SMT, discount  the award-winning and leading provider of data integration, pills | graphics presentation and video enhancement solutions to live sports television today announced a new partnership with Global Rallycross Championship (GRC).

SMT will provide the official timing and scoring system and broadcast graphics package for GRC’s 2012 five-race campaign, viagra 100mg which kicks off this weekend in Charlotte. GRC combines the energy of motorsports with the attitude of action sports and has been called “motocross with a roll cage.” GRC is a variation on the established European sport of Rallycross which pits small, production-based cars against each other in exciting side-by-side racing.

GRC drivers compete in a bracketed competition, progressing from quarter-finals through finals, in multiple-lap heat races of four cars at time. The GRC race course showcases tight turns and high-action jumps, including a 70-foot gap jump on the “Joker” lap, which each driver is required to take once during each heat.

GRC will debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of a doubleheader following the Coca-Cola 600 race.

“GRC is unique and adrenaline-filled racing entertainment,” said SMT President and CEO Gerard J. Hall. “SMT is honored to be part of the debut of this great new racing series and to introduce GRC to racing enthusiasts through our high-end racing graphics package products and scoring systems.”

The 2012 GRC season will begin at the Charlotte Speedway on a custom-built, three-quarter-mile course constructed along the front stretch and pit road of the famed 1.5-mile super-speedway.

As this fast-growing sport is introduced to a new segment of fans, Hall said SMT will ensure that viewers are treated to the same high-end broadcast experience which they have come to expect from ESPN. “The Racing Graphics package we provide to ESPN for its coverage of NASCAR, we will be providing to ESPN for its coverage of GRC,” said Hall. “Our goal is to make GRC look just like NASCAR from a viewer’s experience. If you want to hunt big game, then you need to dress like a big-game hunter.”

Said GRC CEO Chip Pankow: “We couldn’t have a picked a better partner than SMT as we seek to grow viewership of GRC across the United States. SMT has a reputation for providing the highest-end graphics presentation of racing properties and for providing high-end timing and scoring systems. We know we are in great hands.”

As the world leader in writing and designing scoring protocols for high-end racing series, SMT also has developed GRC’s official scoring and timing systems for the inaugural 2012 season.

GRC races are scheduled for June 9 at Texas Motor Speedway, July 14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sept. 1 at a location to be determined; and Sept. 29 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

idegy, anesthetist a Columbus-based Merchandising Agency with an 18-year track record of serving corporate clients, has signed agreements to become the Official Promotional Merchandise Partner of the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League and D.C. United of Major League Soccer.

idegy has also inked a deal to be the Official Merchandise Partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants who are one of the most successful franchises in minor league baseball. Washington, D.C.-based Aquarius Sports and Entertainment handled negotiation of the partnerships for idegy.

idegy will enhance the experience of the team’s respective fan bases by producing exciting and cutting-edge game-day give-aways and engaging the team’s sponsors by assisting them with sports and entertainment collectibles, sponsorship activation, corporate partnerships, advertising promotions and third-party tie-in promotions.

idegy President and CEO Matthew Grossman, said: “We’ve been providing ‘best in class’ full-service promotional merchandise and services since 1994. And, we’ve had successful partnerships with teams in all of the major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. These agreements will allow us to continue to showcase our products, services and work ethic to the teams and sponsors involved with major-league professional sports, and we are more than proud to partner with these successful franchises and entities.”

idegy also has an agreement with the Cincinnati Reds among a series of contracts that has the company providing promotional products, suite holder and season ticket holder premium items and assisting in community relations for a growling list of professional sports teams. For the second straight year, idegy will produce a series of bobblehead dolls for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. This year’s bobblehead dolls will feature George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr., Davey Conception, Dan Driessen and Cesar Geronimo of the fame Big Red Machine from the 1970s.

idegy has created an extensive program of working with sponsors to activate their respective team sponsorships and increase overall value of their brands. “We are excited for the opportunity to work with the various sponsors on a national, regional, and local level to optimize their presence and partnership with these professional sports teams. With our teams on the ground in these markets, we will be focused on delivering optimal return on investment for every sponsorship dollar sponsors spend with the teams,” Grossman said.

Sunderland Football club (SAFC) club has confirmed that it has entered into a partnership with global sportswear giant adidas.

 

Adidas, whose existing portfolio of football clubs includes European heavyweights Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich along with fellow Barclays Premier League sides Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Swansea City, will become SAFC’s official partner for all technical and performance kit and training wear from the start of June 2012.

The new partnership has been formed in collaboration with SAFC’s new retail partner, Kitbag, and will see Sunderland sport the famous three stripes for the first time in the club’s 133 year history.

All kit and training wear will feature adidas performance fabrics’ ClimaCool and ClimaLite technology, a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics which improve air flow to the skin and in key heat zones. 

SAFC Chief Executive Margaret Byrne said: “We are delighted to welcome adidas as an official partner of Sunderland AFC. Our aim is to increase Sunderland’s international profile and, as one of the world leaders in their field, we are very much looking forward to working with the dynamic team at adidas.”

“New home and away kits will be unveiled in the coming weeks and launched later in the summer and I’m confident that our supporters will be as impressed as we are with everything that adidas has to offer.”

 

adidas National Sales Manager, Steve Holland added: “adidas are very much looking forward to enjoying a rewarding and strong relationship with both Sunderland AFC and Kitbag. 

“Each party offers something different to the partnership. The passionate Sunderland fans will clearly be able to see the hard work everyone has put into all aspects of the partnership. Activities that have been planned include a complete refurbishment of the club store and two fantastic shirt launches.” 

Andy Anson, CEO of Kitbag added: “Everyone at Kitbag is delighted to be working with two such fantastic partners as Sunderland AFC and adidas. We look forward to playing our part in making this new and exciting partnership a tremendous success.”

West Bromich Albion today unveiled their new official club and their shirt sponsor for the next two seasons as Zoopla.co.uk.

Zoopla.co.uk, abortion one of the best known online property search and research companies, will be placed on Baggies shirts after the club struck the largest sponsorship deal in their history.

The UK-based company will officially become club sponsors from June 1, 2012, and will have additional high-profile branding at The Hawthorns.

Albion Chief Executive Mark Jenkins welcomed the club’s new sponsors.

“We are delighted to welcome Zoopla as our new principal club sponsor,” he said.

“It represents the most comprehensive sponsorship deal in the club’s history and we have been impressed by the approach that Zoopla have taken to supporting the club.

“We are confident they will be a great partner for us and are looking forward to building a strong working relationship with them.”

Alex Chesterman, Founder & CEO of Zoopla, said: “We are very excited to be partnering with West Bromwich Albion, a family club with a rich heritage and some of the best fans in football.

“This deal will help raise our brand awareness and reach a huge audience, and is a further step in our mission to make Zoopla.co.uk a household name, synonymous with online property search and research.

“Our agent advertisers will benefit greatly from the national brand exposure of this partnership as we further cement our position as their most valued marketing partner.

“We are looking forward to working closely with West Bromwich Albion to ensure this is a highly beneficial relationship for both parties.”

Albion Sales & Marketing Director Adrian Wright added: “Becoming the club’s main sponsor will help Zoopla extend its reach and audience significantly.

“In only four years Zoopla.co.uk has become a leading player in the online property sector and one of the UK’s most-visited websites.

“We have found a fantastic partner in Zoopla and are excited about working with the Zoopla team to help achieve their brand and business objectives over the coming years.”

O.N.E. Coconut Water has announced its collaboration with pro beach volleyball star Erin Gray adding to their growing roster of athletes.

O.N.E. Marketing VP Chris Cook, said: “O.N.E. Ambassadors are more than celebrities. They are people who perform at exceptionally high levels, while living fulfilling lives, exhibiting deep concern for people and serving humanity in meaningful ways. Erin is a world-class athlete in a very demanding sport and a devoted mother of four young children. In addition to teaching inner city kids in the US how to play volleyball, Erin is playing a leading role in supporting young women in Turkey to learn volleyball and to form internationally competitive teams. We are thrilled to that Erin is serving as an Ambassador for our MOVE campaign.”

“I’m so excited that ONE is able to shine a light on beach volleyball, and these aspiring and inspiring girls and young women,” effuses Erin. “Initially, I thought my role was to come and be an example to this women as they begin their journey with beach volleyball, but I soon realized that they’re the true examples, the real heroes. In the USA, women athletes are honored and given great resources live their dreams, but here, in Turkey and many other places, women who believe in sports have to fight for everything they have. Every day they practice hard and self motivate just for a chance to be noticed and for that moment when they can be embraced and honored for their efforts. My job is to support and encourage these girls, help build their confidence, teach what I know, and watch them take beach volleyball to the next level, as they grow up to be strong role models for generations to come.”

“I am thrilled to work with O.N.E. to inspire people to MOVE!” comments Erin. “We share a passion for living life to its fullest, while supporting others to do the same. O.N.E. Coconut Water has been an essential ingredient in my volleyball training for years. Now O.N.E. is providing fuel for my other passions – teaching inner city kids how to MOVE in healthy ways and inspiring girls and young women to pursue their dreams.”

Erin joins two-time defending Olympic Gold Medalist (400m and 4x400m), sprinter LaShawn Merritt, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Rener Gracie and Yoga instructor Alex Crow as O.N.E. Ambassadors, inspiring and educating people or all ages to MOVE. DRINK. And GIVE – for their health, fitness and well-being, and for the good of all.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey has agreed a deal to be a sponsor for the Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club next month.

The tipple is brewed four miles from the golf club and it is thought the Irish Open will cost around £4m to stage.

James Finnigan of The European Tour, Commercial Director for the Irish Open, said: “The Old Bushmills Distillery is, like Royal Portrush Golf Club, a world famous landmark on the Co Antrim coast and we are delighted that Bushmills will be the Official Whiskey to the Irish Open next month.

The tournament, which runs from 28 June to 1 July, has not been hosted at Royal Portrush for 65 years.

Bushmills’ Master Distiller Colum Egan said: “With the success at Majors in recent years of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, we are a region that is no stranger to golfing success. These three great sportsmen represent the very best of sporting achievement.”

The Open has total prize money of £2m, and Bushmills say they will grant the tournament winner the ‘Freedom of the Old Bushmills Distillery’.

“I am also going to place a bottle containing a special blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey in a bespoke cabinet, handmade from oak that is used in the whiskey making process.

“That bottle will have pride-of-place right here at the distillery and it will only ever be opened by the winner himself,” added Mr Egan.

Around 90,000 people are expected to visit the north coast for the Open, which will see Northern Ireland’s three major winners Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy compete against three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and reigning USPGA champ Keegan Bradley.

Earlier this month it was revealed that no title sponsor had been found for the competition despite its approaching date.

UK gambling company, Bet365, is to sponsor ITV’s coverage of this year’s French Open tennis.

The competition gets underway on Sunday and represents the first time ITV has screened a Grand Slam.

It will broadcast more than 150 hours of tennis from Roland Garros on ITV1 and ITV4 during the 15-day tournament.

The sponsorship deal was negotiated by ITV Commercial, Drummond Central and Republic of Media.

ITV’s business development director, Jason Spencer, said: “We are very excited to be bringing the French Open Tennis 2012 to ITV and welcome bet365 as the broadcast sponsor.

“Having brought on bet365bingo as the sponsor of the iconic ITV property Emmerdale earlier in the year, we are delighted to be extending our relationship with the group. We believe the world-class sporting event is a great brand fit for bet365 and we look forward to another successful partnership.”

FA Women’s Super League team, Doncaster Rovers Belles, are set to become a force in the game again after securing a club-record six-figure three year deal with Innovation Financial Services Limited.

The two men behind the recently-formed company, Stewart Groves and Hugh McAuley – a former professional footballer – have previously advised top footballers such as Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill as well as Harley Street surgeons.

“They are very successful people in their own field of expertise and they are also interested in football,” said manager John Buckley, who first met Doncaster-based Stewart at a social function he attended with Belles’ business manager Alan Smart – who has worked hard behind the scenes over the last six months to put the deal together – late last year.

“It’s a huge boost to the club to have them on board because we’ve lacked a major sponsor since Ben Bailey Homes pulled out a few years ago and we’ve struggled to compete financially with the other clubs at our level,” said Buckley.

“As a result of this deal we’ll be competing on a more level playing field. We still won’t be able to pay the sort of money that the likes of Birmingham are paying out, but we will be able to compete for good players again, which is obviously great news for the club.

“I’m not suddenly going to start throwing money around but if I can bring in two or three players who I think would do us a good job during the transfer window then I will – although they will have to come in on an 18-month contract because I’m already looking towards next season when I hope we’ll be competitive in all competitions.

“We’ll still be looking to try and bring girls through from our juniors because that policy has served us well and without producing our own players we wouldn’t be where we are now.

“But what I hope I will be able to do as a result of the sponsorship is to be able to keep them for ourselves and not just develop them for someone else as has happened in recent years.

“Hopefully we can reward Stewart and Hugh’s support by getting off the mark in the WSL in next Wednesday’s game at Lincoln.

“They’ve spent a lot of money and are a good side. But if we play as well as we did at Bristol I think that we can get a result.”

The New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee has announced Chevron as one of its major corporate sponsors.

The announcement that Chevron was on board and will serve as the Host Committee’s volunteer services partner was made during the “Wednesdays at the Square” concert series at Lafayette Square.

As part of the announcement, officials with Chevron, the Host Committee and New Orleans Saints, said they are also kicking off a drive to find 8,000 volunteers for the Super Bowl.

“Chevron is committed to supporting the communities where we live and operate and our volunteer program title partnership for Super Bowl XLVII is an excellent example of that commitment, Warner Williams, the vice president of Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company Gulf of Mexico Business Unit.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu helped ignite the crowd of about 2,500 at Lafayette Square by taking a shot at ESPN radio personality Colin Cowherd, who blasted New Orleans and questioned why so many major sporting events come to the city.

“I was listening to that guy and I couldn’t really believe that he said that,” Landrieu said. “Maybe he doesn’t believe that the city of New Orleans has hosted more Super Bowls than any city in America except Miami.”

For a sixth consecutive year, GoDaddy.com has been named the presenting sponsor for the legendary Indianapolis 500 broadcast on ABC TV.

Go Daddy, the world’s largest provider of Web hosting, domain name registrations and new SSL Certificates, signed Hinch as its 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series driver earlier in January. The Canadian driver is currently running third in points and has finished every race in the Top Six of this season’s IndyCar competition, including his best career finish in third place at Long Beach.

“The Go Daddy Chevy has a prime starting position for Sunday’s race, but we’re not done yet,” said Hinchcliffe. “Our team has worked extremely hard to get us to this point and I think fans are in for one heck of a show come Sunday – and if we could win Indy, I just might get my mug on the Go Daddy homepage.”

“Hinch is just fun to watch. He’s entertaining, he’s a tech guy and his sense of humor is absolutely contagious,” said Go Daddy Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President Barb Rechterman. “We saw his ‘campaign’ and thought it was worth giving him a shot … why not make it official?”