Pre-Bailout Housecleaning Reveals GM Luxury Box Perks

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Post- Jet-Gate morality is sweeping through the RenCen unabated, as a new spirit of (perceived) austerity has General Motors ditching its corporate pastime: luxury boxes. I mean baseball. GM “may be trying to exit or renegotiate the lease for its luxury suite at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers,” reports CNN Money. Tigers suites rent for $120,000 to $130,000 a year, and include seating for 18 people, free parking, a private restroom, interior and exterior television sets, a computer with Internet access, pre-game batting practice sessions with ex-Tigers pitchers, and a full catering menu (highlights: market fresh crudite, chilled king prawns, and black pepper and garlic-crusted beef tenderloin). In short, it’s understandable that GM is “carefully evaluating all sponsorships – sports and other – as we look for opportunities to reduce costs during this economic recession,” as spokeswoman Kelly Cusinato puts it. And while the Tigers “try to be as flexible with (GM) as possible,” the General is definitely ditching its sponsorship of the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to the AP. That deal included another luxury box (available for five-year leases at $150k-$275k annually) with undisclosed amenities and menu items. GM spokesman Pete Ternes said the company “is looking at” other Major League Baseball sponsorship contracts that expire at the end of the year, as part of an effort to cut the company’s promotional and advertising budget 20 percent.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Mtypex Mtypex on Dec 11, 2008

    Pontiac Game Changing Performance is only on ABC, correct? I watch ESPN - Acura and Nissan are there. GM and old line MSM, sitting in a tree ...

  • Nevets248 Nevets248 on Dec 11, 2008

    yep. cost cutting continues at the Tech Center, too. No more "pool" vehicles. Elimination of Voicemail for some people before the end of this month.

  • Stu Sidoti Stu Sidoti on Dec 11, 2008

    Quote" nevets248: " Elimination of Voicemail for some people before the end of this month" For what it's worth, GM stopped putting desk-phones on all new hire's desks years ago. Instead, they have been giving the new employees cell phones...One phone, one contact point-makes sense to me.

  • Adam Adam on Dec 11, 2008

    Personally, I hope the "Pontiac Game Changing Performance" dies screaming after repeatedly choosing to air highlights embarrassing to a particularly large college fanbase in Detroit's backyard that has lots of money to spend and large social networks to influence. NSFW-holes.

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