Paddock Publications, Sears Centre sign sponsorship deal

The Sears Centre Arena and the parent company of the Daily Herald have entered into an exclusive sponsorship partnership.

The one-year contract makes the Daily Herald the arena's exclusive print media partner. The deal went into effect in April, although the Hoffman Estates village board approved it only this week.

"Relationships like this are an opportunity to connect with the communities we serve," said Paddock's Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Robert Y. Paddock Jr.

Hoffman Estates officials said it is important to have a rapport with the newspaper for the arena to be successful.

The sponsorship agreement stipulates Paddock Publications Inc. will, in effect, provide the Sears Centre $150,000 worth of advertising for $10,000. That includes weekly event calendars in the Daily Herald's entertainment section, Time Out and in Paddock's weekly Spanish-language newspaper, Reflejos.

Besides allowing Paddock to promote its brands on the interior and exterior signs, the agreement provides Paddock tickets to every Sears Centre event.

When the Sears Centre first opened in 2006, the original owners, the Ryan Companies, believed McHenry County residents would be the key to its success, and they sought out a partnership with Crystal Lake-based Northwest Herald.

Over the past four years, however, the arena floundered, and Sears Centre officials found most of their customers are from the Barrington area ZIP code, 60010.

The arena failed to turn a profit, prompting Hoffman Estates to take ownership of it late last year.

Paddock has a similar sponsorship agreement with the Allstate Arena in Rosemont and other entertainment venues throughout its market area.