By Paul Kennedy
FC Dallas has reached a long-term agreement with Toyota to name its stadium Toyota Stadium. In addition, its soccer complex with 17professional-grade soccer fields adjacent to the stadium located in Frisco, Texas, will be named Toyota Soccer Center.
Toyota also is the name sponsor of two other soccer stadiums: theChicago Fire’s Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., and the NASL San Antonio Scorpions’ Toyota Field that opened in 2013.
FC Dallas opened its stadium in 2005 as Pizza Hut Park. Pizza Hutpulled out at the end of 2011. The FC Dallas facilities are booked 350 days of the year. Besides FC Dallas, the stadium also hosts international soccer matches, the NCAA FCS Championship, the new AACmen’s soccer championship and concerts.
“This is a monumental day for our organization,” said Dan Hunt, vice president of HuntSports Group. “My entire family and I are so excited to be partnered with Toyota. I wish my father was alive today to see Toyota join FC Dallas in helping soccer grow across the Metroplex andTexas. This stadium complex was one of his favorite projects and will always be extra special to me as the last project I got to do with him before he passed. I know having such a wonderful partner asToyota step up and put their name on it would make him proud.”
In addition to becoming the new naming rights partner to the FC Dallas stadium, Toyota through its Gulf States Toyotadistributor will be the exclusive automotive partner of FC Dallas, FC Dallas Youth, North Texas State Soccer Association, the annual King TUT youth tournament and the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup. Toyota willhave an active presence in everything soccer in the North Texas region, including FC Dallas grassroots initiatives.
“Whether on the field or on the road, customers of both Toyotaand FC Dallas share a passion for great products and great success,” said Brent Hillyer, vice president of Gulf States Toyota in a statement. “Weare proud to partner with FC Dallas to sponsor this world-class stadium and complex, and are looking forward to supporting the team.”
UNIMAS RATINGS.UniMás averaged 3.9 million viewers for Friday’s Mexico-Honduras game, making it the third most-viewed program in the network’s history.
Regardless of language,UniMás was the highest rated station during the World Cup qualifier in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix. UniMás stations had higher viewership than Univision rival networksTelemundo, Azteca, MundoFox and Estrella combined.
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