TiVo Inc., the creator of and a leader in advanced television services including digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced pro quarterback Tim Tebow as its new brand ambassador.

TiVo plans to launch a national advertising and integrated social media campaign showcasing TiVo’s ability to deliver a viewing experience unparalleled in TV entertainment.

“I had no idea how great TiVo was until I started using it. I was blown away by the TiVo experience — it was so much more than I thought,” said Tim Tebow. “With always being on the road, I love having the ability to find exactly what I am looking for and watch it anywhere, any time. The similarity in names caught my attention, but I quickly became a true believer. I’m looking forward to working with the great team at TiVo to spread the word.”

“At TiVo, we are much more the complete ‘player’ than people give us credit for,” said Tom Rogers, TiVo’s President and CEO. “We’re not just a DVR. We have a whole slew of capabilities that TV viewers need to understand about what we can do — like the fact that we bring hundreds of thousands of selections from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and You Tube together with all your regular channels to deliver the premier TV experience in a way only TiVo does — with one remote to access it all. We have brought our game to a much higher level than any other way to experience TV.

“Our passing game for instance — most don’t realize it, but TiVo today is the only way for a cable subscriber to throw their recordings over to an iPad to watch in another room or take on a trip. TiVo viewers can relax about any given game because on nights like Sunday, TiVo is the only cable box that allows you to record four programs at once so you can watch the football game and still load up on all that other great Sunday night programming for the week. Tebow and TiVo have a lot in common — so we decided to run with it.”

Canon announced today that the company will be an Official Partner of the IAAF World Athletics Series from 2013 to 2016, including two editions of the IAAF World Championships.

Canon will sponsor a total of 15 IAAF World Athletics Series events, including the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, which will take place in August 2013, and the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, scheduled for August 2015.

Boasting a rich history, the IAAF held its inaugural World Championships in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland, making next year’s event in Moscow the 14th to date. The Canon Group, which has long focused on promoting sports, decided to sponsor the championships based on shared goals with the IAAF, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, of “contributing to the promotion and development of athletics worldwide and its values of universality and excellence.”

At numerous sporting competitions both in Japan and overseas, Canon has provided behind-the-scenes support to members of the press covering these events, including camera and lens maintenance services and product loans. To further improve on-site media support at each Canon-sponsored IAAF competition, the company will establish a camera service center at each event to assist the numerous journalists and sports photographers from various countries and regions across the world.

As an Official IAAF Partner, various Canon input and output products will be designated as official products of the IAAF World Championships, including cameras, lenses, video cameras, copiers, multifunction devices, printers, scanners, facsimile machines and projectors.

“We are delighted to welcome this blue chip corporation back as an Official IAAF Partner,” said IAAF President Lamine Diack, “and through their products, we are convinced that Canon can help us connect further people with the emotions of the IAAF’s top events and with Athletics in general. The IAAF World Championships is the third largest single sporting event in the world. Each edition gathers more than 2000 athletes from 200 IAAF Member Federations and an accumulated worldwide TV audience of up to 8 Billion viewers.”

“We are proud that the IAAF and the sport of Athletics remain extremely attractive to major corporations. Less than a year ahead of the next IAAF World Championships, Moscow 2013, and before heading to Beijing in 2017, the most important event of our competition programme, now has seven world class Official IAAF Partners – adidas, Canon, Seiko, Sinopec, TDK, Toyota, and VTB.”

Radamel Falcao, doctor the Atlético de Madrid striker, nurse has signed on as an ambassador with global payment services company Western Union. The UEFA Europa League partner announced the partnership with Falcao, ambulance which will see the Colombian born player representing their PASS initiative as part of this season’s competition.

Western Union’s PASS will provide one day’s education for young people around the world from every successful pass in this season’s UEFA Europa League. Falcao said he felt a connection with the initiative and in particular was looking forward to helping them raise funding for educational projects across Latin America.

The PASS initiative will provide teacher training and student scholarships through non-profit, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), with an initial focus on eleven countries – Brazil, China, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Romania, Russia and Turkey.  To date there have been a total of 83,054 successfully completed passes in this season’s competition, meaning 83,054 days of education have been provided.

Die Liberatus IT GmbH ist neuer offizieller IT-Partner des TSV 1860 München. Der Spezialist für Informationstechnologie war bereits Business Club Partner und baut sein Engagement beim Münchner Traditionsverein weiter aus. Für die nächsten drei Jahre versorgt das Unternehmen mit Hauptsitz in München die Löwen mit Hardware, vialis 40mg Software und kompetenten IT-Dienstleistungen.

“Zusammen mit IBM haben wir die IT-Infrastruktur der Löwen bereits auf den neuesten Stand gebracht. Mit Hilfe unseres Service werden wir sie in den nächsten drei Jahren weiter optimieren”, sagt Thomas Angerer, Geschäftsführer der Liberatus IT GmbH. Die Sechzger liegen ihm auch persönlich am Herzen: “Als langjähriges Westkurvenkind freut mich das Engagement ganz besonders. Die Bereitstellung professioneller Hard- und Software sowie unserer hochqualifizierten Arbeit soll dazu beitragen, dass sich der Verein weiter stabilisiert. Sehr gerne sind wir ein Teil des Dreijahresplans der Löwen und deshalb haben wir uns auch für diesen Zeitraum verpflichtet.”

1860-Geschäftsführer Robert Schäfer freut sich ebenfalls: “Liberatus ist mit Herzblut dabei, davon profitieren wir im doppelten Sinne. Das Unternehmen steht einerseits hinter unseren sportlichen Zielen. Andererseits versorgt es unsere Geschäftsstelle mit innovativer IT-Infrastruktur. Das ist ein enorm wichtiger Baustein, um uns weiter zu professionalisieren.”

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has joined the Crescent City Classic as the flagship title sponsor of the annual 10K road race scheduled for March 30, remedy 2013.

Celebrating its 35th year, the Crescent City Classic is a preeminent fitness and social event in Louisiana. This Easter weekend tradition has become a New Orleans signature event, both as a competitive road race and for its festive post-race celebration. The Classic has been praised in every major running publication as “one of America’s fastest 10K’s,” and as “the originator of the post-race festival.”

“We could not have a better partner to endorse the Crescent City Classic than the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This is great news for the metro New Orleans region and for the Classic. Our race is the biggest health and fitness event in our community. With this new partnership, the Crescent City Classic has secured its future and will continue to deliver a great race, on a beautiful course, in America’s most unique city,” said Eric Stuart, Race Director of the Crescent City Classic.

While the Sugar Bowl Committee is best known for its annual football game, which will celebrate its 79th edition on January 2, the organization is also involved with many community initiatives throughout the year. Through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, special awards and various athletic clinics, the Allstate Sugar Bowl supports and honors over 13,000 student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2 billion into the local economy over the last decade. The Crescent City Classic is a perfect strategic partner.

“The Sugar Bowl Committee is pleased to be in the position to support the Crescent City Classic and its long-standing history of success,” said Sugar Bowl President Jack Laborde. “The Bowl’s support will help race planners build on that success and at the same time help us meet our objectives of driving tourism via sporting events. We’re enthusiastic about the possibilities as we move forward.” 

The Crescent City Classic is making many changes for its 35-year anniversary. The host hotel and two day expo has been moved to the Hyatt Regency next to Champion Square. The course has been changed and will incorporate a wave start with timing corrals on Poydras in front of the Superdome.

“You will run through the Quarter instead of starting in the Quarter,” Stuart says, “with a more organized start, people who want to run will be able to run, and walkers will be able to walk.” After the race, participants will enjoy the post party with free food, free Michelob ULTRA and free music by Papa Grows Funk followed by Marc Broussard.

FLW, the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that the Kellogg Company has renewed its sponsorship in a multi-year deal. 

The Kellogg Company brands that will be featured by FLW include Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts,Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-It and Pringles. The brands will be featured across FLW’s multiple platforms, including its tournaments and Expos, multiple websites, FLW Bass Fishingmagazine and the “FLW” television show on NBC Sports Network. “FLW” is broadcast Sundays in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

Kellogg’s will also serve as the title sponsor of the Angler of the Year award on the Walmart FLW Tour for the third consecutive year. The top pro and co-angler from the 2013 point standings after the six FLW Tour events will win the Kellogg’s Angler of the Year and Co-angler of the Year titles, respectively. The Angler of the Year will earn $100,000 and a berth in the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup, while the Co-angler of the Year will earn a new Ranger Z518 boat with a 200-horsepower outboard engine and a berth in the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup.

Four of the most successful anglers on the FLW Tour will again be representing Kellogg’s as brand ambassadors in 2013. Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas, the first angler to win Angler of the Year honors in two different countries, will represent the Cheez-It brand. Dave Lefebre of Erie, Penn., the 2012 FLW Tour Kentucky Lake Champion, will again represent Frosted Flakes. Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark., a three-time FLW tournament winner, will be looking to cross the $500,000 mark in career winnings in 2013 while representing Pop-Tarts. Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, a 15-year veteran of the FLW Tour with 27 career top-10 finishes, will represent Rice Krispies Treats.

 

Infinite Labs have announced their official co-sponsorship of the fifth annual Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards in Las Vegas, arthritis Nevada.

The Fighters Only MMA Awards celebrates the success and achievement in the MMA industry by giving fans across the globe the opportunity to vote on which athletes, cheap brands and MMA professionals have had the greatest impact on the sport over the course of the entire year.

This year, there are 22 nomination categories which include: Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year, Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, Female Fighter of the Year and Comeback of the Year that will be presented at the live ceremony January 11^th, 2013. An additional Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented to a surprise beneficiary during the ceremony.

Tim Hinchey, medic President of the Colorado Rapids, has revealed that the Major League Soccer club is locked in negotiations with a potential shirt sponsor.

Along with Sporting Kansas City, the Rapids are the only other MLS club to have not had a paid sponsor on the front of their jersey.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Hinchey said: “We’ve been engaged with a particular company for the last couple of months.

“Nowadays, the average shirt sponsorship in the United States is worth over $2.5million per year, for a minimum of three years. When you’re going to a potential commercial partner and asking for $7.5million plus, that’s a decision that needs real consideration throughout the company.”

The American has been credited for securing Derby County’s current shirt sponsorship with buymobilephones.net, but due to the oversaturated Denver market, acquiring a partner hasn’t come as smoothly as it had done in the Midlands.

“Denver is the 18th sized market and we have as many professional sports team as the New York market so when you talk about a share of voice for your brand, you have to be very clever to deliver what is required to be successful,” said Hinchey.

“After having success delivering one for Derby County, I thought we could come in, take the same best practices and get it done, but it’s not gone as fast as I thought.”

While Hinchey may have to remain patient and take his time when tying down a shirt sponsor, the Rapids continue to improve every other element of the business

Hinchey revealed: “Our season ticket base has nearly doubled in the last two years. Our revenue, sponsorship and partnership are up again. Food and beverage, concession, retail- everything is pointing in the right direction.

“The elusive partner for the shirt is the last piece for us to become a profitable entity.”

To read the full interview click here: http://bit.ly/RP5SJl

Harlequins have announced Etihad Airways will be the main sponsor for Big Game 5, the Aviva Premiership match which will be played at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday December 29th at 2.15pm.

The airline will receive full stadium branding at the 82,000 capacity stadium as well as additional promotional opportunities at the match.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Etihad Airways is tremendously proud of its partnership with Harlequins, with our logo being on the front of the team’s shirts since 2007. The Etihad Airways brand has a major presence at The Twickenham Stoop and we’re really excited to carry this over to Twickenham Stadium, the home of England rugby, for Big Game 5. The Big Game matches are a fantastic spectacle and are now a firm part of the festive sporting calendar and we look forward to another epic match this year.”

David Ellis, Harlequins Chief Executive added: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Etihad Airways. They have been our lead club sponsor since 2007 and to have them on board for Big Game 5 is excellent. We look forward to working with our colleagues at the airline in the run up to this match, which is very important to us.”

London Irish will again provide the opposition after last featuring in Big Game 3

Dutch soccer giant, Ajax are in search for a new shirt sponsor after insurance group Aegon decided to axe their sponsorship of the Amsterdam football club in the summer of 2014, one year earlier than agreed in the contract.

Aegon signed a seven-year contract with Ajax in 2008, with an option to end the agreement after five years. 

Sponsor and club have now agreed one more year of shirt sponsorship, giving Ajax time to find a replacement sponsor, Aegon’s Jan Driessen told the Telegraaf.

Aegon was unhappy about the furore around the Johan Cruijff revolution at the club and a year ago Driessen said Ajax had not met expectations.