In order to stop listening to subway and bus riders complain, the MTA has hired companies to investigate selling the naming rights of subway stations and other MTA properties. The Post reported that the MTA is working with Civic Entertainment Group and Octagon Worldwide to find sponsors for subway lines, buses, and anything else the MTA might own. Jumping the gun, the Post spoke to Subway, whose spokesman said, "It would be a natural tie-in for us. It's something we would look at." Lordy. Anyway, Gothamist would love to buy a sign, but given the fact that the MTA's budget deficit is in the billions, we'd probably only be able to buy signage on a step or subway seat, ripe for the gumming.
Gothamist on initial news of this plan. And other subways of the world are covered in ads... but their stations aren't branded.
