Real Madrid defender, Pepe has signed a sponsorship deal with sports retail giant, Nike. 

The Portuguese defender became Real Madrid’s seventh player sponsored by the U.S. Before Pepe, Nike had tied Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Varane, Sami Khedira, Gonzalo Higuain and Luka Modric to deals.

Pepe wore his new shoes when Madrid won 5 – 1 over Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga.

Nike’s rival Adidas have a number of player endorsements in the Los Blancos ‘s squad. Iker Casillas, Antonio Adan, Raul Albiol, Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao , Michael Essien, Kaka , Karim Benzema, Jose Callejon, Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Alvaro Arbeloa. 

Tokyo 2020 bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, drugs has gained further commercial support after All Nippon Airways Co., cialis Ltd. (ANA) was named as its sixth Official Bid Partner. 

As one of the largest carriers in the Asia-Pacific region, cough ANA will collaborate extensively with the previously announced sponsors, ASICS, DESCENTE, JTB, Mizuno Corporation and Kinki Nippon Tourist, and along with the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee, to bring the Games to the world’s most forward-thinking and safe city. 

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and President of the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said: “I welcome ANA, one of Japan’s leading firms in the transportation industry, as the sixth official Tokyo 2020 Bid Partner. 

Today’s announcement is further demonstration of the passionate support that Tokyo 2020 is receiving from all levels of Japanese society – including significant backing from wide range of Japanese businesses.

I sincerely thank ANA, and look forward to working with them, as well as with other future partners who share our goal of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

ANA is an official partner and official airline partner of the JOC, supporting Japan’s national team members who take part in international sporting events and helping to promote the Olympic Movement. 

It also enjoys expansive partnerships in the sporting world, including sponsoring Ai Fukuhara, a world-renown table tennis Olympian and member of Japan’s London 2012 Games table tennis team that won its country’s first ever medal with the silver. 

Fukuhara said: “I have been blessed to compete at three consecutive Olympic Games, and I have learned first-hand how much courage and inspiration the Games provide to all people. If Tokyo hosts the 2020 Games, we will be able to witness the 
Olympic Games’ excitement in person. I would love to see Tokyo host the 2020 Games as it will inspire children across the country.”

One year remains until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) conducts the final vote for the host of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the 125th IOC Session on 7 September 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Baltimore running back Ray Rice has joined BODYARMOR SuperDrink, the creator of the SuperDrink beverage category, as its newest investor and partner. 

He is the latest addition, joining gridiron football stars Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy, and Jason Pierre-Paul, as well as rookie baseball phenom, Mike Trout, who also became part of the BODYARMOR SuperDrink team.

Through this partnership, Rice will engage in events, promotions, product testing and campaigns both regionally and nationally. Additionally, there will be opportunities to support The Ray Rice Charitable Fund, which primarily aids youths through mentorship in the Baltimore, Md. and New Rochelle, N.Y. areas.

“I learned early on that in order to perform as a professional athlete I have to consume the right nutrition and hydration,” said Rice. “The benefits that BODYARMOR SuperDrink provide are key to my performance, whether I need to gain that extra yard or grind through the fourth quarter. It’s the real deal.”

Rice has made an instant impact since entering the league as Baltimore’s second-round pick in 2008, earning All-League honors in 2009 and again in 2011. The 25-year-old has found success at every level, from leading New Rochelle High School to a state championship and then helping Rutgers to its first winning season in 25 years as a true freshman.

“Ray is considered elite because he never settles for anything less than super and continues to prove he is one of the top running backs in football,” said Lance Collins, Founder and CEO of BODYARMOR SuperDrink. “Ray’s game is multifaceted as he excels in all areas when on the field, just as BODYARMOR SuperDrink is multifaceted and delivers all of the nutrition and hydration benefits that today’s athlete needs.”

BODYARMOR SuperDrink is a nutrient enhanced sports drink and is packed with a proprietary blend of nutrients that provides consumers an unparalleled combination of Superior Nutrition and Superior Hydration.

Stifel Financial Corp. today announced that its principal subsidiary, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, has renewed its sponsorship of college golf’s highest honor, the Haskins Award.

“We’re pleased to be the presenting sponsor of the ‘Heisman Trophy of golf’ for a second consecutive year,” said Ron Kruszewski, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Stifel Financial Corp. “Both Stifel and the Haskins Award are steeped in tradition while focused on the future, and we’re excited to be aligned with such a first-class organization.”

Now in its 42nd year, the Haskins Award is given to the nation’s top collegiate golfer each season as determined by balloting among NCAA Division I golfers and golf coaches, national golf media members, and past Haskins Award winners. Voting is administered by the 14-member Haskins Commission, which is headquartered at the Country Club of Columbus in Columbus, Georgia. The award is named in honor of Fred Haskins, former Head Golf Pro at the Country Club of Columbus, instructor to dozens of champion golfers, and tireless promoter of amateur golf. Past Haskins Award winners include Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Curtis Strange, and Tiger Woods.

“The unprecedented excitement and growth that the Haskins Award experienced during the past year began with our relationship with Stifel Nicolaus,” said Madden Hatcher Jr., President of the Haskins Commission. “With a partner such as Stifel at our side and a recipient such as 2012 Haskins Award winner Justin Thomas representing us, our future is brighter than ever before.”

Utility supplier Npower has revealed it is unlikely it will renew their sponsorship of the Football League next summer.

The UK based company signed a three-year deal in 2009 worth £21m to become sponsor of the League, drugs replacing Coca-Cola.

The period of exclusivity in negotiations between the Football League and Npower has expired, buy meaning the League is now free to talk to other brands. Negotiations will be led by its chief commercial officer, Richard Heaselgrave.

To discuss whether utilities can make sponsorship work, click here

PUMA have added to their football sponsorship roster by adding Manchester City defender Gaël Clichy to the list

PUMA have recently signed players like Falcao, buy cialis Yaya Toure, online Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero and Clichy along with them will donning PUMA boots.

PUMA said in statement: “Gaël is the exact kind of player we love. Skillful, pills expressive, passionate – he’s definitely PUMA through and through. For nine years, Clichy has lit up English football. And trust us that’s not an easy thing to do. Staying at the top level requires focus, dedication and performances of the highest caliber week in week out. And if there’s one thing you can say about Clichy, he delivers every time he steps out onto the pitch.”

Quicken Loans has doubled its support for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet part of the Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team from nine to 18 races with Newman.

”We weren’t sure what to expect when we jumped into NASCAR, drugs but we knew we loved the fan based and quickly found how passionate and loyal to the brands they are,” said Jay Farner, the president and chief marketing officer for Quicken. ”We learned a lot, and we just felt it was a great partnership, so we’ve decided to double down.”

Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR, said Quicken had doubled the return on its investment in Sprint Cup.

”That’s what is different with us from other race teams,” Stewart said. ”It’s not about a sponsor or partner writing a check, it’s about us trying to meet their needs and accomplish the goals they have.”

Quicken’s expansion of its investment should bring some sponsor stablity to Newman, whose car featured a patchwork quilt of eight rotating primary sponsors in 2012 (with the Army as the largest backer). Newman is ranked 15th in points with an April victory at Martinsville Speedway but missed the Chase for the second time in four seasons with SHR.

”It’s nice to have a direction of who your partners are going to be,” said Newman, who recently signed a one-year extension through next season with the team. ”It’s a big first step in the direction for me of a long-term contract.”

SHR still needs funding for Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet, which is losing Office Depot as a primary sponsor next year. The office supply retailer, which has been a co-primary backer of Stewart since 2009, was the primary sponsor of Stewart’s car for 22 races this season (with Mobil 1 paying for the other 14).

Stewart said the team is ”really close” on filling Newman’s remaining inventory in 2013 and has a couple of good leads for getting his car set before the end of the year.

”It’s definitely a huge step,” Stewart said of the Quicken deal. ”Hopefully, it will have a domino effect and get the rest of the inventory taken care of so we can get back to worrying about building fast cars.”

Tissot has been announced as official timekeeper of the 17th Asian Games taking place in Incheon, ed Korea, in 2014.

The brand has several high profile sporting partnerships including MotoGP, FIM Superbike, FIBA, AFL, and CBA and the World Championships of Cycling, Fencing and Ice Hockey.

It was official timekeeper of the Asian Games in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

The Asian Games have began in 1951 and are held every four years, involving 13,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories across 36 disciplines. The Asian Games include  swimming, athletics, basketball and cycling,  as well as traditional Asian sports such as as sepaktakraw, wushu and kabaddi.

Kim Young-Soo, President of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) said: “To provide all these various disciplines with utmost precision timing, we could not have chosen a better partner than Tissot, a brand with a great heritage in sports.

“Tissot offers a tailored approach to each and every individual challenge, which is ideal for an event like the Asian Games, in which such a broad variety of sports are represented. We are proud to have an experienced timekeeper by our side offering state-of-the-art timing and the latest technologies in that field.”

Tissot president François Thiébaud said: “We are proud to be able to demonstrate our skills at such an incredible event, which allows us to showcase our abilities in many different ways. It also allows us to prove ourselves as timekeeping requires the most accurate measurement and further confirms the quality of our watches.

“We have already provided the Asian Games with our services before so we know and have what it takes. However, we strive to bring even more precision and innovation on every occasion, and to keep improving this essential element, which plays a leading role in the success of the Games, as we do with all our watches. “Innovators by tradition” is our motto and we stand by it.”