"Yankees quietly negotiating with Bank of America" Newsday 2/4/9

Yankees quietly negotiating with Bank of America

BY ANTHONY RIEBER | anthony.rieber@newsday.com
February 4, 2009

While the Mets have been taking the heat for their naming-rights deal for Citi Field, the Yankees have been quietly negotiating a megabucks sponsorship deal with Bank of America for the new Yankee Stadium that does not include naming rights.

The Yankees and Bank of America were reportedly close to a deal in September that would have approached the $20 million per year the Mets are getting from Citigroup.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the deal being negotiated in September included "prime signage" in and around the park.

Bank of America, which has accepted $45 billion in federal bailout money, has been under fire for sponsoring a five-day fanfest leading up to the Super Bowl. Company officials responded that Bank of America was honoring a deal signed months before the bailout. Bank of America spokesman Joe Goode declined to comment on the status of negotiations with the Yankees.

Yankees officials did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment.