Restaurant franchise, McDonald’s has signed on as the official Junior Partner of AFL’s Brisbane Lions.

The three-year deal, which was announced today, sees McDonald’s become the official partner of Club junior activity – including the naming rights to Bernie’s Gabba Gang, junior clinics, junior membership programs, as well as the match-day junior mascot.

Lions’ junior ambassador, Dayne Zorko, was on hand for the announcement today, alongside teammate James Polkinghorne and young players from Brisbane Junior competitions.

“Growing the game at the junior grassroots level is so critical, especially in a non-traditional football state like Queensland – we need to get as many kids involved in footy as we can,” Zorko said.

“McDonald’s has always been a big supporter of community programs and we’re very excited to have them on board to help grow our junior programs.”

McDonald’s Mt Gravatt Licensee Mark Roberts said McDonald’s was delighted to become an official sponsor of the Brisbane Lions, which aligns with McDonald’s heritage and culture.

“We’ve been a big supporter of AFL Brisbane Juniors over the past four years and we’ve just signed on again as the official sponsor for another three years,” Mark said.

“The AFL Brisbane Juniors are the future stars of AFL and we hope the McDonald’s and Brisbane Lions partnership will encourage more children to take part in sport and lead active lifestyles.

“Our involvement with the Brisbane Lions continues our commitment of being a good neighbour in the community. It complements McDonald’s dedication to junior sporting programs and encouraging children of all abilities to be active and have fun.”

The Lions has almost 5,000 junior members in 2012, with a further 14,000 members of the Bernie’s Gabba Gang, and has a total junior reach of over 30,000 kids in Queensland alone.

Sports social media platform, herbal LockerDome has signed a partnership with National Hockey League’s (NHL) St. Louis Blues to launch the “St. Louis Blues LockerDome Network”.

LockerDome currently serves over 1, thumb 600 Networks of professional athletes, decease brands, media personalities and other sports properties, delivering over 11 million monthly unique visitors.

The two St. Louis-based companies announced that in conjunction with the launch, the Blues will host their first LockerDome contest. Beginning March 25, fans will be able to visit stlouisblues.com and the Blues LockerDome Network to enter for a chance to win two tickets to the April 19 game vs. Dallas, the opportunity to fist bump the players as they head to the ice, an autographed T.J. Oshiejersey and an autographed puck from a favorite player. The deadline to enter the contest is April 8.

“We are excited to become the first pro sports team to partner with LockerDome,” said Blues’ COO Bruce Affleck. “LockerDome is a progressive social platform that will allow our organization to become more accessible as a whole and strengthen the bond between our players and the best fans in hockey.”

“We are pleased to choose the St. Louis Blues as the first major professional sports team Network on LockerDome,” said Gabe Lozano, co-founder and CEO of LockerDome. “Adding professional teams and leagues is a natural progression for LockerDome as we continue to connect sports fans with the athletes, brands, media personalities and now the teams they love through our rapidly growing sports platform. We will be approving dozens of similar partnerships with professional organizations in the coming months.”

Official brands and networks represented by LockerDome include NFL superstars Troy Polamalu, Larry Fitzgerald, Maurice Jones-Drew, Antonio Brown and Marshawn Lynch; MLB All-Stars Felix Hernandez and Andrew McCutchen; baseball legends Pete Rose and Wade Boggs; and NBA stars Blake Griffin, Rudy Gay, and David Lee, among others.

The Thomas Sabo lifestyle brand is strengthening ties with Mercedes-Benz in the 2013 DTM season.

The company, headquartered in the Bavarian town of Lauf an der Pegnitz, will have its logos feature prominently on the front aprons of all six DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupés and on the racing overalls of the six Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers. 

Thomas Sabo is the jewellery company headquartered in the northern Bavarian town of Lauf an der Pegnitz that was established in 1984 by its eponymous owner. The company ranks among one of the world’s leading lifestyle brands with its jewellery, watches and beauty products. 

Thomas Sabo has been a sponsoring partner of Mercedes-Benz in the DTM since the 2011 season. In addition, the lifestyle label is also personal sponsor to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg. 

Thomas Sabo, said: “I am delighted that we are expanding our involvement in motor racing with Mercedes-Benz. Thomas Sabo will have a dynamic and promising team on the grid once again this year. We are particularly keen to promote young drivers and in Roberto Merhi, we have found a young dedicated DTM driver who not only has a great career in motor racing ahead of him, but also perfectly fits the image of the Thomas Sabo lifestyle brand. I am certain that we are in for a thrilling DTM season.” 

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, added: “The black Thomas Sabo Mercedes AMG C-Coupé with its elegant, sporty look is a firm favourite of many DTM fans. So, I am really pleased that Thomas Sabo is stepping up a gear with Mercedes-Benz and the world’s most popular touring car series. The two brands fit together perfectly: The distinctive design and the high quality standards of the lifestyle label correspond exactly with those of the Mercedes-Benz brand. We aim to continue our successful long-term cooperation both on and off the track this coming season.”

Herbalife has announced an exclusive nutrition sponsorship deal with two-time World Champion of the Junior World Triathlon and Junior World Duathlon Lukas Verzbicas.

With an extensive track record of supporting champion athletes and sporting teams worldwide, Verzbicas joins the ranks of elite athletes sponsored by this health and fitness-driven company.

A native of Lithuania but raised in Illinois, Verzbicas is one of the most accomplished male high school runners in the US. He holds titles such as the two-time Pan American Champ, 2 mile outdoor high school national record holder, 5k indoor high school national record holder, 5th US high school runner to break 4 min/mile, and is a three-time national high school cross country champ.

The one-year terms include Herbalife as Verzbicas’ primary sponsor and official nutrition partner, Verzbicas’ participation in assisting Herbalife in the development of new Herbalife24 performance nutrition products by providing feedback on formulas in development and prototypes, as well as his support in corporate training and triathlon training camps for the company’s employees and distributors prior to the Herbalife Los Angeles Triathlon in October, and participating in triathlon representing the company.

Herbalife is a global nutrition company that sells weight management, nutrition, and personal care products intended to support a healthy lifestyle with products catering to weight management, energy & fitness, heart health and more. 

The company also sponsors over 100 sporting events, teams and athletes around the world that reflect the company’s commitment to a healthy active life supported by good nutrition. These sponsorships include the Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Barcelona, the Herbalife Los Angeles Triathlon, Leo Messi, and Pumas soccer club in Mexico.

mophie, developer of accessories that allow consumers do more with their portable devices, today announced it has signed on as a sponsor at the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the longest running surf contest in the world, being held at Torquay, Australia, which runs from March 27 to April 7.

mophie’s sponsorship further demonstrates its commitment to the art and sport of surfing, providing riders with the ability to capture every tube ride, cutback and bottom turn of the competition with its OutRidesolution, a wide-angle, waterproof mounting system for the iPhone that eliminates the need for a dedicated action sports camera.

“The Rip Curl is an iconic platform for us to gain global exposure for the OutRide iPhone mounting system and add international footage to the community sharing video using the OUTRIDE app,” said Ross Howe, vice president of marketing, mophie. “Our company has grown up in the surf community of southern California and it’s fitting that we have a presence at this legendary event.”

While contestants at the competition vie for the chance to “ring the bell,” mophie OutRide cameras will be used to capture exclusive shots from the skis in the water, giving online Rip Curl Pro viewers an OutRide perspective of the action taking place.

 

Canada’s favourite painter’s tape, Painter’s Mate Green, has announced its sponsorship of 2013 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) events, including the MasterCard Memorial Cup and the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs.

In addition to fun giveaways at these events, Painter’s Mate Green will also reward a lucky fan with a trip to the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

As the hockey season nears its end, Canadian hockey enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting a major CHL event: The MasterCard Memorial Cup, scheduled for May 17-26 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. While they root for their favourite teams, fans can look forward to some exciting activities and giveaways sponsored by Painter’s Mate Green.

Painter’s Mate Green is also an official sponsor of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) conference finals and series playoffs. Game attendees can look forward to back-by-popular-demand giveaway items and have a chance to receive Painter’s Mate Green painter’s tape to try out at home.

Earlier this year, Painter’s Mate Green also sponsored a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Game to help promote community engagement. Fans enjoyed free samples, giveaways and interactive activities courtesy of Painter’s Mate Green along with the thrill of seeing their favourite players battling it out on the ice.

“The Canadian Hockey League has a host of phenomenal athletes and staff. Painter’s Mate Green is pleased to partner with the organization again,” said Scott Sommers, director of marketing for DIY tapes at ShurTech Brands. “We wanted to make this year’s sponsorship even more of a thrill, and we’re eager for the fans to enjoy what’s in store.”

Cricket Scotland has announced a new partnership with Livesport.co.uk, sale a subsidiary of the east of Scotland based Scothosts group. 

Live Sport will provide an out-sourced, rx online service on behalf of Cricket Scotland to sell match tickets for the imminent 2013 cricket season.  A variety of packages will be available for sale for the busy, view forthcoming season, which includes home fixtures against Pakistan, Kenya and Australia, as well as the Yorkshire Bank 40 league against the English counties. Tickets and packages can be accessed from tomorrow via the Cricket Scotland website at www.cricketscotland.com, which has a direct link to the Livesport.co.uk sales platform.

Commenting on the new partnership, Cricket Scotland Chief Executive Roddy Smith said: “Cricket Scotland is always keen to offer our supporters best value for money, as well as excellent and efficient customer service.

“LiveSport.co.uk is emerging as one of the fastest growing outsourced online service providers in the UK, providing innovative web solutions for ticketing delivered by a team of experts with a commitment to outstanding levels of customer service.  We are very impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm they have shown to provide this valuable service for us and our customers, and we very much look forward to working proactively with them.’’

Greig Hopcroft, Operations Manager at Scothosts group said: “LiveSport.co.uk is delighted to be supporting the growth of Scottish cricket.  We believe that our service will enhance the overall event experience for the customer.

“We are excited about our new partnership with Cricket Scotland and look forward to continuing to build our relationship over the coming months by utilising our portfolio of innovative web solutions, which raises the bar in functionality and usability within the digital marketplace.”