Name.com has signed on as an official sponsor of the New Zealand bobsled team, unhealthy creating a unique opportunity to highlight its new top-level domains (TLDs).

The registrar will serve as an official sponsor of the team for the 2014 season. 

“Rather than simply shouting about Name.com’s newest available domain names, we decided it would be more exciting to wrap a downhill missile reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour instead and put one of our team inside,” said Ashley Forker, marketing manager for Name.com. “We love that this unique opportunity to sponsor the New Zealand bobsled team allows us to support world-class athletes, deeply committed to their sport. Supporting people to tap into their potential is something that Name.com aims to do every day for our customers online.”

Colin Campbell, CEO of .CLUB added: “We are thrilled that .CLUB is part of Name.com’s New Zealand bobsled team sponsorship, along with these other great new domain extensions. Winter sports are definitely on everyone’s mind now, as is the introduction of new top-level domains. With the team, .KIWI, .NINJA, .BUZZ, .HIV and .XYZ, the Name.com crew has put together an awesome bobsled.club!”

While the New Zealand team did not make it to the Olympic Games this year, the Kiwi bobsledders are already training hard at their practice course in Whistler, B.C., which boasts the fastest track in the world.

English League One club MK Dons have extended their partnership with Milton Keynes Audi today, as the key supplier of premium vehicles for the Football Club.

This mutually beneficial relationship provides key staff members, such as manager Karl Robinson, with a vehicle to travel to and from the stadium for training and match days, while MK Audi has the opportunity to highlight their services to a new audience of potential clients within the club’s wide supporter base.

MK Audi Business Manager Paul Snotra said: “As an organisation we are delighted to continue our support for MK Dons, we’re a local company and many of our staff are fans of the club and want to continue to see it thrive and grow, we therefore hope our partnership will play a part in helping this to happen not only in 2014 but over the next few years.”

James Parkinson, Head of Partnerships at MK Dons, added: “For the past five years, we have valued the support that Milton Keynes Audi have given the club and we are delighted that the partnership is continuing for another year.”

AutoZone have announced an extension of its title sponsorship of annual college football bowl game, unhealthy the Liberty Bowl in a new six-year deal.

The game, discount likely to be played late December at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and shown by ESPN, health will match a Southeastern Conference team against an opponent from the Big 12 in the first year of a six-year agreement between the bowl and two of college football’s five power conferences.

“I think that sends a very strong message that we are going to be a major player as the new college bowl lineups are set,” said Steve Ehrhart, executive director of the bowl game. “We are very proud that the contract is for the length of the Big 12 and SEC deals.

“With all the battles among bowl games and cities for who is going to get the best conferences and best teams it’s really important we have a (six-year) deal.”

AutoZone, the Memphis-based auto parts retailer, has been involved as a sponsor of the bowl game for 20 years, the past 10 as title sponsor. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We think the SEC and the Big 12 are going to be a great match,” said Bill Giles, CFO and executive vice president of AutoZone. “Keep in mind we have AutoZone stores and AutoZone customers throughout both of those conferences and throughout the country. We are excited about it. I think it will be great for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and for Memphis.”

Giles said AutoZone’s association with the bowl game as title sponsorship “has been a great partnership and a great marriage for us over time.”

“When we started this journey 10 years ago we said this was a marriage between three great Memphis institutions: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Liberty Bowl and AutoZone. Now, 10 years later, all three of us have really benefited.”

Lifting equipment company Fassi Gru from Italy has revealed it will be an Official Sponsor for the 2014 edition of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship.

“Judging by the great experience from last year” said Giovanni Fassi, Managing Director of Fassi Group, “it was kind of an obvious choice to maintain our brand and our involvement within the championship.” 

Founded in 1946 in the town of Albino (north of Italy), the company is now globally recognised as the benchmark setter within crane industry. “This year’s calendar and especially the two new rounds in Malaysia and South Africa” he continued “result in an even bigger international characterisation of the series. This represents a big opportunity for a company like ours, whose target is to be actively present in every continent.” 

Marc Saurina, WSBK Commercial and Marketing Director, added: “The clearest confirmation of the good results achieved so far is represented by the long-term presence of our partners. This is for us the greatest satisfaction and we are happy to include Fassi within our sponsors and to start together a new exciting season at Phillip Island.” 

Fassi billboards will be displayed alongside the tracks in the WSBK calendar throughout the season, and like last year in most rounds Fassi cranes will be exhibited within the paddock.

The Chinese Super League have announced Ping An Insurance as their new title sponsor. 

The four-year deal beginning this year sets a record as the longest title sponsorship contract in CSL’s history, marking Ping An the first CSL title sponsor from the financial sector.

Yu Hongchen, Executive Vice Chairman of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and Chairman of the CSL Co., said: “Ping An is a powerful company with a world-renowned brand name.  As a Fortune 500 company, Ping An employs 800,000 people in China and provides financial and insurance services to over 80 million clients. We believe a long-term partnership with Ping An will help to improve the CSL’s brand and influence. At the same time, Ping An’s sponsorship with the CSL shows its recognition of CSL’s reputation and value and its confidence in CSL’s future.”

Yu also stressed the progress CSL has made in recent years, remarking, “As the CSL becomes more compelling, more fans are paying attention to the league, creating an unprecedented opportunities for commercial exploitation. Since 2012 the CSL has been working with international and domestic sports marketing companies.  We formed a strategic partnership with the global sports, fashion and media company, IMG Worldwide and successfully secured sponsors in Carlsberg, JD.com, Samsung, and China Auto Rental (CAR). It’s clear for all to see that CSL is making positive headway.”

The CSL attracted multiple companies to vie for the title sponsorship.  Yu added, “We follow free-market mechanism to select the title sponsor. At our Shareholders Meeting, we listened to the presentations by all interested companies and all shareholders cast their votes. Ping An won the most votes.”  He continued, ” Years ago Ping An was an investor of the CSL as they owned the Shenzhen Ping An FC.  We hope in the future Ping An will continue to contribute to the CSL as well as the sports industry in China.”

Sun Jianyi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Ping An, said, “Ping An is honored to be the title sponsor of the CSL, reconnecting with Chinese football after more than a decade. Chinese football always garners tremendous public attention. 

“As CSL clubs improve their performance on the international arena, the public’s expectation of Chinese football is getting higher than ever. After ten years of development, the market and governance of football clubs are getting more and more mature. Ping An is willing to support the development of Chinese football as the title sponsor of the CSL. In addition, Ping An will also integrate its products and services with the league to create better experiences for the fans.”

Battery supplier Shorai Inc. has extended its strategic partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) for the 2014 IndyCar Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS).

In NASCAR, CGRT fields the No. 1 team of Jamie McMurray and the No. 42 Team of Kyle Larson. McMurray has consistently been a top contender for both race wins and the NSCS Championship. This marks the third year that CGRT will use Shorai LFX batteries in all of their NSCS race cars.

“The ability for us to work with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams for another year is thrilling for everyone here at Shorai. We are confident in our batteries and their performance in NASCAR’s premier series and in power sports applications,” said Kevin Riley, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Shorai. “We know this will be another very successful year of NASCAR and INDYCAR racing for both Shorai and Chip Ganassi Racing.”

“I am very excited to know that Shorai LFX batteries will be supporting the entire Chip Ganassi Racing Teams organization that we will have the Shorai logo on our car at the Sonoma race as an associate sponsor,” said Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 car for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. “Our success last year using Shorai LFX is a testament to the quality and workmanship put into all of Shorai’s products both on and off the track. We fully expect to be even more successful this year using their products.”

SDKA International, a global commodities company based in the Middle East, has aligned itself with Floyd Mayweathers ‘Money Team’ by sponsoring J Leon Love.

SDKA will sponsor Love for his next fight in February with a view to signing a two-year sponsorship agreement with him as he prepares to set himself a realistic title shot in 2014. UK based PR agency Live Love Brand engineered the deal between the two parties.

J Leon Love who is 16-0 fighter in the Super Middleweight division is widely regarded as Floyd Mayweathers Protege and in his most recent bout in December won by way of knockout in the 6^th Round. Love recently moved from Middleweight to the 168 pound division and is lining up a potential title fight with current champion Andre Ward if he carries on with his current progress.

Leon said: “I first want to thank SDKA International and Gurps Rai for making this all happen. It’s only the beginning and I know this will be a great partnership all the way to the top. I’m looking forward to letting the world know and giving you 1000% of my hard work and dedication. SDKA international and The Money Team to break all barriers thanks again.”

SDKA Chairman Gurps Rai commented: “Love is one of the most exciting boxers currently in the sport. His flawless fight record speaks for itself and we definitely are aligning ourselves with a future champion in this division.

“This deal with J Leon Love is just the first stepping stone into creating our ambassador program for our foundation and we couldn’t of picked a better person to lead with, J is great in and out the ring and encompasses our brand values of integrity, hard-work and most of all success.”