The Palace Remains The Same

Palace Sports & Entertainment has downplayed a report it is selling naming rights to its Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan.

Sports Business Journal Daily reported PSE, which was bought by Tom Gores in June, planned to sell naming rights for the home of the Detroit Pistons, another PSE property. The sale would reportedly generate $2.5 million to $3 million annually.

“We’re not in this to get a bunch of money for a building name,” PSE Pesident Dennis Mannion told the Journal. “But if we can get a deal that improves our fan experience and drives revenues, that’s where we want to go. We want a marketer that will bring novel execution.”

A naming rights deal would be a far cry from the days of former PSE owner Bill Davidson, who opposed selling naming rights to the popular arena.

A PSE spokesman clarified the reports Oct. 3, saying the company has hired Wasserman Media Group “to evaluate strategic partnerships across all of our business properties with the goal of enhancing the overall fan experience and servicing of our customers.”

He added that “the team is not looking specifically at naming rights for the Palace of Auburn Hills at this time and no decisions have been made at this point.”