Reporting from Tampa, Fla. — The San Diego Chargers signed a deal today to market the team in Los Angeles and Orange County, a development that could be viewed as an initial step toward an ultimate relocation.
The Chargers, whose current lease agreement allows them to leave San Diego without the threat of lawsuit, have hired L.A.-based Wasserman Media Group to expand the club's marketing reach into the nation's second-largest market. The L.A. area has been without an NFL team since the Raiders and Rams left after the 1994 season.
"The bottom line is Los Angeles and Orange County are two of the most lucrative markets in the world," said Mark Fabiani, the team's point man on stadium issues. "There's no NFL team in those markets, and there's no reason the Chargers can't pursue those areas in these difficult economic times."
For the last seven years, the Chargers have sought a stadium solution in the San Diego area, Fabiani said, at a cost of about $10 million. None of those options has been successful.
As it stands, about 30% of the team's premium products -- luxury suites and club seats -- are purchased by individuals and companies in L.A. and Orange County.
Notably, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attended the team's first-round playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts in San Diego earlier this month. He was a guest of the team.
sam.farmer@latimes.com
