Forgiven, capsule distributed by RH Laboratories, has announced a new sponsorship deal with UFC fighter Scott Jorgensen.

Jorgensen, nicknamed “Young Guns”, is consistently ranked one of the best bantamweight fighters in the world. He’s a member of the Twisted Genetiks Fight Team based out of Boise, Idaho and has been fighting since 2006. His current record is 13-5.

A part of the sponsorship, Jorgensen will sport Forgiven apparel during training sessions. He’ll also be promoting the brand through various social media channels.

“We’re proud to add Scott to the Forgiven team of athletes,” says Forgiven Bottling Group President, Chas Aday. “He’s a very accomplished fighter and we’re honored and excited to support him!”

Chas Aday and TJ Lavin formed Forgiven Bottling Group in 2009. Their product, Forgiven, is the first and only product on the market that has been shown to increase the rate at which the body processes alcohol.

by Ismail Uddin

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has named Optimum Nutrition as its Official Sports Nutrition Supplier.

The deal will see the Sports nutrition brand fuel LTA’s performance squads and sports sciences team.

Optimum Nutrition produces a range of products, decease including best-selling protein powders Gold Standard 100% Whey and Casein.

“We are delighted to announce our first partnership in tennis, ambulance ” said Sebastian Mullin, managing director EMEA at Optimum Nutrition. “We’re aware that a number of elite tennis players are already using our products, so to have the opportunity to work in close partnership with the LTA is a natural progression in the growth of ON and our pan-sport strategy.”

“We are very proud to be helping the best British tennis players stay in peak condition throughout their training and demanding competition schedules.”

Dr. Karl Cooke, LTA sports science manager, added: “We are committed to supporting our most talented players to enable them to reach their potential. Having the opportunity to work with ON will ensure that our top performance players stay in top condition on the court, and recover quickly and effectively off it.”

“Our partnership with ON and their product range means that we are able to further tailor our nutritional strategies to suit each individual players’ needs and goals.”

Optimum Nutrition’s growing sponsorship portfolio also includes Scottish rugby teams Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Irish rugby sides Leinster and Ulster, the Newcastle Falcons, and Championship team the Cornish Pirates, as well as French team Stade Toulousain.

by Ismail Uddin

The National Hockey League (NHL) have announced that McDonald’s USA has renewed a multi-year deal to remain as the Official Quick Service Restaurant of the NHL in the United States and in territories where the annual season-opening NHL Premiere Series is held.   

As part of this agreement, McDonald’s will return as the Presenting Partner of the NHL and NBC’s Hockey Day In America platform – a six-hour celebration of the sport of hockey on NBC, in addition to serving as the Official Partner of the NHL Premiere Series, NHL Winter Classic, NHL All-Star Game, the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the NHL Awards, among other unique brand extensions. 

“McDonald’s is the leading global food service retailer and an ideal League partner due to their undeniably powerful reach, influence and consumer loyalty,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Senior Vice President of Integrated Sales.  “Together, we will continue to create meaningful ways to entertain and engage consumers, while providing platforms for McDonald’s to reach our fans – the most attractive demographic in professional sports.” 

Through this renewal, McDonald’s USA will continue to support NHL media (NHL Network, NHL.com and NHL Mobile) and League rights-holders (NBC and NBC Sports Network).  McDonald’s also will continue as the presenting sponsor of the popular NHL Network series, Making of a Royal presented by McDonald’s – a weekly vignette that follows the Long Island Royals – an Under-16 AAA hockey team that is coached by Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine. New episodes roll out every Monday on NHL Network’s NHL Live™ and NHL Tonight™. The series also lives on NHL.com and is accompanied by a blog written by LaFontaine. 

Peter Sterling, Vice President of Media & Marketing, McDonald’s USA., said: “Working with The National Hockey League is a natural fit for McDonald’s and our commitment to bringing our guests the best and most relevant sports properties around. Through our renewed effort, hockey fans will experience new and unique elements that celebrate the fun and competitive spirit of this exciting sport.” 

A charitable component will once again be included as well. The NHL’s monetary and in-kind contributions in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities(RMHC), McDonald’s “Charity of Choice,” and the Ronald McDonald House Program will help improve the health and well being of children and their families.

by Ismail Uddin

University of Miami (UM) have selected Sir Pizza as the Athletics departments official pizza as part of a five-year agreement.

The deal includes integrated advertising, social media and on-campus promotion with UM’s core athletic programs. This is move continues Sir Pizza’s aggressive expansion in the South Florida region.

The agreement as the exclusive pizza partner of University of Miami Athletics, beginning June 2012. It will also include integrated advertising, social media and on-campus promotion with UM’s core athletic programs including football, basketball and baseball. The arrangement was secured by UM Athletics’ multimedia rights holder, Hurricane Sports Properties.

This move continues Sir Pizza’s expansion and presence in South Florida. Over the past year, the franchise’s market share has grown to include 10 locations in Miami-Dade and Broward as well as a mobile food truck. Sir Pizza will open restaurants in Aventura, Weston, South Beach, Midtown, and Marlins Park over the next three months.

“We at Sir Pizza have been big supporters and fans of University of Miami Athletics for many years,” says Rene Prats, Sir Pizza South Florida CEO. “UM has a distinguished legacy in sports that has brought great national exposure to South Florida. We’re proud to work with the university and we look forward to building a successful partnership.”

The deal will help enhance brand awareness of Sir Pizza and increase the brand’s visibility at UM Athletic events, with signage at sports venues, advertising in event programs and increased exposure online and through the university’s social media platforms.

UM Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst, said: “Sir Pizza is a South Florida institution and they truly care about bettering the local community. Rene Prats and Sir Pizza are also long time supporters of the Hurricanes and ideal long-term partners for our athletic department.”

by Ismail Uddin

One of the UK’s leading sport bra brand’s Freya Active, pilule has announced they have partnered with England Netball.

Freya Active are now an Official Sports Bra Supplier to the England Netball Squad (the current FastNet World Champions), allergist as well as the senior national squads and Superleague squads.

Freya Active are a division of Freya lingerie, who offer a wide range of bra styles, such as plunge bras up to a K cup. In addition to being an official supplier, the Freya Active name will appear on the England National Squad kit and feature in national team events, all of which are played live on Sky Sports.

Joanna Adams, Head of Marketing and Commercial at England Netball described how they were “very excited to have Freya Active on board. They are an established sports brand with great presence, so we can’t wait to see how the partnership develops. England Netball has a number of key events taking place in the future with the Commonwealth Games and World Netball Championships, so we believe there is going to be increased loyalty for the sport as well as new interest.”

Freya Active’s partnership will also involve supporting netball at grass roots level, by getting behind the Back To Netball scheme. This programme, promoted by England Netball, provides a gentle introduction to the sport for women over sixteen. A lot of girls have played netball at a younger age and subsequently left it behind. Back To Netball encourages those who are no longer playing to reappraise the sport and get involved once again, with schemes right across the UK.

Freya Active’s support for English netball at all levels goes hand-in-hand with their commitment to offering sports bras that support the wearer in the best possible way. Their non-compression, bust separation sports bras deliver unrivalled fit and comfort up to an H cup. And Freya Active hope that partnering with England Netball will help educate women about the importance of maintaining good breast health during sport.

Ann Marie Manley, Head of Marketing at Freya Active, said: “in order to perform well in sport and exercise, sports bras are incredibly important and we are working hard to get this message across. We are absolutely thrilled to have partnered with England Netball. Netball is energetic, edgy and feminine, so it is a great match for Freya Active. The England Netball Squad are absolutely fantastic and the sport does not always get the recognition it deserves, so we are really looking forward to working with them in order to raise their profile as well as our own.”

by Ismail Uddin

Sport Court has been named as the official playing surface of the United States Youth Futsal and United States Adult Futsal, adiposity the official governing body for futsal in the United States and the only futsal league sanctioned for futsal by U. S. Soccer, bronchi the national governing body of soccer.

Sport Court will provide high-performance surfaces for the United States Youth Futsal’s National Championships in Kansas City Missouri, ailment to be held over the President’s Day Weekend—Feb. 17 through 20—in 2012.

Six Response futsal courts totaling more than 43,000 square feet will be supplied for the event, which will bring youth futsal players from across the US. The championships will be played all under one roof at the Overland Park Convention Center.

John Parry, Managing Director of U.S. Futsal, said Sport Court was selected for its playability as well as the safety. “When the official governing body of futsal needed a partner we selected the best,” said Parry.

“We are happy to support U.S. Soccer’s efforts to support and grow futsal throughout the U.S.,” said Ron Cerny, President and CEO of Utah-based Connor Sport Court.

Futsal is the only form of indoor soccer endorsed by FIFA. It earned the status of FIFA’s official form of indoor soccer in the 1980s as it was recognized as a scaled down version of outdoor soccer played indoors. It is a 5 v 5 small-sided game played on a hard surfaced, basketball sized court with a smaller, heavier low bounce ball. Futsal is played with touchline boundaries and without walls.

In addition to supplying the surfaces here in the United States, Sport Court was also chosen by the Asian Football Confederation to supply the surfaces for their futsal championship. The AFC hosts the largest futsal championship in the world.

by Ismail Uddin

Tampa’s BlueGrace Logistics’ sponsoring of MMA fighters continues with ongoing support of Ben “Smooth” Henderson as the fighter takes on Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight title.

The packed-card event will take place Saturday, viagra February 25 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

A former two-time NAIA collegiate wrestling champion and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champion, Henderson attempts a fourth straight win after defeating UFC wildman Clay Guida back in November. A proud Christian, Henderson uses his fighting to share his beliefs. He walks into each fight to a gospel song and is known to quote scripture after bouts. He also avoids alcohol and drugs. As of November 2011, Henderson is ranked as the #4 lightweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.

“Ben ‘Smooth’ Henderson is the first MMA fighter we signed for the BlueGrace Logistics fighter sponsorship series,” said BlueGrace CEO and President Bobby Harris. “It is an incredible feeling to support and watch Smooth as he fights his way to becoming the next lightweight champion. He exemplifies many of the attributes integral to our success in the transportation logistics business, including persistence and an unquestionable work ethic. Smooth is a fantastic role model and we pride ourselves on having him as a member of the BlueGrace Logistics family.”

MMA is one of the fastest growing sports today and BlueGrace has a number of customers across the nation who are fanatics, as well as corporate employees who enjoy the sport. MMA stars such as Carlos Condit and Thiago Alves often visit the BlueGrace headquarters for career fairs and onsite broadcast interviews on WTAN Sports Radio, providing a level of engagement for customers who frequently visit the headquarters as well. In addition, many of the fighters are highly engaged with social media, using forums such as Twitter as an opportunity to connect with the BlueGrace team and generate excitement about both brands.

BlueGrace Logistics is one of the fastest growing and most progressive providers of transportation, logistics and technology solutions to businesses and individuals nationwide, serving more than 2,500 customers in 60 cities. In addition to its February 25 sponsorship of Henderson, the company has also previously sponsored such MMA fighters as Thiago Alves, Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone, Roy Nelson, Johny Hendricks, Vagner Rocha and Pat Barry.

by Ismail Uddin

Swimovate Watches, check creators of the Poolmate Pro automatic lap counter watch for swimmers, have announced the company’s sponsorship of the annual Challenge Henley and Henley Half in the UK.

Launched last year in the English town of Henley-on-Thames by The Challenge Family, this year’s events will take place on 16 September 2012 and consists of a 3.8k swim, a 180k and a 42.4k run.

As reported by challengehenley.com, this is the second year in a row that Swimovate will sponsor the Henley Triathlon, “We are delighted to confirm that Swimovate will be the official Swim Sponsor at Challenge Henley and the Henley Half for a second year in 2012, following on from the successful partnership in the inaugural year.” Challengehenley.com also noted that the swim course will once again be known as the Swimovate Swim Course.

Swimovate Ltd is a UK company run by swimmers and triathletes whose main focus is to develop innovative training products for serious athletes. The company recently developed the Poolmate automatic lap counter watches for swimmers.

Swimovate CEO, Lisa Irlam, said: “Being a triathlete myself, I know how important a tool like the Poolmate Pro can be when training for big events. Whether you are planning on competing in the Challenge Henley Triathlon with professional status for a piece of the cash prizes, or are participating as an amateur, having the right tools can really change the way you compete.”

by Ismail Uddin

Indian conglomerate Sahara Group on Thursday returned as main sponsor of the world’s richest cricket body, reversing its earlier decision to end all commercial ties with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Sahara will also continue as the Pune franchisee of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, group chairman Subrata Roy and BCCI president N. Srinivasan said in a joint statement.

“Sahara confirms that it will continue sponsorship of the Indian team. Sahara may want to exercise its right to assign the sponsorship as per the agreement,” they said.

Citing instances where it has been denied “natural justice” in IPL, Sahara on February 4 snapped a decade-long “one-sided emotional relationship” with the board.

Sahara’s existing sponsorship deal, at $719,000 per match, will end on December 31, 2013.

Sahara bid $370 million to win the IPL Pune franchise in 2010 and invested $100 million in Force India for a 42.5 percent stake in the Formula One team last year.

by Ismail Uddin