NHL No.1 draft pick Nail Yakupov has signed a multi-year equipment and apparel deal with Warrior Sports.

The deal includes helmet, stick, protective gear and undergear, Ian Pulver, who represents Yakupov along with lead agent Igor Larionov, told SportsBusiness Journal‘s Liz Mullen.

Yakupov, who joined the Edmonton Oilers, had discussions with other equipment manufacturers before signing with Warrior, which was founded in ‘92 and acquired by New Balance in ‘04.

“He liked their stick; he liked their product; he liked their message,” Pulver said of Yakupov’s decision to sign with Warrior. The company plans to promote the endorsement through a multimedia campaign. Warrior has a number of sports sponsorships with athletes and teams around the world, including a kit deal with EPL club Liverpool.

Yakupov, 18, had 31 goals and 38 assists in 42 games last season for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He had 49 goals and 101 points in the 2010-11 season. He’s expected to immediately play on one of the Oilers’ top two lines and signed a three-year entry-level deal earlier this week.

Wesco Distribution, Inc., a leading full-line wholesale distributor of electrical, industrial, utility and data communications products and advanced supply chain procurement services, has entered a sponsorship with Richard Childress Racing for the 2012 season.

The Pittsburgh -based company will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 51 Chevrolet driven by Ty Dillon in two NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season. The 20-year-old driver took his seat on the WESCO Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28. Dillon is slated to return to the WESCO Chevrolet this fall under the lights in the Nationwide Series event at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 7.

“I’m really looking forward to running some additional Nationwide Series races and having WESCO and their vendor-partners on board with us,” said Ty Dillon. “I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with them already and can’t wait to share in their excitement when they see the No. 51 WESCO Chevrolet on track at Indianapolis.”

In addition, the WESCO logo will adorn the No. 31 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an associate sponsor beginning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and continuing throughout the remainder of the 2012 season.

“We are extremely excited about working with WESCO,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Their first event with Ty and the No. 51 team will be historic since it will also be the first-ever Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We look forward to hosting WESCO’s vendor-partners and customers at the track and creating a unique experience for them to remember.”

24 Hour Fitness USA Inc. have renewed its sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Committee, symptoms continuing its official capacity as fitness center of Team USA through 2016.

The San Ramon-based company first signed on as a USOC partner in 2003. It historically was categorized as a USOC supplier, recipe the organization’s third sponsorship tier, generic cheap which is worth anywhere from $3 million to $10 million over four years.

24 Hour Fitness has seen a strong return on its investment over the last four years, CEO Carl Liebert III said. In surveys, potential customers said they were 15 to 20 percent more likely to choose 24 Hour Fitness over its competitors because of its Team USA affiliation.

“It’s a crowded space where people can work out anywhere, even at home,” Liebert said. “It’s a tiebreaker for our club, and that’s important for us.”

Officials from AMA Pro Racing and GEICO announced today a multi-year partnership, order which names GEICO Motorcycle as the Official Motorcycle Insurance and Title Sponsor of America’s premier motorcycle road racing championship, erectile GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing.

As part of the agreement, help AMA Pro Racing will name a year-end points fund after GEICO for the premier AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike division. For the 2012 season, the GEICO Year-End Points Fund will pay out an additional $25,000 to the top three riders in the final point standings, which will rise to $50,000 and be paid out to the top five riders in the final point standings for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

GEICO has been insuring motorcycles since 1978 and has received an extensive collection of industry honors for its financial strength and commitment to providing good customer service. 

Riders insured by GEICO can rely on the insurance provider to be there for them anytime, giving them the freedom to ride whenever and wherever they want, without worry.

GEICO and AMA Pro have upped the ante for the stars of AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike with the addition of the GEICO Year-End Points Fund. With four rounds remaining for the class in 2012, riders now have an additional $25,000 to fight for. This season’s points fund will be paid out for final championship point standing positions as follows: 1st, $15,000; 2nd, $6,000; 3rd, $4,000. For the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the payout will increase to $50,000 and will pay deeper into the field: 1st, $20,000; 2nd, $12,000; 3rd, $7,000; 4th, $6,000; 5th, $5,000.

The 2012 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing continues with this weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Irish FA announced today that Danske Bank has been named the new title sponsor of the Premiership. 

The Danske Bank Premiership, discount as the league will now be named, pills kicks off on 11 August and marks a significant investment by the bank in local football. 

Danske Bank is the parent company of local bank Northern Bank, sale ed which will rebrand as Danske Bank in November. 

Irish FA Chief Executive Patrick Nelson said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce this sponsorship.  The Danske Bank Premiership is the flagship competition in domestic football in Northern Ireland and is followed by thousands of loyal supporters each week. 

“Danske Bank is a great example of the calibre of partners that we are attracting and working with. This investment into the highest level of our local game will be a huge support in developing the league; and along with media exposure, will undoubtedly help to raise the Premiership’s profile and attendance at games around the country.” 

Northern Bank Chief Executive Gerry Mallon added: “The Danske Bank Premiership is a really significant and exciting sponsorship for us and marks the first time our new brand identity will be visible in the market. This is another sign of Danske Bank’s commitment to the local market.  Like ourselves, the Irish FA has a long heritage in Northern Ireland as an integral part of the local community so this Premiership sponsorship is a great fit for both organisations.  We look forward to working in partnership with the Irish FA and to the start of the new season.” 

GoPro, capsule the world’s most versatile camera, has been named title sponsor of the annual INDYCAR race at the raceway in Sonoma, officials announced today.

GoPro, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has signed a three-year agreement with the raceway that extends through May, 2015. The GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, which will take place Aug. 24-26 in 2012, will feature the best in open-wheel racing with high-profile drivers such as Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves and Will Power.

The agreement with the raceway in Sonoma is a perfect extension of the GoPro business model. GoPro is the official camera of the 2012 Global RallyCross Championship, as well a sponsor of current INDYCAR driver JR Hildebrand. The company, which sells products in more than 140 countries, is heavily engaged in the action-sports industry and features a high-profile athlete list that includes Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, among others.

“GoPro is a dynamic young company with a foot in some of the most exciting sports and entertainment entities in the world. We are delighted to welcome GoPro as sponsors of our IndyCar weekend and look forward to some terrific potential cross promotional opportunities that could grow from this relationship,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of the raceway.

GoPro, which will become the “Official Wearable and Gear Mountable Camera of the Raceway in Sonoma,” will receive signage and hospitality packages from the raceway, as well as the right to use the raceway name and logo for promotional purposes. GoPro will also receive display space at all raceway major events, including the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.

Der US-Energydrink-Hersteller MONSTER ENERGY hat seine Sponsoring-Partnerschaft mit dem Motorrad-Rallyeraid-Rennstall Speedbrain bekräftigt. Damit zog der Konzern bereits vorzeitig seine Verlängerungsoption und ist beim Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain für das aktuelle Dakar-Projekt und der kompletten FIM Cross Country Rallye WM 2013 als exklusiver Energydrink-Partner an Bord. Monster Energy bringt neben dem finanziellen Engagement vor allem seine globale Kommunikations- und Marketingpower mit ein und hat sich eines der beiden Premium-Sponsorpakete gesichert.

Joe Parsons, Director Special Marketing Projects für Monster Energy in Europa: „Wir sind heiß darauf, dass wir wieder zusammen mit dem Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain die nächste Dakar und die FIM Cross Country Rallye Weltmeisterschaft Saison 2013 angreifen. Motorsport ist ein integraler Bestandteil unserer europäischen Branding-Aktivitäten. Die Kooperation mit dem Team und den bewährten Piloten Joan Barreda und Paulo Goncalves passt auch perfekt zu unserer globalen Marketingstrategie. Wir freuen uns deshalb, dass wir mit dieser frühzeitigen Entscheidung dazu beitragen, dass sich das Team und die Fahrer rechtzeitig auf die neue Saison fokussieren können und Monster Energy erfolgreich präsentieren.

Speedbrain-Chef Wolfgang Fischer: „Monster ist seit der Dakar 2011, dem Beginn unserer Rallye-Aktivitäten, mit dabei. Wir haben in dieser Zeit enorme Fortschritte in der Fahrzeugentwicklung gemacht. Mit dem Sieg bei der Baja Espagna Aragon am vergangenen Wochenende wurden wir in dieser Entwicklung bestätigt und konnten uns damit auch bei Monster Energy und unseren weiteren Sponsorpartnern bedanken. Zusammen mit Husqvarna Motorcycles haben wir ein konkurrenzfähiges Paket für die Dakar geschnürt und können nun längerfristig planen. Mit Joan Barreda und Paulo Goncalves haben wir bereits zwei Spitzenpiloten im Team, den dritten Topfahrer werden wir rechtzeitig vor der Dakar bekanntgeben. Jose Pellicer wird, wie bereits im Vorjahr, als ‘Wasserträger’ die anderen Piloten unterstützen“.

Das Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain wird in dieser Saison noch den letzten Lauf zur FIM Cross Country Rallye WM in Ägypten bestreiten. Paulo Goncalves liegt mit seiner Husqvarna TE 449 by Speedbrain in der WM-Wertung derzeit auf einem guten dritten Platz. Als letztes Saisonrennen − und gleichzeitig abschließender Test für die Dakar − ist die Oilybia Rallye Marokko im Oktober geplant.

The University of Connecticut and Webster Bank announced Thursday they have signed a major sponsorship deal that will help the school fund its planned basketball practice facility.

The financial details of the marketing package were not released, but school officials said in a statement Thursday it will make the bank a top sponsor of “all UConn constituencies including more than 200,000 alumni, 28,000 students, and all sports.”

In addition to the basketball center, the deal also involves the bank funding UConn community programing and hospitality events. The bank and the school’s names also will appear together in media campaigns and on signs at various sports venues. The bank also will be allowed to use the school’s image for branding, promotions, and marketing.

“Webster Bank and UConn represent two outstanding and powerful brands in our state, and we look forward to working together on mutually-beneficial marketing opportunities,” said Warde Manuel, the school’s athletic director. “Additionally, through its contribution to our new Basketball Development Center, Webster has recognized the importance of maintaining the excellence in our nationally-recognized basketball programs.”

The school has been trying to raise about $40 million for the planned 70,000-square-foot basketball center. The school this spring tore down its old on-campus football stadium to make room for the building next to its Gampel Pavilion arena.

UConn hasn’t announced a timetable for construction of the building. It will include dedicated practice gyms for the men’s and women’s basketball programs, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and areas for academic support, video analysis, sports medicine and strength training.

Connecticut-based Webster has $19 billion in assets and 167 branches in southern New England and Westchester County, N.Y.

“With two active Hall of Fame coaches, a deeply committed fan base, and consistently ranking as one of the top 20 public universities in the nation, UConn is the perfect fit with Webster’s heritage as a community-focused, values-guided bank,” Jerry Plush, president and chief operating officer of Webster, said in a statement.

NRMA Insurance has struck a sponsorship deal with Western Sydney Wanderers FC ahead of the launch of the Hyundai A-League season.

The three-year deal sees the NRMA brand printed on the team’s shirts and the Parramatta Stadium renamed NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC.

Western Sydney Wanderers FC executive chairman Lyall Gorman, anesthetist said: “NRMA Insurance has such a distinguished history and proud association with Western Sydney. To secure this them as our first Naming Rights and Major Sponsor is a huge coup for this club.”

NRMA Insurance boss Andy Cornish added: “We have waited some time for the right local sport partnership so it’s with great pleasure that we announce our role as Major Sponsor of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers.”