Naming Rights Commission Spurs Suit

New York-based Legends Sales and Marketing accuses West Haymarket JPA of calculating its commission based not on the full naming rights sale price of $11.25 million, but on a discounted $6.73 million, according to the Lincoln Star Journal.

Pinnacle paid a discounted rate by exercising an acceleration provision of the sponsorship that allowed for the discount.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha, Legends asked a federal judge to find that its commission should be based on the full sale price, not the discounted price paid by Pinnacle Bank.

The lawsuit is based on a 2010 consultant agreement between the West Haymarket JPA and CSL Marketing Group of Plano, Texas.

In February 2012, CSL assigned its rights and responsibilities to Legends, according to the paper.

Under the agreement, the JPA agreed to pay the consultant between 5 percent and 14 percent in commission on the gross revenue from sales of naming rights, among other things.