ESPN and the New Mexico Bowl severed ties with a new sponsor for the 2019 bowl game just weeks after agreeing to a multiyear contract.
Film production company DreamHouse partnered with the New Mexico Bowl on Oct. 1, inking a four-year deal with ESPN for naming rights to the bowl game. The questioned legitimacy of DreamHouse and its company leadership, however, led to termination of the agreement on Thursday.
“We notified DreamHouse today that we have terminated its title sponsorship agreement with the New Mexico Bowl,” ESPN Events spokeswoman Anna Negron. “We remain focused on ensuring a quality experience for fans.”
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The statement did not elaborate on a reason for the termination.
At the time of the sponsorship announcement, ESPN said DreamHouse had a 25,000-square-foot office in Albuquerque, though its company website does not list a phone number, address or show images of the office.
“I think you know what the film industry is doing for our state,” New Mexico Bowl executive director Jeff Siembieda said during the sponsorship announcement. “It’s a hub for our economy and DreamHouse is a big part of that. This partnership is right."
DreamHouse was registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office earlier this year, according to the Albuquerque Journal. However, its CEO, Eric Martinez, reportedly does not have a business license in Albuquerque, which is the apparent location of the office. And the Albuquerque Journal report noted DreamHouse's address is "listed as a residence."
The problem is, it appears, that DreamHouse is not yet up and running at all. Although there is a DreamHouse Post Production LLC registered with the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office and Martinez is listed as its CEO and registered agent, there is not a business license registered with the city of Albuquerque.
ESPN Events had said DreamHouse had a post-production studio at the Aperture Center at Mesa del Sol. More specifically, Martinez said in a recent television interview that it was located next to the Netflix production hub at Mesa del Sol. Asked about DreamHouse at the Netflix gate this week, a security guard there said he didn’t know of the firm, adding, “That’s a new one to me.”
Martinez, meanwhile, has faced "multiple judgments for unpaid debts," according to the Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque's KOB4 4 News also reported Martinez pleaded guilty to domestic violence in 2017.
Enchantment Sports, which first raised questions about DreamHouse's legitimacy, described Martinez as a "shameless self-promoter who bills himself as a millionaire and one of the top actors, entertainers and directors in New Mexico." Martinez is a known figure in New Mexico for his work in the film and television scene.
The bowl game is still scheduled to be played Dec. 21 at Albuquerque's Dreamstyle Stadium, which is not affiliated with DreamHouse.
The New Mexico Bowl dates back to 2006 and currently has tie-ins with the Mountain West and Conference USA. From 2011 to 2017, it was sponsored by clothing manufacturer Gildan.
According to DreamHouse's web site, the company was founded in 2018 and is set for a grand opening in 2020. As for now, the game will remain without a sponsor.
New Mexico Bowl's sponsorship agreement with DreamHouse went from a dream to a nightmare.