Patriotism: The Last Refuge of ... CMGI?

CMGI's(CMGI Quote) Patriotism is admirable. But it may not be worth $114 million.

Standing Ovation CMGI rises on stadium deal

The Internet conglomerate said Wednesday that it would be spending at least $7.6 million per year over 15 years for the right to name the New England Patriots' new stadium "CMGI Field." But the deal -- among the richest such sports-venue agreements ever, on the heels of recent stadium-naming deals involving the likes of 3Com(COMS Quote), Pacific Bell and Entergy(ETR Quote) -- raises questions about what kind of audience CMGI is playing to, and the cost-effectiveness of measures it's taking to reach that audience.

Clearly, the deal to name the stadium will give CMGI a lot more visibility than, say, the now-maligned strategy of paying for a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl. Between signs on scoreboards, at the stadium's main entrance and on nearby roads and highways, CMGI will get 2.8 billion ad impressions per year, estimates CMGI Chairman David Wetherell. And that figure apparently doesn't include other benefits of the deal, such as a suite at the stadium and sponsorship rights to each season's first home preseason game. (The payments begin in 2002, when the new football field in Foxboro, Mass., is slated for completion.)

Building

...