The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority staff is pursuing a two-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams that could start as early as the 2025-2026 season and is expected to cost more than $3.86 million.

The HTA board approved the staff’s request to work toward a partnership, which staff said represents a “strategic investment in sports tourism, delivering significant value to Hawaii while aligning with HTA’s mission to promote sustainable and culturally authentic travel experiences.”

HTA Chief Stewardship Officer Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana made the request and said HTA staff would seek approval from the state procurement officer for a sole-source exemption like many high-level sports competitions, and approval would hinge on availability of funds, which would have a base of about $1.5 million annually.

Funding is expected to come from HTA’s budget for sports and signature events, for which $7.3 million was allocated for fiscal year 2025 (ending June 30, 2025) and $9.9 million for fiscal year 2026 (ending June 30, 2026).

Ultimately, the board voted unanimously to approve the staff’s recommendation to pursue a contract with the Rams that would bring community benefits to Maui and marketing opportunities on the mainland and in Japan. However, the cost of the request relative to HTA’s sports budget sparked some early debate.

HTA board member James McCully ultimately voted for the measure after hearing about the potential branding opportunities, but initially said that he would vote against the request on principle. He said that he was not sure that spending 2% to 5% of HTA’s budget on a sports event was “getting the best use of the scarce moneys that we have available as an authority.”

Some HTA board members, including state Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka, also expressed concern that HTA staff could not provide full details of the proposed partnership until the conclusion of negotiations.

Tokioka said, “I compare this to the money, the $1.5 million, and I think about how much did we spend with the Golden State Warriors, ’cause I mean the impact of that game — the place was sold out. Everybody who was at the game could say, ‘Oh, this is what HTA does.’”

He added that he wanted to know whether the Rams planned to send their most popular players or new draftees to Maui.

“I understand that they cannot commit to some stuff like that, but we have got to have some idea what the $1.5 million will pay for, and if we compare it to the Golden State Warriors, then that’s kind of what I want to understand, what that level of funding of money gets us,” said Tokioka, who asked Ka‘ana‘ana to provide updates as the negotiations moved forward.

HTA spent $750,000 on the contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for its Oct. 5 game against the Warriors in Honolulu.

Tokioka added that “$1.5 million is a lot of money that is not already appropriated by the Legislation, so I would feel a lot more comfortable when we get the updates.”

Ka‘ana‘ana told the board he would provide updated details as they became available but that time was of the essence since all required documentation for state procurement is due by Jan. 15 and that approved payments from HTA to the Rams would be made in installments on April 30 and Sept. 30 as well as in 2026.

“Your approval here today, if you so chose to, is the first step, but I want to be clear that there is also still finance review, state procurement office approvals as well as NFL and NFL Players Association approvals,” he said. “There are still a number of proposals before any of this gets formalized.”

Ka‘ana‘ana’s pitch to the HTA board said HTA staff would maintain “oversight and collaborate with the Rams to ensure activities are culturally appropriate, empower local communities and align with Hawaii’s values.”

Moreover, he said in the pitch that activities also will include “elements accessible to visitors, promoting regenerative tourism and fostering meaningful connections with Hawaii’s unique culture and environment.”

Ka‘ana‘ana told the board that more details about the partnership would be forthcoming after negotiations concluded, but generally, he said, the partnership would have a Maui component with community benefits.

“I want to highlight the section here on the community engagement,” he said. “Yes, we are focused on Maui. We know Maui needs help badly. The youth- focused activities on Maui, including the football camp, as well as the girls flag football clinic, and locker room refurbishment are important to making sure residents see the community benefits that this board has asked us to make as part of our strategy.”

Ka‘ana‘ana said the Rams also would host organized team activities on Maui, including two public practices and a community day. He said premium associations would include use of Rams branding for marketing campaigns across key platforms, as well as official designations such as “LA Rams Home in the Hawaiian Islands” and “Official Gateway of the LA Rams.”

Ka‘ana‘ana said game-day entitlements on the mainland could include high visibility during one home game annually; Hawaii-­themed game-day elements such as lei and music, plus pregame and in-game media inclusion; and the chance to leverage Hawaii’s core messaging and campaigns. Ka‘ana­‘ana said expansion of the Rams’ global presence to Japan will enhance Hawaii’s brand through sweepstakes, digital campaigns and co-branded marketing materials.

He said year-round digital amplification will feature “The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands” on the U.S. mainland and “Yaparri Hawai‘i” and “Beautiful Hawai‘i” in Japan.

HTA board Chair Mufi Hanne­mann said he supports reaching an agreement with the Rams, which fits into HTA’s strategy to capitalize on sports tourism, one of the fastest-growing segments of the global travel industry.

“The Rams are very, very interested in continuing this partnership,” he said. “As you may recall, they were the last team that HTA funded (in 2019) to have a professional football game at Aloha Stadium, with the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, this is not a game, but this is the next-best thing.”

The Rams sold “Malama Maui” shirts and conducted an in-game 50-50 raffle to support American Red Cross relief efforts after the deadly Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires. They also partnered with other L.A.-based sports teams to donate.

Hannemann said high-profile sports and signature events bring community benefits and opportunities for Hawaii’s residents, attract participants and attendees from outside the state, and provide opportunities for marketing globally.

“It’s a win-win,” he said.