GEICO has filed a lawsuit against Super Boat International Productions Inc., in which GEICO claims it paid $150,000 to the offshore race organization for sponsorship of television shows that never aired.

The lawsuit, which was first reported by SpeedontheWater.com, also names SBI President John Carbonell and his wife, Deana Carbonell, SBI vice president, as individuals.

GEICO contends in its lawsuit filed Feb. 22 in Palm Beach County, Fla., that SBI represented that eight of its races would be shown on CBS network television on Saturday afternoons from October through December 2009. In order to air the programs, SBI would have had to purchase the TV time—an arrangement referred to in the media industry as a “time buy.”

In the lawsuit, GEICO—also known as Government Employees Insurance Company—claimed that John Carbonell failed to pay CBS for any of the episodes. Consequently, the show was later dropped from the CBS schedule.

The insurance company, which sponsors the offshore catamaran Miss GEICO, alleges it paid $150,000 to SBI for 60 1-minute GEICO “vignettes” and two 30-second “units” or commercials per telecast, according to the lawsuit. Additionally, the insurance giant said it was to receive title sponsorship that included logos on boats and other marketing opportunities with the tour.

John Carbonell declined to comment on the lawsuit through a spokesman.

GEICO said it already paid the $150,000 and was going to pay an additional $150,000 after the third airing of the series on CBS, but it never did. The insurance company is seeking the money it paid plus interest and attorney fees.—Gregg Mansfield

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