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posted by martyb on Friday October 20 2017, @07:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the what?-no-cheese? dept.

Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers will each invest $5 million in a tech partnership called TitletownTech in Green Bay, Wisconsin:

In an unusual pairing of a giant tech company and a football team, Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers are trying to spur innovation in Wisconsin by forming a $10 million partnership that will make investments, give workspace to startups and encourage innovation among local businesses.

Called TitletownTech and located next to the Packer's Lambeau Field, it will include an 18-week accelerator for companies, a venture capital fund that will invest in those startartups and a lab to help existing business to inject innovation into their firms.

"By combining the Green Bay Packers' deep engagement in this community and our expertise in helping businesses digitally transform, we believe TitletownTech will be a valuable resource for Wisconsin and a model for fostering economic development in other parts of the country," said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, in a statement.

The TitletownTech building is planned to open next fall.

Green Bay Packers press release. Also at Reuters, Green Bay Press-Gazette, and WILX.


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  • (Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (3 children)

    by jmorris (4844) on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (#585406)

    Since the Packers probably won't be in the football business a lot longer (No Fans League) it probably makes sense to diversify now while they can.

    Just proves Conquest's Second Law is always going to be a problem.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:37PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:37PM (#585421)

      They're leaving in droves! Droves, I tell ya! They don't know where they're going yet, because they haven't been told yet, but believe me, their convictions are DEEP and SINCERE. They just need some talking head to tell them what to be outraged about next.

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Friday October 20 2017, @08:40PM

      by frojack (1554) on Friday October 20 2017, @08:40PM (#585424) Journal

      Packers are different.

      Packer Fans own the club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers_Board_of_Directors [wikipedia.org]

      The NFL does not allow corporate ownership. Instead, it requires clubs to be wholly owned either by a single owner, or small group of owners, and requires that at least one owner owns a 1/3 stake in the team. The Packers are granted an exemption to this rule, as they have been a publicly owned corporation since before the rule was in place. The corporation is governed by a seven-member Executive Committee, elected from among the board of directors.

      Were it not for that unusual structure there is no way a town the size of Green Bay would have a NFL team at all.

      So what are they dicking around with Microsoft for? This whole thing sounds like something Microsoft would buy and pay for and look furiously for local partner to lend their name to the operation.

      --
      No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:35AM

      by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:35AM (#585494) Homepage

      Hey, any way to get the tech industry the fuck out of California and Boston is a good thing. I hold Wisconsinites in high regard, and fuck those Massholes.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:16PM (#585407)

    I struggle to figure out where to invest $500; it must be weird to be able to throw around $10 million as a minor bet on something as stupid as sports.

    This is a weird world; only the fools know how to profit.

    • (Score: 2) by Snotnose on Friday October 20 2017, @11:12PM

      by Snotnose (1623) on Friday October 20 2017, @11:12PM (#585467)

      throw around $10 million as a minor bet on something as

      Me. Send $10 million my way and trust assured, I will spend that money wisely. No, not on hookers and blow. More like Teslas and top tier cable TV subscriptions.

      So come on, someone toss $10 million my way and watch me not waste it.

      / Actually, give me $10 million
      // I setup an account that throws off 5% to me
      /// when I die it goes to a charity of my choice.
      //// See, it's not wasted, it goes to a good cause. In a few years.

      --
      Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Friday October 20 2017, @09:30PM (1 child)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Friday October 20 2017, @09:30PM (#585441) Journal

    And can we all call them iPads?

    --
    This sig for rent.
    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Grishnakh on Friday October 20 2017, @10:04PM

      by Grishnakh (2831) on Friday October 20 2017, @10:04PM (#585452)

      No, they're not "Surfaces", they're "Microsoft iPads". The NFL commentators on TV said so explicitly. Since Microsoft paid the NFL to use and feature their iPads, I have to assume that they properly trained these on-air commentators, and that these commentators are representatives of Microsoft.

  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday October 20 2017, @09:56PM (1 child)

    by Gaaark (41) on Friday October 20 2017, @09:56PM (#585448) Journal

    Is this partnership going to turn out like all the others, where the 'other' partner gets swallowed up or gets competition that puts them out of business.

    Just wait for the 'Microsoft Maniacs' football team to open up and raid all the Packers talent. ("Microsoft Money's"? "Microsoft Morons"? ?Microsoft Blue(screenof)Deaths"?

    The whole team goes into a huddle and can't come out until the cheerleaders do a "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" cheer.

    Nokia Packers. Good name, that... Gooood name.

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
    • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @10:17PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @10:17PM (#585455)

      Bye bye NFL... and all companies that buy commercial time. Because Koperidiot.

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