Sponsorship & Marketing
AMERICAN GENERAL SPONSORS WNBA
American General, a leading US financial services organisation, and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) have signed a multi-year marketing partnership, making American General a sponsor of the WNBA.
PEPSI SIGNS CHICAGO POURING RIGHTS DEAL
Pepsi will be the soft drink of choice for three Chicago sports franchises. Agreements with the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks, and United Center begin September 1, 2000. An agreement with the Chicago White Sox begins November 1, 2000.
EUROBET ARROWS F3000 IN TEAM LAUNCH
The Eurobet Arrows F3000 team has been officially launched at the Arrows F1 Team's Leafield, Oxfordshire headquarters.
MICHELIN SIGNS JAGUAR TYRE DEAL
Michelin will provide Jaguar with tyres next season when the French company returns to Formula One after a 16-year absence.
ARGENTINA’S EXXEL GROUP TO LAUNCH SOCCER PORTAL.
Argentine buyout fund The Exxel Group is going to launch an Internet soccer portal in the near future.
ALL BLACKS SIGN MEDIA CONTENT
The New Zealand Rugby Football Union, whose All Blacks team is one of the world?s best recognised sports brands, has appointed Media Content Sports Media Advisors as television and media rights consultants.
FRENCH SEIZE COUNTERFEIT SPORTS SHOES FROM CHINA
French customs officials have seized more than 77,800 pairs of counterfeit Adidas, Fila and Sprandi sports shoes in a shipment from China at the French port of Le Havre.
NIKE AND METASTREAM SIGN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Nike Inc. and Metastream Corp., a provider of marketing visualization solutions for the Web, have signed a viewer distribution agreement.
DC UNITED CONSIDERS DISCOVERY SPONSORSHIP
D.C United has attracted an offer from US cable company Discovery Communications to become a major sponsor of the MLS club in a one-year $150,000 (#95,000) deal, reports the soccer industry newsletter, the Soccer Investor Weekly Bulletin.
SCORECARDUSA.COM RAISES $1.6 MILLION FUNDING
ScoreCardUSA.com, a recreational sports portal providing personalized Web services for active individual sports enthusiasts, has raised $1.6million in first-round funding, led by CrossBow Ventures of West Palm Beach, Fla., and individual private investors. ScoreCardUSA.com is scheduled to launch June 1.
NBC AND WWF FORM 50-50 PARTNERSHIP
In a bid to get back into professional football broadcasting, the NBC television network will form a 50-50 partnership with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc., to own and operate the new XFL football league and its eight teams.
AFRICAN SOCCER SET FOR RIGHTS BATTLE
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it has received several offers for the television rights to Africa's top soccer competitions.
DURET LANDS SPORTAL ROLE
Sportal has appointed Caroline Duret ? head of PR during the soccer World Cup in 1998 ? as its new international communications manager.
CLEVELAND, ST. LOUIS, ATLANTA TOP MOST AVID FAN STANDINGS
A survey carried out by Scarborough Sports Marketing has determined which Major League Baseball clubs have the most passionate or ?avid? fans.
SOUTHERN COMPANY LAUNCHES GOLF CAMPAIGN
Southern Company, the international energy company, is to launch a year-long national TV ad campaign, composed of four new 15-second commercials centering around the company's role as the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR.
GERMAN MEDIA FIRM SEEKS CINEMA RELEASE FOR LIVE FOOTBALL
German media firm, Kinowelt, is seeking to broadcast football league games live in cinemas from August.
US HEAD OF OLYMPIC MARKETING RESIGNS
Dave Ogrean, the head of marketing for the U.S. Olympic Committee, has resigned.
BRIAN FRANCE WINS SPORTS INDUSTRY AWARD
NASCAR Senior Vice President Brian France has won the Sports Industrialist of the Year award from The Sports Business Daily.