The Army National Guard will continue as a primary sponsor of the No. 88 Sprint Cup Series team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. after extending its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2013 NASCAR season.

The National Guard will receive primary paint schemes in 20 Sprint Cup races, treatment including the 2013 Daytona 500, remedy and prominent brand placement during all non-primary events.

“National Guard Citizen Soldiers represent the more than 3,200 communities across the United States in which they live, work and serve their state and the nation,” said Lt. Col. Michael Wegner, marketing branch chief, Army National Guard. “What NASCAR gives us is a national marketing platform that also can be leveraged at that local level, touching recruiters, potential recruits and influencers. With our all-volunteer military and rigorous enlistment standards, it plays a key role in increasing the awareness of what the Guard does and the many career opportunities and benefits it offers.”

The National Guard’s association with Hendrick Motorsports began with sponsorship of the No. 25 Sprint Cup team for the 2007 season. Its most recent contract, which included 18 primary paint schemes per year with the No. 88 team, was set to expire at the end of 2012.

“It’s an honor to be associated with the National Guard and its Citizen Soldiers,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Like many of the world’s most innovative marketers and leading brands, the Guard sees the opportunities that our sport presents, and they have built a strong effort around it. As we go into 2013 together, we’ll continue to focus on the performance of the program both on and off the racetrack.”

Currently fourth in the 2012 Sprint Cup standings, Earnhardt has one victory and 15 top-10 finishes through 22 points-paying races this season. The Kannapolis, N.C., native is seventh on Forbes’ list of America’s most influential athletes and the top-ranked NASCAR driver in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Power 100.” He has been voted by fans as NASCAR’s most popular driver for nine consecutive years.

“Working with the Guard has been incredible,” said Earnhardt, 37, who most recently won June 17 at Brooklyn, Mich., where the Sprint Cup Series returns this weekend. “On a weekly basis, we’re interacting with people considering a life-changing decision (to enlist) or who are already serving our country. Their sacrifices are difficult to comprehend, and we feel a lot of pride representing them and seeing first-hand how passionate they are about NASCAR and our team.”

Tottenham Hotspur FC have announced that Fun88, cough a leading Asian gaming company, will become the Club’s Official Asian Betting and Gaming Partner.

The two year agreement, which begins immediately, will see the two organisations work together to engage with Asian sports fans through a range of online and offline activities which will include launching a co-branded gaming microsite.

Daniel Levy, Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are delighted that Fun88 will become an Official Club Partner. This is the first time the Club has signed a regional partnership in Asia and is largely down to the significant increase we have seen in the growth of our international fan base over the past few years.

“Over 60% of our global fan base comes from Asia and together with the Club’s reach through the Barclays Premier League broadcast platform, we are ideally placed to support Fun88’s continued growth in the Asian marketplace.”

Nick Lee, founder of www.Fun88.com commented: “I am proud to announce Fun88’s partnership with Tottenham Hotspur, as the Club’s Asian betting and gaming partner. This partnership brings together one of Asia’s top online gaming companies and Tottenham Hotspur, one of the most exciting and attacking clubs in the English Premier League.

“We are looking forward to working with Club to launch a new bespoke betting microsite. We believe that our knowledge of developing fun, interactive and engaging gaming platforms will provide Tottenham Hotspur’s international fan base with an exciting, new gaming experience.”

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie has announced that his long-term UK sponsor, J.P. Morgan, is extending its support to a global sponsorship, becoming the main partner of Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR).

The team will be known as J.P. Morgan BAR and will start competing in the America’s Cup World Series on 22 August as Ainslie moves from the single-handed 16 foot Finn dinghy to the fixed wing AC45 with a crew of five.

The announcement adds to an extraordinary couple of weeks for Ainslie, who won his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal and was given the honour of carrying the British flag into the Olympic Stadium at the Closing Ceremony.

“J.P. Morgan has been such an important part of the team helping me achieve my success in the Finn over the last six years. I am delighted that the firm is now part of the BAR team, too. It’s so important to have that support with the America’s Cup World Series starting so soon after the Games,” said Ainslie.

The J.P. Morgan BAR team sponsorship extends the partnership that began back in 2007. During that time, Ainslie has added two Finn World Championship to his tally and two Olympic gold medals.

Roger Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said: “J.P. Morgan has been a long-term supporter of Ben Ainslie in the UK and we are very excited to develop that partnership on a global scale as he challenges for the America’s Cup World Series. We are proud to have played a part in his success, and look forward to cheering Ben on as he begins this new chapter of his extraordinary sailing career.”

 

Bookmaker Paddy Power has been named as the official online betting partner of Everton FC across the UK and Ireland. 

The two-year deal will see Paddy Power offer their market-leading range of innovative betting products via the official Everton website, medstore evertonfc.com. 

Dave Biggar, and Commercial Director at Everton Football Club, denture said: “Paddy Power has a fantastic track record in football and we look forward to being part of their portfolio.”

Paddy Power spokesperson said: “Both ourselves and Everton are passionate about entertaining and delivering for our fans and customers first and foremost. Our track record in pioneering the Money-Back Special at Paddy Power has seen us give millions back to punters over the years on refunded losing bets and we also often pay-out on bets when and where we feel it’s the right thing to do.  

“We look forward to going over and above in both listening to and offering the best possible value to Everton supporters over the next couple of years and beyond.”  

Through the unique team pages at paddypower.com, Evertonians will also be able to sign up as supporters of Everton and receive additional, exclusive bets and offers related to the Club.

Australian Rugby Union have announced the Carbon Trade Exchange will become an official partner of the Gold Coast Sevens tournament in October and would also assist in offsetting the upcoming Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney this weekend.

The new partnership follows ARU and the Carbon Trade Exchange working together with ARU partners Qantas and Lexus last year to offset the Qantas Wallabies campaign in New Zealand.

The new partnership will deliver Carbon Trade Exchange signage at the upcoming Gold Coast Sevens event in October and will see the organisation assist ARU in delivering an environmentally friendly Test on Saturday 18 August.

ARU Managing Director and CEO, erectile John O’Neill AO, medic said: “Last year was the first time ARU and the Carbon Trade Exchange had worked together and I am glad they have decided to build on the environmentally friendly outcomes delivered last year.

“The partnership, capsule which is predominantly focussed around the highly anticipated Gold Coast Sevens – Fever Pitch event, will help build the profile of Carbon Trade Exchange.

“It will also allow ARU to offset not just the upcoming Bledisloe Cup Test, but the Bledisloe Cup Trophy Tour as well, which is part of the inaugural Bledisloe Cup Festival.

“As a major international sporting team it is important that we do our bit in caring for the environment.

“Hopefully this partnership will act as encouragement for other teams to follow suit.”

Carbon Trade Exchange founder and Chairman, Wayne Sharpe, added: “We have provided the ARU and the Qantas Wallabies with the tools for tackling climate change through direct voluntary action and they’ve run with it.”

“The team will be trading on our platform and purchasing carbon credits which will offset their carbon footprint for the opening Bledisloe Cup Test and the Bledisloe Cup Trophy tour, part o the inaugural Bledisloe Cup Festival.

“However, we hope people realise this is not just a job for the professionals; Government, business and the community all need to take action on climate change.

“Hopefully this green step forward by ARU will encourage individuals and businesses to find out more about how they can reach their own green goal.”

Betting giant bwin has today announced a new agreement with English Premier League football club Manchester United to become the club’s official online gaming and betting partner.

The partnership was launched today at Old Trafford with the team’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson, along with players Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney. 

The initial three-year deal will increase the profile of bwin in the UK and many other countries, reinforcing its position in Europe as a leading sports betting brand in football. The sponsorship package positions bwin at the centre of promotional activities for the football club and includes the integration of bwin into Manchester United’s website, the creation of co-branded social gaming products, match day perimeter board signage, access to players for marketing campaigns, a range of in-stadia initiatives including bwin-branded betting kiosks and other marketing rights.

Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin’s parent company bwin.party, commented: “Manchester United is one of the biggest names in world sport with a global fan base running into hundreds of millions. We share a passion for football that has always been at the heart of our long-term brand development strategy.”

He continued: “Football is fundamental to our long-term success, making up approximately half of our total sports betting revenue of €261m ($321m) in 2011.

“As well as supporting our real-money gaming business, the agreement complements our recent move into social gaming. Man Utd has 569 million followers outside of Europe, providing us with a great opportunity to offer jointly designed and innovative products in countries that do not yet allow real money online sports betting.”

Manchester United chose to align with bwin because of the company’s knowledge of football, as well as the “enhanced betting experience” it offers with “engaging content, utilising the latest technologies and bringing something new to the UK market”. Manchester United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said: “bwin has an established an reputable reputation in online gaming in Europe and Manchester United is pleased to be bringing that model to not only the 75,000 football fans who visit Old Trafford each week, but also our huge global audience.”

viagogo hat heute Partnerschaften mit sechs Bundesliga-Vereinen sowie neun Premier League-Clubs und Top-Vereinen aus der spanischen und holländischen Liga bekannt gegeben. Neben den bestehenden Partnern Bayern München und dem 1. FC Kaiserslautern hat der weltweit größte Ticket-Marktplatz Kooperationen mit den Bundesligisten Hannover 96, viagra 100mg VfL Wolfsburg, dem 1. FC Nürnberg und FC Augsburg ab der kommenden Saison abgeschlossen. In der Premier League arbeitet viagogo nun unter anderem mit Meister Manchester City und Champions League Sieger FC Chelsea zusammen. Damit hat viagogo seine führende Position im europäischen Fußballgeschäft ausgebaut.

Durch die Partnerschaften erhalten Fans die Möglichkeit, gekaufte Karten und Dauerkarten, die sie nicht nutzen können, auf einer sicheren Plattform weiterzuverkaufen. viagogo hat errechnet, dass allein in der vergangenen Bundesligasaison durch verfallene Karten 23 Millionen Euro verschenkt wurden. Der Service von viagogo bewirkt zudem, dass durch den offiziellen und sicheren Weiterverkauf andere Fans an Tickets gelangen können und somit eine höhere Auslastung in den Stadien garantieren. Das hat einen positiven Effekt für die Stimmung in den Arenen und sorgt zudem für einen signifikant höheren Umsatz in der Gastronomie und im Merchandise.

Steve Roest, Sprecher von viagogo, sagt: “Fußball-Vereine in Deutschland und in ganz Europa haben den Bedarf eines sicheren Ticket-Weltmarktes für ihre Fans erkannt – das zeigen nicht zuletzt die starken Partnerschaften, die wir in den vergangenen Jahren und Monaten eingehen konnten. Keiner will Ticket-Deals auf Parkplätzen oder unsicheren Plattformen, bei denen am Ende möglicherweise gefälschte Karten verkauft werden. Unsere langjährige Expertise kombiniert mit der hundertprozentigen Garantie, die wir für jede Transaktion übernehmen, sind sicher die wesentlichen Gründe, weshalb wir nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern weltweit erfolgreich mit renommierten Fußball-Vereinen und Event-Veranstaltern zusammenarbeiten.”

In an effort to dramatically enhance player safety for its 3×3 events, order FIBA has selected industry leader Connor Sport Court International, manufacturer of Sport Court playing surfaces, as the exclusive supplier for all of its basketball events through 2014, including the first-ever 3×3 World Tour and 3×3 World Cup, as well as the Youth World Championships.

The 3×3 World Tour consists of five Masters tournaments held in cities across the globe including Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vladivostok, Russia; New York, NY; Istanbul, Turkey; and Madrid, Spain. The 16 best teams from the Masters qualify for the 3×3 World Tour Final, which will be held in Miami, FL on September 22 and 23. FIBA has launched the 3×3 World Tour as part of its effort to have 3×3 basketball recognized as an official sport for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio.

“Sport Court is proud to be a FIBA partner since 1994 and we are pleased to supply our playing surfaces for all of FIBA’s 3×3 basketball events, which helps raise visibility for this growing sport,” stated Ron Cerny, President and CEO of Connor Sport Court International. “Using Sport Court’s patented flooring allows FIBA to create world class outdoor playing surfaces that can be set up quickly and easily in cities throughout the world. FIBA recognized the dangers of playing on asphalt and concrete, so they’ve chosen Sport Court surfaces to provide championship levels of player safety and performance.”

The FIBA 3×3 World Championships for men and women will be held in Athens, Greece from August 23-26 and the Youth World Championships in Madrid, Spain from September 28-30. More than 25 countries will send nationally selected teams to this premiere 3×3 event.

Betfred.com has today announced that it has signed a sponsorship deal to become the official UK betting partner of Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal, symptoms which will initially last for three years, with include exclusive UK branding rights with Betfred.com across Tottenham’s online, digital, mobile and social media platforms.

Betfred.com has announced that it is offering Tottenham fans an enhanced welcome bonus where new customers will receive a free matched bet of up to £50 and a completely free £10 bet on Spurs next game when they sign up.

Rakesh Chablani, Betfred.com commercial director, said: “Tottenham Hotspur are a massive, globally recognised brand and I’m very confident our newly established partnership with them will reap huge rewards for our business.

“Spurs supporters registering with us can now also look forward to increased value, season-long specials and exclusive offers.”

Tracey Keenan, head of global partnerships at Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We’re delighted to announce Betfred.com is the Club’s new Official UK Betting Partner. We are looking forward to working in partnership over the course of the next three years to deliver a number of exciting and engaging consumer campaigns, which will help drive its UK business.”

The Macau Open, cialis jointly organised by Macau Sport Development Board of Macau SAR Government (MSDB) and Golf Association of Macau has announced that the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel will sign up as the new title sponsor.

The Venetian Macao will write a new chapter in the colourful history of the tournament by embarking on its first sponsorship foray in professional golf which is set to escalate the Venetian Macau Open to greater heights.

The Venetian Macau Open will be sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Macao Golf Association, cheap and promoted by IMG.

Since the inauguration of the Macau Open in 1998, the tournament has attracted world-class names. The list of champions include the likes of European stars Lee Westwood of England and Scotsman Colin Montgomerie, while other top stars who have graced the fairways of Macau Golf and Country Club include Vijay Singh of Fiji, England’s Nick Faldo, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and American duo Fred Couples and Mark O’Meara – all Major winners. 

This year’s Venetian Macau Open will be staged at the Macau Golf and Country Club from Octover 11- 14 with a total prize pool of US$750,000. All four rounds will be beamed live on the Asian Tour’s global television platform which reaches over 200 nations and 650 million homes. 

Title holder Chan Yih-shin of Chinese Taipei and two-time Macau Open champion Zhang Lian-wei of China have committed to this year’s championship. Organisers said other big-name international players will be unveiled in the coming weeks. 

Vong Iao Lek, President of the Macau Sport Development Board, said: “Since the inauguration of the Macau Open in 1998, international stars and leading Asian players have converged to compete in what is now one of Macau’s most iconic and eagerly anticipated annual events. We have had a long-term, wonderful working relationship with the Macau Golf Association over this tournament and it is our hope for this to continue for many years to come as we build Macau into a top class destination for business, sport and leisure. 

“The involvement of The Venetian Macao as the tournament’s title sponsor will have a very positive effect on the development of The Venetian Macau Open and we look forward to making this year’s championship a very successful one.” 

Mr Vong added: “We also like to thank IMG, which played a vital part in putting this fantastic event back onto the Asian Tour calendar. It is because of their efforts that the Macau Open now enjoys more prize money than it has ever done in the history of the tournament, and we look forward to benefiting again this year of its expertise and knowledge in the golfing world.” 

Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China Ltd, added: “We are honoured to take up the title sponsorship of this prestigious championship of the Asian Tour, the Venetian Macau Open,” said Tracy. 

“Through our association with great sporting events, we will continue to provide quality entertainment and sporting extravaganzas in Macau for everyone’s enjoyment; but more importantly, it will promote Macau as a world centre of tourism and leisure. 

“This title sponsorship is truly significant for The Venetian Macao as it is the first time we are involved with the Asian Tour, which continues to lead and grow the sport across Asia. We are committed to growing The Venetian Macau Open and continuing the tradition of this tournament as one of the most exciting events in Macau.”

The title sponsorship of Macau’s flagship professional golf tournament is part of The Venetian Macao’s long-term vision to establish Macau as Asia’s number one destination for business, leisure and entertainment. 

Asian Tour Chief Executive Officer Mike Kerr said: “We are delighted to welcome The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel as our title sponsor of the Venetian Macau Open. It is wonderful that The Venetian Macao has committed to this highly popular tournament which will ensure its further success on the Asian Tour. 

“The Venetian Macao understands the value that the Asian Tour can offer through our authentic platform and this sponsorship reinforces the growth for the game in Asia. We will work closely with The Venetian Macao and MSDB to ensure the Venetian Macau Open steps into a new and exciting era.”