EMC Corp. buys naming rights to Citizens Bank suites

If you head to Citizens Bank Park sometime soon to watch the Phillies - rather than staying home and watching "Toyota Scoreboard Updates" and the "Chevrolet Player of the Game" - you might want to hope that the ticket-takers mention yet another company to you: EMC.

Yes, the Phillies have taken the next step in selling naming rights: Some of the South Philly ballpark's poshest accommodations, formerly known simply as "the Suite Level," will now be known as the "EMC2 Suite Level."

David Buck, Phillies senior vice president for marketing, won't say what EMC Corp. - a multibillion-dollar technology company based in Hopkinton, Mass. - is paying for a little extra name recognition.

But Buck says the Phils consider the deal a great fit because of the team's already extensive dealings with EMC, which calls itself "the world's leading information infrastructure solutions provider."

In fact, Buck says EMC has already been busy solving some of the Phillies' business and baseball problems, even if fans wouldn't know it.

He said EMC's handiwork was behind upgrades to the ticketing system, PhanaVision video - even the high-tech video-scouting system.

Thanks to that system, Buck said, "Chase Utley can look at every pitch he's ever faced from Josh Johnson of the Marlins" right before he goes to bat against him.

Naming rights are a common sports revenue source nowadays, but Buck says EMC is only the second company to name a seating section at Citizens Bank Park.

The first was much more downscale and low-tech - fitting, since it named a section that houses the ballpark's only bleachers: the "Bud Light Rooftop" atop Ashburn Alley.