
as I wrote...
…I thought Baldry’s use of “tour championship” was pretty vague—does it refer to the old McDonald’s (major) or the new Stanford (ex-Invitational)—as you say, Sirak clears that up. And he adds the tidbit about the ’09 schedule being announced before ADT.
by The Constructivist on Oct 17, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, extremely vague
The going rumor is that the LPGA Championship would be in August or September to be the last major, but not end the season. The AP report about McDonald’s bailing as sponsor, though, seems a little misguided. The LPGA really took an opportunity to buy up their own championship. That was one positive this year, I thought.
by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 17, 2008 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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