Former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello is set to enter the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series following a reported sponsorship deal with heavy construction equipment rental company Brasil Maquinas.

According to one of Brazil’s biggest newspapers, the Estado de S. Paulo,Barrichello will be sponsored at KV Racing Technology by Brasil Maquinas to a reported amount of nearly $3m. 

The company is said to have previously been negotiating with the Williams F1 team over the winter and had been willing to pay an even greater amount to keep Barrichello in his Grand Prix seat, until the team finally decided to go with Bruno Senna instead. Brasil Maquinas already sponsor a local stock car team. 

If the reports are correct, then lining up the sponsorship backing is the last major obstacle that needed to be overcome in the process of formally signing Barrichello to a year in US open wheel racing.

by Ismail Uddin

Reale Seguros Insurance Company has renewed its sponsorship deal with the Open de Espana for three further years.

The Royal Spanish Golf Federation and Reale Seguros Insurance Company have vowed to provide financial backup to the event for next three years and the event will now be renamed as Reale Seguros Open de España scheduled to be played at RCG de Sevilla.

President of the Royal Spanish Golf Federation Gonzaga Escauriaza and Luigi Lana, physician Chief Executive Officer at Reale Seguros were present at the ceremony and signed the agreement with the European Tour officials.

Lana said: “Our strong commitment to the game of golf goes far beyond sponsorship. Our company shares many values with the Open de España and with the world of golf in general. As a matter of fact, cheao viagra the pursuit of improvement, cure ever present in golf, happens to be one of the brand marks of our company. It is a great pleasure for us to be associated with a growing and dynamic sector, and we at Reale Seguros are particularly proud of our contribution to its growth”.

The agreement features a whooping support of 1.55 million euros ($2.1m) to the event in the course of next three years.

by Ismail Uddin

Major League Lacrosse (MLL), unhealthy the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, abortion have announced a new partnership with OdorBalance, which was founded by Chesapeake Bayhawks attackman Drew Westervelt.

OdorBalance provides a long lasting solution to prevent athletic equipment and apparel from developing foul odors and will be used by MLL equipment managers and key players this season.

“We’re excited to get behind Drew and his team at OdorBalance to raise awareness about these great new products,” said MLL’s Kerry Pucillo. “The feedback that MLL teams and players provide will be a valuable testament to the benefits and results OdorBalance products can provide. Many of our fans are families with active lifestyles which include parents and children with a multitude of athletic activities where their equipment and apparel could benefit from an odor preventative regimen and treatment plan.”

“I’m extremely confident in this product and am thrilled to partner with Major League Lacrosse,” said Westervelt, who has been working on the OdorBalance product for over two years. “The idea for OdorBalance stemmed from parents’ horror stories of lacrosse equipment developing funky smells over time. Our products address these odors and provide long-term protection while remaining eco friendly and fragrance free.”

by Ismail Uddin

StubHub, one the world’s largest ticket marketplace, have announced today that it has been named the Official Fan to Fan Ticket Marketplace of the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center.

With this designation, hockey fans – and anyone looking to attend an event at the Wells Fargo Center – will be able to buy and sell tickets safely and conveniently, thanks to integrated cancel/reissue barcode technology provided by StubHub and Paciolan, an industry-leading provider of ticketing, marketing and fundraising solutions to more than 500 live entertainment organizations. Both Paciolan and the Flyers are subsidiaries of the international sports and entertainment firm, Comcast-Spectacor.

Dave Butler, CEO of Paciolan, said: “The Wells Fargo Center, and Philadelphia Flyers partnership with StubHub and Paciolan is a great example of technology working well for both the team and fans. Now Flyers season ticket holders can easily resell unused tickets, fans can purchase great seats at the Wells Fargo Center that would usually be unavailable, and the team provides a great fan experience. We’re thrilled to help execute this integrated solution for our clients.”

Fans in the Greater Philadelphia Region will find this innovative software integration makes the overall event experience better. Whenever a fan purchases tickets on StubHub, a completely new barcode is issued, cancelling the old barcode, which completes a seamless exchange of tickets. The ticket is then digitally delivered to the buyer who can print it at home. Plus, every ticket purchased on StubHub is backed by its FanProtect™ Guarantee, providing fans 100 percent protection from fraud and a stress-free purchasing process when buying tickets online.

“StubHub is really excited to further our relationship with Paciolan by partnering with the world class Philadelphia Flyers and Wells Fargo Center, ” said Chris Tsakalakis, StubHub President. “This is another step in our effort to create partnerships that provide better experiences for fans. By integrating our technology with teams like the Flyers and venues like the Wells Fargo Center, fans can get their tickets on StubHub more quickly and easily.”

Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko, said: “This new partnership will ensure that our fans are able to have an opportunity to purchase tickets to our events that may have been previously sold out through the safe and convenient services provided by StubHub. We are excited to see the synergies created amongst two of our entities – the Flyers and Paciolan.”

As part of this relationship, StubHub will have highly visible signage within the Wells Fargo Center. During Flyers games, StubHub will also have a presence via dasher boards, an in game feature and traditional media. Plus, StubHub will have online visibility on both the Flyers’ and Wells Fargo Center’s website and activate via email and social media.

In the last year alone, StubHub and Paciolan have brought this innovative technology and convenience to fans across the country, including those at the University of Texas, University of Michigan, and University of Southern California. More than 15 organizations currently utilize this integrated technology.

by Ismail Uddin

Southwest Airlines have announced that the carrier has become the official airline sponsor of MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers.

The sponsorship includes in-stadium signage, a field-level interactive fan experience, and a “How far did it fly?” in-game feature during Brewers home games.

“The People of Milwaukee are passionate about their hometown Brewers, and Southwest Airlines is passionate about Milwaukee,” said Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Distribution Kevin Krone.  “We’re excited by all the opportunities this partnership will bring not only to our valued Customers, but to Brewers fans as well.”

Milwaukee Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger, added: “We look forward to what will be a great new partnership with Southwest Airlines. Both organizations share a strong commitment to the Milwaukee market, and we’re excited about the unique opportunities that this will bring to both the Brewers and our fans.”

To celebrate the new partnership, today Southwest launched the “Brewers Spring Away Sweepstakes” giving fans an opportunity to win a three-night trip for two to see the Brewers at Spring Training in Phoenix. 

Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals and Skyview Networks announced today a new broadcast partnership for inventory management.

Skyview Networks, prostate an integrated professional sports broadcast solutions company specializing in play-by-play systems, anabolics will provide its F.A.S.T. (Flexible Audio Storage Technology) Inventory Management System for Kansas City Royals radio. The system allows the Kansas City Royals the ability to produce the radio broadcast directly from the broadcast booth at the ballpark, home or away.

“We are enthused to bring Skyview on board as a broadcast partner,” said Mike Bucek, Vice President of Business Development for the Kansas City Royals. “The F.A.S.T. system caters to our production needs and provides the flexibility and the incredible control we seek in an inventory management solution.”

Skyview Networks’ F.A.S.T. Inventory Management System conveniently allows the producer to broadcast directly from the booth at the ballpark: it loads, plays and automates the broadcast directly from the stadium. The application’s real-time access and flexibility supplies full control over advertiser scheduling and streamlines the as-played reporting and billing process.

Matt Stys, Vice President of Business Development for Skyview Networks, said: “We feel privileged to extend our presence in the Midwest with this distinguished franchise. With the F.A.S.T. system, I am confident the franchise will experience an efficient approach to maintaining all components of advertiser scheduling and invoicing. We look forward to building a long relationship with the Royals as we continue to partner on play-by-play broadcast solutions.”

by Ismail Uddin

The VELUX Group has extended its title sponsorship of the VELUX European Handball Federation (EHF) Champions League for an additional three years.

The agreement, therapy which was signed at the VELUX Headquarters in Hørsholm, drug Denmark on Tuesday 28, ahead of the draw for the competition’s Last 16, will see the VELUX Group extend its sponsorship agreement until at least the end of the 2015/16 season.

The contract was signed on behalf of the European Handball Federation and EHF Marketing GmbH by EHF President, Tor Lian, and on behalf of the VELUX Group by Michael K. Rasmussen, VELUX Group Director of Branding and Marketing.

Tor Lian, EHF President, said: “The EHF, in particular through the hard work of EHF Marketing, has enjoyed an extremely positive and rewarding cooperation with the VELUX Group, which has seen the continued development of the “Champions League” product on the international sports market. I am confident that this positive relationship will continue in the future.”

Michael K. Rasmussen, VELUX Group Director of Branding and Marketing, added: “By extending the contract, we are signalling our commitment to sponsorship as an important part of our marketing campaign. The VELUX EHF Champions League is a very powerful platform, not only because of its thrilling nature but also because it reaches out to everybody, men and women, kids and grown-ups.” He added, “We are very happy with the concept of the competition. Our sponsorship is under continuous development and we think it has even more potential, which we will benefit from as we add activities and explore the concept in the coming years.”

In addition to extensive advertising presence of the VELUX brand at all matches of the VELUX EHF Champions League through on-court and LCD perimeter advertising, the competition also offers the VELUX Group the ideal platform to entertain key partners, customers and guests.

by Ismail Uddin

Sportartikelhersteller PUMA verkündete heute eine Ausweitung des Vertrags mit dem Italienischen Fußball Verband (FIGC). PUMA wird das gesamte Lizenzprogramm des FIGC weltweit steuern.

Somit ist PUMA seit heute und über die nächsten beiden FIFA Fußball-Weltmeisterschaften in Brasilien und Russland hinaus ‚Official Master Licensee of the FIGC. Außerdem bleibt PUMA Offizieller Partner in Bezug auf die Spielertrikots des italienischen Nationalteams.

Nach neunjähriger Partnerschaft hat PUMA den Vertrag mit dem FIGC intensiviert und steigt mit neu gegründeter Abteilung ins Lizenzgeschäft ein. Die FIGC Partnerschaft spielt dabei eine wichtige Rolle als größter Vertrag mit einem weltweit erfolgreichen Verband.

PUMA CEO Franz Koch: „Wir haben bereits seit neun Jahren eine sehr erfolgreiche Partnerschaft mit dem FIGC und sind daher erfreut, ailment dass wir die Zusammenarbeit mit dem neuen Vertrag ausweiten konnten. Die Kooperation unterstreicht unsere Zielsetzung unsere Position als eine der drei großen Fußballmarken zu stärken. Das italienische Nationalteam verkörpert wie kein zweites die einzigartige Positionierung von PUMA im Segment „Sportlifestyle“. Mit der Lizenz des FIGC arbeiten wir nun weltweit zusammen. Das ist eine Herausforderung für uns, search aber eine, die wir erfolgreich meistern werden.“

Giancarlo Abete, FIGC Präsident: „PUMA ist seit jeher ein großartiger Partner für uns und wir freuen uns, dass wir die Partnerschaft vertiefen konnten. Die Expertise, die Ideen und das Bekenntnis zum Lizenzgeschäft bieten enormes Potenzial und haben uns zu diesem neuen Vertrag motiviert. Die Professionalität von PUMA in Design, Marketing und im weltweiten Vertrieb ist ungeschlagen. Das macht uns zuversichtlich für die Zukunft.”

Zusätzlich zur Partnerschaft mit dem italienischen Fußball Verband unterzeichnete PUMA im letzten Jahr auch eine neue Partnerschaft mit dem Südafrikanischen Fußballverband (SAFA) und weitete die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Schweizer Fußball Verband (SFV) aus. Außerdem bestehen weiterhin die Partnerschaften mit den italienischen Fußballspielern Gianluigi Buffon und Giorgio Chiellini, zu denen kürzlich die Kooperationen beispielsweise mit Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Radamel Falcao, und Yaya Toure hinzu kamen.

Der Titelsponsor des “PSD Bank Meeting” in Düsseldorf, malady die PSD Bank Rhein Ruhr eG, hat sein Engagement nach der erfolgreichen 7. Auflage der internationalen Leichtathletik-Veranstaltung (10. Februar) frühzeitig um ein weiteres Jahr verlängert.

Düsseldorfs Oberbürgermeister Dirk Elbers, Schirmherr des Meetings, und August-Wilhelm Albert, Vorstand der PSD Bank Rhein Ruhr eG, unterzeichneten am Montag, 27. Februar, den Vertrag im Rathaus. Voraussichtlich am 8. Februar 2013 soll die 8. Auflage in der Leichtathletikhalle im Arena-Sportpark stattfinden.

„Die konsequente Weiterentwicklung des Meetings haben wir auch der Unterstützung der PSD Bank Rhein Ruhr eG zu verdanken. Es ist sehr wichtig, dass Unternehmen am Standort den Spitzensport in der Stadt fördern und verlässliche Partner der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf sind,” erklärte Oberbürgermeister Dirk Elbers.

„Wir haben erneut fantastische Wettkämpfe und eine grandiose Atmosphäre miterlebt”, sagte PSD-Bank-Vorstand August-Wilhelm Albert. „Wir stehen für Verlässlichkeit und Kontinuität – und auch das Meeting präsentiert sich Jahr für Jahr auf einem sehr hohen Niveau. Daher möchten wir uns weiter in der Sportstadt Düsseldorf engagieren.”

Bei der 7. Auflage des “PSD Bank Meeting” stellten die rund 150 Athleten aus 37 Nationen in der mit 2000 Zuschauern erneut ausverkauften Halle im Arena-Sportpark vier Weltjahresbestleistungen und zwei Meeting-Rekorde auf. 

The Marussia F1 Team has announced that it has joined forces with CarPlan, buy the number one selling car care brand in the UK.

CarPlan has been providing first class car care products since the 1960s. It is the most recognised car care marque and one of the most important brands within the Tetrosyl Group. Tetrosyl is the largest manufacturer and supplier of car care products in Europe, its global reach extending to 76 countries. 

As a Marussia F1 Team official supplier, CarPlan will provide high quality products to the race team to ensure that the presentation of their Formula One cars is immaculate every time they leave the pit lane. In addition, CarPlan will provide products for use at the team’s UK based headquarters, the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury, to ensure the cars are polished and protected prior to travelling the world to 20 Grand Prix destinations.

“I am delighted to welcome CarPlan to the team as an official supplier. CarPlan needs no introduction as a market-leading brand that is innovative and energetic in terms of its marketing approach,” said Andy Webb, CEO, Marussia F1 Team. “Our 2012 has got off to a positive start in terms of strengthening our existing partnerships and bringing new relationships to the portfolio. CarPlan join the team at an exciting time, both for us and for the sport, as we all prepare to embark on a brand new season.”

Peter Schofield, Chairman, Tetrosyl Group, added: “We are extremely honoured to be a Marussia F1 Team official supplier and we look forward to a great season ahead. It’s a very exciting way to start the year for us. We have already got the relationship off to a positive start by working closely together at the Barcelona test last week to ensure that the best CarPlan products were selected, as well as enjoying great exposure as our CarPlan logos were positioned on the car’s turning vanes. We are delighted with this new relationship and we wish the best of luck to the team this season.”

by Ismail Uddin