MusclePharm Corporation, an expanding U.S. nutritional supplement company, has agreed a one-year sponsorship deal with NFL superstar and sports social media trendsetter Chad Ochocinco.

Currently a wide receiver for the New England Patriots, Ochocinco’s reach as a star player is among the greatest in professional sports.

A dynamic and colorful personality, Ochocinco is one of the most recognizable figures in the NFL. The six-time Pro Bowler has nearly three million Twitter followers (@Ochocinco), which ranks third among all athletes and first in the widely-popular NFL.

In addition, the outspoken Ochocinco has nearly two million Facebook fans.

By signing Ochocinco to a one-year deal, it creates even more brand exposure for the MusclePharm sports nutritional company that continues to grow and expand at an incredible rate.

Regarded as one of the top sports nutrition companies in the industry with its award-winning physique and performance product line, MusclePharm’s association with Ochocinco is considered an ideal fit as it further strengthens its social media capabilities.

MusclePharm Senior President and Co-Founder Cory Gregory, said: “This is another exciting step for MusclePharm and we are thrilled to have Chad as part of the team. With his innovative and unique personality, he fits the MusclePharm brand perfectly. Chad’s impact on social media in the NFL is enormous and I know that he can add a great amount of exposure to the MusclePharm brand through social media as well.

“Like Chad, social media allows us to stay very close to our consumers and Chad gives us instant exposure to a massive audience. I am involved on a daily basis with our consumers on a social media level and we at MusclePharm have repeatedly seen the tremendous impact it can have for business.

“With all of our social media relationships, and that now includes Chad’s huge following, we can touch an audience of more than 14 million people. That truly is remarkable and just shows how powerful social media can be. With Chad coming on board at MusclePharm, our following in the social media world will only grow and we can’t wait to see what continues to come from that.”

MetroPCS Communications, Inc. have secured a sponsorship deal with USA Basketball which makes the flat-rate, no annual contract wireless service provider the official wireless partner of USA Basketball.

In addition to serving as an official partner of the USA Basketball men’s and women’s national teams in 2012, this partnership will give fans across the country special access to their favorite USA Basketball legends through a nationwide mobile tour. Stopping in various cities across the country, the tour will introduce unique promotions to consumers and include former TeamUSA player appearances, autograph signings, games and more. Fans will also have the opportunity to receive VIP access to exhibition games in the U.S.

Tom Keys, president and COO of MetroPCS, said: “We’re tremendously excited to partner with USABasketball in the lead-up to next summer, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Dream Team. USABasketball has a expansive and rich history, and we look forward to supporting both teams’ quest to achieve success. This partnership and the corresponding tour enable us to connect with our customers and their communities with exceptional experiences that feed into their passions and lifestyles.”

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, added: “MetroPCS is an exciting wireless brand that will play an important part as our teams connect with fans next summer. As we begin our journey, MetroPCS will help bring the values of our basketball program – hard work, dedication and a commitment to excellence – to life for fans as part of this nationwide basketball tour.”

In addition to the national tour and live fan experiences, the partnership also includes courtside signage and in-game exposure during nationally televised USA Basketball men’s and women’s games, along with inclusion in USA Basketball promotional materials.

After becoming the first Indian I-League team to face English Premier League opposition, Blackburn Rovers, Pune Football Club has announced a partnership with information technology company Infosys fo promote the game in Maharashtra state’s second biggest city.

Chirag Tanna, head of operations of Pune FC, said: “It is an absolute honour to tie up with a company like Infosys. The football scenario in India has changed considerably in the past couple of years. Associations between large corporates and I-League clubs will help football become a more broad based and popular sport. We look forward to this being a long and fruitful partnership between both our companies.”

Speaking about Infosys’ foray into football, Mritunjay Singh, vice-president, Infosys, praised Pune FC for its professional approach towards playing and organising football.

“We are happy to be associated with a club – Pune FC – that has taken serious steps in being leaders to promoting the sport in the way it should be done involving the community and likewise spread the word. We as a community promote this ideology in our institution and similarly extend our hand to all those who do the same,” Singh said, adding that the Infosys would raise the sponsorship amount by 20 per cent in the second year.

Singh continued, “We did an Inter-IT tournament together early this year and are committed to host its second edition – Dribble v2.0 as well and that’s because we liked the way it was organized.”

The deal will entail that Pune FC will sport Infosys logo on the sleeve and on all common branding spots of the club.

In turn, its coaching staff will train Infosys personnel, the IT giant’s football team and whoever are serious about learning football. Also, monthly sessions will be conducted for the children of Infosys employees.

“Apart from that we will help Infosys out in various other football activities,” added Tanna.

So far, Infosys’s association with sport was with cricket, but the partnership with Pune FC began when Infosys sponsored the first Inter-IT football tournament Dribble v1.0 that was held from June to early August.

Founded in 2007, the club rose on Pune city’s football scene dramatically by qualifying for the top division I-League within two years of existence. Pune FC finished third in its inaugural year in 2009 and in 2010 it ended up 5th in the 14-team league.

 

Chrysler UK have announced a sponsorship deal with the National Football League (NFL) in the UK which will see the car manufacturer become the Official Car Sponsor of the NFL.

shop helvetica, cure sans-serif;”>Chrysler will receive a comprehensive rights package relating to the NFL’s assets and key events, including the 2011 NFL International Series and the Super Bowl.  The new agreement also includes exclusive broadcast sponsorship of Sky Sports’ live NFL coverage throughout the 2011 season.

Chrysler took over the whole of one of the ad breaks during Sky’s coverage of the International Series game to show the UK exclusive of the award winning Chrysler Super-Bowl XLV advert starring US rapper Eminem, who was born and raised in Chrysler’s hometown of Detroit.  The advert is for the all-new Chrysler 300C, which will be available in the UK in early 2012

During the weekend’s (23 October) International Series game, between the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium, Chrysler displayed an NFL/team branded Chrysler Ypsilon and Delta, and ran various incentives for NFL fans at both the pre-game Tailgate party and the NFL Fan Rally in Trafalgar Square the day before the game.  Chrysler also transported VIPs, including several NFL Legends, to and from various events over the weekend in Chrysler Grand Voyagers.

Nigel Land, Chrysler UK brand director commented: “This partnership sees two US giants join forces and take centre stage in the UK this weekend. It’s a great opportunity for us to promote the Chrysler brand through our association with the NFL, and in doing so showcase our recently launched Ypsilon supermini and Delta hatchback models. Chrysler shares similar brand values to the NFL and with both brands looking to strengthen their position in the UK, it’s a relationship we look forward to developing as the NFL season progresses.”

Speaking about the Chrysler and NFL partnership, Marc Armstrong, commercial director of NFL UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Chrysler on board as our Official Car Sponsor as we continue to expand our UK commercial programme.  We look forward to working in partnership with such an iconic American car brand on an exciting range of initiatives to target existing and new NFL fans alike, and Chrysler’s support is a great endorsement of the NFL’s continued expansion in the UK.”

Athletic apparel company, Castelli US, has partnered with Velo Club La Grange a professional cycling team to be their official team uniform and apparel outfitter.

La Grange selected Castelli after an exhaustive search for a high quality clothing brand that would best be able to meet the needs of a large cycling club that consists of a wide range of riders, from novice to semi-pro.

Under the terms of the sponsorship agreement Castelli will provide premium products for the club, its teams and key events for both on and off the bike. The team will also have access to the new San Remo Speedsuit.

Also the Velo Club La Grange logo and imagery where applicable in Castelli marketing materials and industry trade shows where commercially practical.

A key factor in the selection was Castelli’s passion for the cycling culture as a whole and its alignment with Velo Club La Grange’s vision for its future.

Velo Club La Grange is one of California’s largest and oldest cycling clubs with over 400 members. Raymond Fouquet founded the club in 1969 and today the club fields one of the top amateur racing teams in the United States. Past members include Tour de France stage winner Max Sciandri, Olympic gold medalist Steve Hegg as well as professionals Tony Cruz and Jonathan Cantwell.

sale helvetica, sans-serif;”>Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) world tour event Santos Tour Down Under (STDU) has signed on a new sponsor 2XU Compression who will be their corporate sponsor for 2012.

The renowned UCI World Tour Event, held in Adelaide every January, is the first event on the UCI tour calendar and consists of 6 stages and a prologue all in the city and surrounding regions.

As Exclusive Compression Supplier to the event, and also hosting a 2XU tent in the Tour Village, the apparel and compression specialist will gain access to the 780,000 people attending the Tour Down Under event over its 7 days.

Appliance brand Beko has started a association with the English Football League to become the official sponsor of The Football League’s Soccer Schools site.

The site was created to further market coaching courses for kids at clubs. In addition to football coaching courses, prostate the 17 participating clubs also offer multi-sport activities allowing kids to meet new friends and stay healthy in a range of ways during the holidays.

As well as encouraging kids to get active, ed Beko is also helping their parents to support them, erectile by creating a new social media programme: ‘Beko Mums United’. This is a new Facebook community for mums wanting to help their kids stay fit and healthy by enjoying sport.

The campaign, created for Beko by the sports media and marketing agency Sports Revolution, is to be spear-headed by the Sky Sports presenter, Kirsty Gallacher.

The site also offers parents the chance to win football kit for their children’s team, free places at Official Soccer Schools and up to £500 worth of Beko household appliances.  The fan page is being managed and marketed by the leading sports website publisher, Snack Media: a subsidiary of Sports Revolution.

David Malkinson, Head of Marketing, at The Football League said: “The Football League is innovating across both digital and non-digital areas of football. “OfficialSoccerSchools.co.uk is a huge step forward for clubs community engagement arms, enabling them to better market their holiday and term-time soccer and multisport activity.

“Many children make their first connection with a club through a Soccer School and we know the site will develop more fans of the future.  We are delighted that Beko is extending its support for UK football right down into the grass roots of the sport.”

BEKO has had previous experience in football in the UK after being a major advertiser in the English Premier League since 2008.

troche sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fafafa;”>Heineken has announced it will sponsor the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The brand, search which also sponsors this year’s competition, cialis first became sponsors of the tournament in 1995. The latest deal will take the brand’s spend on the competition to over 100million Euros.

The 2015 Rugby World Cup will be staged in England, and Heineken hopes the competition will aid sales in Europe, which is its strongest market.

Hans-Erik Tuijt, Heineken’s global brand activation manager said: “The event provides us with a unique opportunity to continue to share stories and further develop our relationship with the growing international rugby audience. The success of our activation, be it on TV, digital and in store during the 2011 New Zealand tournament reinforces Heineken’s decision to continue to partner with the Rugby World Cup.”

 

Papa John’s International, and Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) announced that the pizza company known for its “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” is now the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The multi-year deal expands Papa John’s official sponsorship of the NFL and the Super Bowl beyond the borders of the United States. In 2010, Papa John’s signed an agreement to be the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowls XLV, XLVI and XLVII. That deal was the largest in Papa John’s history and includes category exclusivity among delivery and carryout pizza brands.

The official sponsorship with the NFL in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom is effective immediately and includes providing Papa John’s category exclusivity and rights to use NFL and team logos and trademarks in marketing and advertising. Papa John’s also will be the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL’s International Series game played annually during the regular season in the United Kingdom.

Andrew Varga, Papa John’s chief marketing officer, said: “The National Football League is growing in these markets, and so is Papa John’s, and that makes this deal a win-win-win: for the NFL, Papa John’s and our customers. Papa John’s, our franchises and our customers in the United States have benefitted greatly from our sponsorship of the NFL, and we’re confident that expanding our official sponsor status to include Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom will score big for our brand and customers in those countries.”

Papa John’s currently franchises 53 restaurants throughout Canada, and 49 throughout Mexico, including 18 in Mexico City. Papa John’s and its franchisees currently operate 167 Papa John’s restaurants in the United Kingdom.

The NFL has steadily grown its fan base in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, including playing regular season games in each country. This Sunday (Oct. 23), Chicago and Tampa Bay play in the fifth annual International Series game at Wembley Stadium in London. Earlier this month, the NFL expanded its commitment to playing regular-season games in the United Kingdom by approving a resolution authorizing the league to schedule regular-season games in the U.K. in each of the next five years (2012-2016), including to determine the number of games per season, the venues, and the competing teams.

In addition to being the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, Papa John’s is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.

Tire Supplier Continental AG announced that it will be an exclusive partner and Official Sponsor for UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine as well as UEFA EURO 2016 in France.

This allows Europe’s market leader in passenger tyres to take the next logical step in the very successful football as a communications platform strategy initiated in 1995. It also enables Continental to continue to play an active role in Europe‘s key sport events while at the same time laying the groundwork for the upcoming years.

Nikolai Setzer, Executive Board member for the Tire division, said: “After the great experience with UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, we intend to bolster our top market position in Europe by means of these two exclusive sponsoring agreements. Our goals remain unchanged: to increase international brand awareness of the premium Continental brand; to further intensify the emotive element in and distinctiveness of our brand image with respect to safety and braking performance; and to boost sales of premium Continental brand tyres over the long run. The image attributes – passion, precision and the kind of team spirit expressed so well especially during the world’s best football tournaments – match up perfectly with our premium brand and to the Continental company as a whole.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Marketing Director, added: “It is great to be able to welcome Continental back in the UEFA EURO sponsor family. Continental has been an active supporter of the game of football for many years. Having a global, broadly based and trusted company like Continental as a UEFA EURO 2012 and 2016 sponsor is a great asset for UEFA and we are honoured to welcome them on board. We look forward to working closely with Continental on our shared mission of making both EURO 2012 and EURO 2016 exciting and memorable events.”

The deal with UEFA will include promotional communication – with winter and summer advertising campaigns on TV, in print media and online – along-side banner advertising at all UEFA EURO matches. Moreover, exclusive use of match tickets for business partners and end consumers will offer up attractive possibilities for ticket promotions.

In the past fifteen years, Continental has used its exclusive sponsorship in international pro football to successfully set itself off from the competition. It has established a unique position for the brand image and rigorously integrated its international sponsoring activities into its relations with customers. That has really paid off: Since 2003, the premium Continental tyre brand has been able to continuously record growth rates in terms of brand awareness in the European key markets. “Needless to say, our sponsoring strategy is geared to further enhancing awareness of our brand – not just in the countries hosting the tournament. The world’s second biggest football tournament attracts a lot of attention globally; both in the strategically important growth markets in Eastern Europe, as well as in Asia and South America,” adds Setzer.