Alpari, a global association of companies providing online foreign exchange, has announced today a five-year title partnership with the World Match Racing Tour.

The agreement sees the world’s leading professional sailing series become the Alpari World Match Racing Tour from February 2012.

Jim O’Toole, CEO of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, today joined David Stuart, COO of Alpari in the City of London to announce the title sponsorship. To mark the start of the partnership a unique 3D street art project, recreating a match racing scene of two boats going head to head in a winner-takes-all competition, was revealed in the City. Passing City commuters had their photos taken “on board” one of the boats.

The deal will benefit both parties and is a timely boost to global professional sailing where other properties have struggled commercially against a backdrop of tough economic conditions. As a global sports series with events in North America, Asia and Europe, the multimillion-dollar partnership creating the Alpari World Match Racing Tour will help Alpari reach out to even more people across the continents and promote online trading to an even wider audience.

Jim O’Toole, commented about the partnership: “To be collaborating with such a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation as Alpari is extremely exciting. We know from our research that the World Match Racing Tour’s fan base provides the perfect audience for Alpari to engage with and build its customer base. The partnership further underlines the strength of the Tour’s commercial proposition and I look forward to working with the Alpari team over the next five years.”

David Stuart from Alpari added, “We are very happy to announce our partnership with the World Match Racing Tour. The Tour and Alpari have so much in common and we’ll both be strengthening our brands by entering into this partnership. The Tour appeals to an international audience and specifically to people who are ambitious and self-motivated. These are essential attributes of successful traders so Alpari’s services should excite them.”

The world’s best match racers will compete for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship and the largest prize purse in the world of sailing (US$1.75 million). Britain has enjoyed back-to-back success with triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie winning in 2010, followed by Ian Williams who captured his third world title in 2011. Williams is once again on the list of nine skippers, also announced today, to have secured a Tour Card for the 2012 season. Selected by the Tour, the list of Tour Card Holders includes a mix of current and former World Champions, Olympic and America’s Cup campaigners as well as an exciting breed of promising younger sailors from around the world.

The Alpari World Match Racing Tour is currently increasing the number of Tour events to bring match racing and its star names to both traditional and emerging sailing countries. Today’s sponsorship announcement also coincides with the unveiling of the 2012 Tour Calendar which now includes a new event, the Chicago Match Cup in the US, to complement the other regattas in Germany, Korea, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Bermuda and Malaysia.

Commenting on the race calendar and list of competing teams, O’Toole added, “2012 will be a major landmark in the delivery of our owner’s vision for the Tour with the title sponsorship relationship with Alpari, our new venue in Chicago and an exciting line-up of Tour Card Holders including multiple World Champions seeking to break records and rookies hoping to make the big breakthrough. It promises to be a dramatic season all round. We can’t wait for our first race, Match Race Germany, to start!”

by Ismail Uddin

GAC Pindar, medic the associated yacht racing team of logistics firm GAC Group, medic has announced a two-year partnership with Swiss watch manufacturer Armin Strom.

The Biel-based company will sponsor the sailing team throughout their World Match Racing Tour and Extreme Sailing Series 2012 campaigns and design a limited edition watch to commemorate the deal.

“We are proud to be running with Armin Strom as GAC Pindar strives for ever more on-the-water success in the Extreme Sailing Series and the World Match Racing Tour in 2012,” said Bill Hill, GAC group executive vice president, Commercial.

Founded in 2006, Armin Strom is known for its keen support in mainstream sports such as Formula 1 and professional sailing.

IMG Motorsports, ampoule part of the Events and Federations division within IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, have agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal with one of world motorsport’s biggest supporters, Monster Energy.

The energy drink will serve as presenting sponsor of the individual world championship FIM Speedway Grand Prix series. Monster Energy will also be the title sponsor of the team world championship which will be known as the FIM Monster Energy Speedway World Cup. A new logo featuring the Monster Energy brand has been designed for the SWC tournament, which takes place in July.

Rob Armstrong, Senior Vice President Global Head of Motorsports for IMG, said,   “It’s a credit to the SGP series and the IMG Motorsports team that we have attracted a brand like Monster Energy.

“There are exciting times ahead for both the world championships with the Grand Prix series expanding into the Southern Hemisphere this year.

“I’m delighted to have Monster Energy on board and they have a huge part to play as we continue to develop truly great world championship events.”

Monster Energy has already made a huge impact on the shale sport after supporting Californian Greg Hancock to his second individual world title last year and they also sponsor 2010 gold medalist Tomasz Gollob.

Paul Bellamy, Managing Director, BSI Speedway, which sits within the IMG Motorsport division, said, “This is great news for the fans and the series that Monster Energy are on board. They have exciting plans to engage with our fan base as well as attract a new generation of fans to the world championships.

“The Monster Energy brand is growing spectacularly. They have an outstanding online presence and over 14 million followers on Facebook.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Monster Energy to raise their profile even further and take the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series and FIM Monster Energy Speedway World Cup to greater heights.”

Jamal Benmiloud, Marketing Director, Monster Energy, added: “We love this sport, from the athletes to the dedicated fans, so it’s great to be able to support both the SGP and SWC in their mission to grow this great sport.

“We’re delighted to play our part in presenting the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series and FIM Monster Energy Speedway World Cup. We can’t wait to catch up with speedway fans around the world this season. We’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead.”

by Ismail Uddin

Williams have extended of its sponsorship deal with watch manufacturer Oris for the 2012 F1 season.

Under the new deal, which extends an agreement going back to 2003, Oris logos will feature on the cars’ front wing pillars as well as on driver and mechanic overalls, driver gloves and team collateral as before.

“Oris is one of our established and long-term partners and we are delighted that they have once again renewed their relationship with the team,” team boss Sir Frank Williams said. “We have had a strong and enjoyable partnership with Oris over the past nine years and the fact that they are renewing their support means a lot to the team as it demonstrates their commitment to our ambitions for the year as we look to a more successful 2012. 

“I’d like to thank them once again for their support and to say that we are all looking forward to working with them again over the coming year.”

by Ismail Uddin

JEGS.com, the leader in delivering high performance parts, announced it will sponsor David Stremme’s No. 30 Toyota in the Great American Race at famed Daytona International Speedway.

The sponsorship is an extension of Stremme’s relationship with JEGS through Cody Coughlin, grandson of JEGS founder Jeg Coughlin Sr. Cody, 16, is racing late model stock cars, and the veteran Stremme is helping the younger Coughlin work through the short-track ranks.

“I like Cody,” Stremme said. “I met his mom (Di) and dad (John) at the Snowball Derby and we hit it off. Cody is very well-rounded, and he’s got great teachers in Gary St. Amant and Butch VanDoorn. Gary helped me a lot in my career, and we’ve already seen what Butch can do with Cody during this year’s Speedweeks with a couple of poles and some top-five finishes at the 46th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. I’m also trying to help Cody in any way I can.”

Stremme made it in the Daytona 500 field via last Sunday’s qualifying, turning a lap of 191.963 mph. He’ll start the race from the 42nd position, flying JEGS.com colors.

“We have a really good shot at running well,” Stremme said. “We’re kind of underdogs in a way (but) we were able to out-qualify some really big teams. We had to have a different agenda leading up to the 500 than other teams but come Sunday, I think we’ll be able to show how hard my team has worked and hopefully get a really good result to start the season off.”

Stremme and JEGS have a lot in common. JEGS is a family-owned business, as founder Jeg Coughlin Sr. and sons John, Troy, Mike and Jeg Jr., have built the company into an industry leader. The Coughlin family has a long history in racing, too, competing successfully in drag racing for years.

The Stremme family also has a racing background as David’s father, mother and brother have all competed in stock-car racing.

“It’s really neat, especially knowing Cody and getting to meet John,” Stremme said. “We get parts from JEGS for our cars so we’re very familiar with them. They have a grassroots thing going with asphalt and dirt cars. It’s just really neat, especially with my background in short-track racing. For them to come on board with this team, I think it’s very cool.”

by Ismail Uddin

Chicago Bears line-backer Brian Urlacker has signed a multi-year deal with EyeBlack, maker of the glare-reducing patches for athletes.

Financial terms of the deal were not announced, but Urlacher, who has worn EyeBlack for several years, will appear on the packaging of the 18-pair packs.

The company does not have a deal with the NFL, so Urlacher appears sans any Bears imagery on the EyeBlack packaging. No television commercials featuring the perennial Pro Bowler are planned, but the deal includes a large social media presence on EyeBlack’s Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest pages. 

Urlacher approached the company about the partnership, which was negotiated by 1 Degree Sports Dir of Athlete Marketing Peter Webb and Urlacher’s reps Bryce Karger and Brenda Lundberg-Casey.

EyeBlack Founder & President Peter Beveridge said, “When I got a call from his agent saying, ‘Hey, we’d like to talk to you about maybe doing a deal with EyeBlack,’ my comment to him was ‘Why did it take you so long to call?’ Brian Urlacher in my opinion is an A-lister and he’s the perfect fit for our brand, our look and our product.”

Urlacher said he will promote EyeBlack through his social media pages, and he will also “talk to other athletes about the product and do a few interviews to talk about our partnership.”

He joins Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley and former U.S. softball P Jennie Finch as endorsers for the company. EyeBlack has exclusive deals with Nike, MLB, Major League Lacrosse and 150 colleges. Beveridge notes the company has seen sales growth of 30-40% each year. The Original black EyeBlack line sold 400,000 pairs in ’11, but Beveridge said he expects to sell over 1 million this year.

by Ismail Uddin

Budweiser and Daytona International Speedway have announced the beer brand will take on an enhanced role in NASCAR’s by title sponsoring Speedweeks, see the ten-day stretch of stock-car races from the Shootout to the Daytona 500 starting in 2013.

Budweiser also will secure entitlement of the Budweiser Duel at Daytona, pills two 150-mile qualifying races that determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. These enhancements to Budweiser’s partnership with DIS will replace the brand’s existing entitlement of the season-opening, non-points Shootout.

“Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway marks the official start of the NASCAR season, and the opportunity to expand our presence throughout the ten-day event puts Budweiser even more in the thick of it all,” said Brad Brown, vice president of sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “The Shootout has been an important element of our NASCAR program for 34 years, but this opportunity to enhance our partnership makes Budweiser even more relevant to our consumers as well as the fans of the Daytona 500.”

As part of the sponsorship, Budweiser will also receive the presenting sponsorship of the Daytona 500 pre-race broadcast show. The brand will also receive increased access for consumer hospitality events, including naming rights to the 5th Turn hospitality area throughout Speedweeks.

Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood, said: “Budweiser is the longest running active partner with Daytona International Speedway and we are incredibly excited to enter this new chapter with them in 2013. The opportunities created by this enhanced partnership are compelling and our fans will benefit the most. The intensity and fun atmosphere that Budweiser brought to the Shootout for so many years will be taken up several notches as they assume a much broader role during Speedweeks and ‘The Great American Race.’”

by Ismail Uddin

The 2012 Texas Tennis Open, impotent which will feature many of today’s top Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) professional tennis stars, unhealthy has announced that MetroPCS Communications, Inc., the leader in flat-rate, no annual contract and unlimited wireless services, is an official sponsor of the 2012 tournament and the co-presenting sponsor of the Tennis for 10,000 Kids Community program.

“We are extremely pleased to have MetroPCS join us as a sponsor of the 2012 tournament,” said Chris Giordano, Texas Tennis Open Tournament Director. “Additionally, MetroPCS will help make a significant impact in our community by supporting our grassroots initiative, Tennis for 10,000 Kids.”

The 2nd annual Texas Tennis Open, which is part of the WTA tour, is an “International Level’” tournament with prize money of $220,000. It features a singles draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 teams. The tournament, which will host a top-ranked international field of players, will take place August 17 through August 24, 2012 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Hotel in Grapevine, Texas.

“MetroPCS is committed to being engrained in the communities we serve and the 2012 Texas Tennis Open is an exceptional opportunity to support athletics in our region,” said Tracy Lange, vice president and general manager of MetroPCS Dallas. “Whether through our heavy involvement with community arts, sports and philanthropic organizations, or through our delivery of innovative wireless services at a tremendous value, MetroPCS is helping customers move forward with their lives.”

The inaugural Texas Tennis Open in 2011 enabled 10 of the top 50 players in the world to travel to Dallas to compete. The championship match pitted Wimbledon Semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki against Aravane Rezai. Lisicki defeated Rezai in the final 6-2, 6-1 and finished the year for the first time in the top 15. Last year’s inaugural Texas Tennis Open boasted one of the toughest draws on the International Level tournament schedule for the WTA Tour.

The Tennis For 10,000 Kids program was developed by the Texas Tennis Open as a outreach program and a way to give back to the community by providing free tennis play and instructional opportunities for local school-aged children. Working through a variety of venues including parks, schools, clubs and corporate campuses, local tennis professionals, volunteers and tour players come together throughout the year to provide free play to local youth.

by Ismail Uddin

George Borg Ltd has signed an agreement for the main sponsorship of the Malta Rugby League (MRL).

The partnership with George Borg LTD’s Unilever-owned Dove Men+Care will see the brand feature prominently throughout the Maltese rugby scene as it transcends in providing a show of financial support for rugby league on the Maltese Islands.

Dove Men+Care Brand Manager Antonella Mizzi said; “As a brand which combines powerful technology and care, doctor Dove Men+Care makes a natural partner for rugby and the MRL sponsorship serves as a commencing to affirming our commitment to the development of the sport.”

Dove Men+Care branding will appear across the Malta national team kit and Malta vice-captain Clifford Debattista welcomed the announcement to an audience at the Balzan Football Club.

The Gozitan rugby league player, find who was named 2011 MRL Player of the Year said: “I’m delighted at this announcement for the Malta Rugby League to boast relations with a renowned Unilever brand such as Dove Men+Care. We’ve achieved a lot of firsts on the islands on the field and being recognised off the field is a credit to all the industrious work going on behind the scenes.“

Dove Men+Care will adorn the off-field wear and the Malta Knights’ national team shirt (photo). Malta will take on Denmark in June at home before the away leg in September.

Honda, cialis the title sponsor of four IndyCar races this year, won’t be the top sponsor of the 2012 Baltimore Grand Prix.

Dale Dillon, a longtime race promoter and the new chief of the Baltimore Grand Prix, has strong ties to Honda and reached out to the automotive giant regarding the title sponsorship. But T.E. McHale, motorsports manager for American Honda Motor Co., said the company reached its capacity on title sponsorship deals in 2012.

In addition, he said, the company also wants to see Downforce Racing’s performance after one year of operating the Baltimore Grand Prix. Downforce includes Dillon, as well as Felix Dawson and Dan Reck, both of Baltimore’s Wilkes Lane Capital.

“Before I’m comfortable going to the people who sign my paychecks and ask them to invest in the event, I’m going to need to see a lot of stability in the organization,” McHale said.

Dillon has helped organize races in Toronto and St. Petersburg, Fla., both of which are title sponsored by Honda.

McHale, however, didn’t rule out Honda sponsoring the Baltimore Grand Prix on a smaller scale.

Honda would be interested in being the official vehicle provider or a presenting sponsor for the Baltimore Grand Prix, he said.

Title sponsorships usually range from $600,000 to $1 million for American Honda, McHale said, while official vehicle sponsorships usually range from $100,000 to $300,000.

Dillon said he has been meeting with sponsors over the last couple of days and hopes to work with American Honda for other potential sponsorship opportunities. He aid he understands why Honda would want to hold off adding a fifth title sponsorship this year.

“We would truly love for them to be the title, but I understand their position,” Dillon said.

by Ismail Uddin