Yokohama Tire Corp. has renewed its sponsorship program with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.

Yokohama’s NFL sponsorship kicks-off with its “Home Team Pride” program, which runs from Sept. 26 to Nov. 6, when consumers can receive a free official replica Cowboys, Broncos or Raven jersey with the purchase of four Yokohama tires from participating local dealers.

Shawn Denlein, Yokohama director of consumer tire sales, said: “As in the past, we expect the program to be a touchdown for our dealers in terms of increasing store traffic and spurring sales.”

The one-year NFL promotional agreements with each team includes Yokohama-branded signage at the teams’ stadiums; pre-game, post-game and in-game spots on their flagship radio stations; in-stadium displays and in-game announcements on the public address system and on LED boards.

“Football is one of the most popular sports in America,” said Denlein, “and we have great success every time elevating brand awareness for Yokohama through our partnerships with the various teams. The response we received last year from the Cowboys, Broncos and Ravens fans was tremendous and we look forward to another winning year.”

Yokohama’s 2011 sports sponsorship programs also include Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies and the National Basketball Association’s Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.

ed helvetica, ampoule sans-serif;”>For four consecutive years, prostate Qatar Petroleum will be the sponsor of the Qatar Arabian World Cup to be held at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on October 2 during the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend.

Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (REC) and Qatar Petroleum signed a sponsorship agreement for this prestigious Pure Arabian horse race.

Qatar Arabian World Cup is a Group I race worth Euros 500,000 ($673,658) and will be run over a distance of 2,000 metres on the same day as the historic Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

REC Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani and Qatar Petroleum’s Manager of Public Relations and Communication, Sultan Abdulla Ali al-Abdulla signed the agreement.

“I would like to thank Qatar Petroleum for sponsoring this prestigious race on October 2. Qatar Petroleum is always supporting REC and especially Arabian horses. This is the fourth year that they are supporting Qatar Arabian World Cup. It is a global promotion for Qatar Petroleum at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris,” said Sheikh Mohammed during the press conference.

Sultan Abdulla Ali al-Abdulla said that Qatar Petroleum was associated with REC from 2001 and it was part of their social responsibility to sponsor this prestigious international event.

“This is our fourth year that we are sponsoring this prestigious race. However, we have been associated with REC’s races in Doha since 2001. This international event is an important one for us. Qatar Petroleum is considered one of the top oil and gas companies in the world. However, this sponsorship is part of our social responsibility. And horses are part of Qatar’s heritage,” Sultan Abdulla said.

In the last two editions, Umm Qarn Farms’ General did Qatar proud. In the first year, Lahib and Qatari challenger Nil Blanc fought out a thrilling race where the former emerged triumphant by a short-head margin.

Sultan Abdulla hoped this year also the race would be contested well and it would be a proud moment for the winner. “Hopefully this year too we will see good contest. The winner will be proud to take home this trophy and there are good Qatari horses also in the fray.”

Sami Jassim al-Boenain, REC General Manager said: “So far Qatari horses are doing very well in Europe. However, there are other horses which are also good. The race will be exciting this year. Last two editions we saw Al Dahma and General doing exceptionally well and this time we also have Jaafer which is a good sign for Qatar. We are all looking forward to an exciting and beautiful race on October 2,” said Sami Jassim.

Chelsea FC have secured a three-year deal with the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), to promote the island to audiences across North America, the Caribbean and the UK.

The Barclays Premier League club will also look to explore rolling out specific community football coaching programmes on the island and in the UK through its charity, the Chelsea Foundation. 

Ron Gourlay, Chelsea chief executive. said:  “This is a great opportunity for us, using our excellent and award-winning CSR programmes, to engage with fans in the Caribbean who have a real passion for Chelsea and the Premier League.”

Petra Roach, BTA’s vice-president of sales and marketing for the UK, added: “This partnership is much more than getting our Barbados message out to Chelsea fans on matchday. We want to harness the charitable spirit of the club and work together on some exciting community projects both in Barbados and the UK. Barbados and Chelsea have a natural synergy as we both strive to be the best in our respective fields. It fits perfectly with our theme for 2012, The Year of Sport; from grass roots to world class, and we are building upon Barbados’ already strong reputation for sporting events and activities.”

In other Chelsea news, the head of marketing Ben Wells has stepped down and former Diageo global category director Steve Cumming has joined the club as head of sponsorship for Europe, USA and South America to help to convert Chelsea’s growing global fanbase into revenue.

Cumming in part will replace some of Wells’s duties as Wells was also in charge of sponsorship during his six year tenure at the club. The head of marketing role will cease to exist under the new structure.

Chelsea has also appointed Adrian New as Chelsea’s managing director for Asia Pacific, another new role at the club.

New will implement Chelsea’s brand and commercial strategy, building on its already existing presence in the region, which was highlighted by its “Here to Play, Here to Stay” pre-season tour in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Prior to joining Chelsea, New was senior vice president of the World Sport Group, responsible for all sponsorship sales revenue across the company and helping to build properties such as the Barclays Singapore Open and the OneAsia golf tournament.

Under Armour, discount the Baltimore based leader in sports performance apparel, prescription footwear and accessories, announced a partnership with professional lacrosse player Grant Catalino, who will be a featured athlete for Under Armour’s new hard goods lacrosse equipment and appear across various marketing platforms.

Catalino most recently played as an attackman with the Rochester Knight Hawks, where he set a new Major League Lacrosse single-season record for two-point goals by a rookie and became only the fifth player in MLL history to score nine goals in a single game. Prior to his professional career, Catalino was a three-time All-American at the University of Maryland. During his college tenure, he led the Terrapins to three straight NCAA quarterfinal appearances and their first NCAA title game since 1998. Catalino is among the all-time leaders in school history in points (10th) and goals (7th).

Matt Mirchin, Under Armour Senior Vice President of Global Sports Marketing, said: “Grant fully embraces his role not only as one of the nation’s best attackmen, but also as a role model, which makes him stand out and a natural fit for Under Armour. An emphasis on training and leadership to the next generation of athletes is paramount to our Brand. Grant has clearly demonstrated he shares these values through his mentorship of younger teammates and his performance on the field.”

Catalino joins a roster of elite athletes who have signed with Under Armour, including three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps, among others.

“As a Terp, I’ve always felt like I was a part of the Under Armour family, so to officially join the Under Armour team is a tremendous honor,” said Catalino. “Playing for Maryland, we wore Under Armour night and day for practices, games and training and I can say from experience that there is no other brand I trust more to help me perform at my best and no other brand I would be more proud to partner with.”

Catalino’s plans for the future include participating in the upcoming National Lacrosse League Entry Draft on September 21, and running his newfound business, Harvest Lacrosse, a lacrosse camp for student-athletes in Rochester, New York.

British Cycling Star Mark Cavendish has joined Wasserman Media Group following his successful season in the Tour de France and recent Tour of Britain.

buy helvetica, ambulance sans-serif;”>Cavendish is considered one of the fastest sprint cyclists in the world and has won a total of 20 Tour de France stages so far in his career – and joins the likes of Alan Shearer, price Michael Owen, Jack Wilshere, Steven Gerrard and Amir Khan as part of the Wasserman athlete representation division.

The agency will be exclusively responsible for developing his commercial & PR opportunities ahead of London 2012 and beyond.  

Cavendish said: “I’m really excited to be joining Wasserman. Their client list is the best in the world and being part of a company who has a history of successfully managing top athletes can only be beneficial in what is a big few years for me.

“It’s extremely important to have the right management behind me now to allow me to focus all of my energies into riding my bike as fast as I can.”

Wasserman senior vice president Simon Bayliff, who becomes Cavendish’s new representative, commented: “Mark is one of the world’s top sportsmen and we’re looking forward to helping him to realise his ambitions and achieve his goals in this key phase of his career. He’s an exceptional talent and his successes to date simply underlie his potential to become one of the greatest cyclists of all time.” ??

Sam Rush, International chief operating officer for Wasserman, added: “We’re thrilled to be able to welcome Mark to Wasserman and absolutely delighted to have him on board. He is at the very top of his sport and joins what is already an elite client base at the company. We’re extremely confident that he’ll be able to realise his huge potential here at Wasserman.”

Ralph Lauren have announced it has signed a five-year partnership with The R&A to become an Official Patron of The British Open Championship through July 31, link 2016.

As part of the agreement, adiposity Ralph Lauren will outfit all officials and staff members at The Open Championship. The Company will provide a complete selection of RLX Golf and Polo Golf apparel for men and women as well as an assortment of Ralph Lauren Childrenswear in the on-site retail pavilion area. In addition, cough Ralph Lauren will create a dedicated Polo Golf men’s collection celebrating the Royal Lytham & St. Annes 2012 Open Championship.

Played annually since 1860 on British links golf courses, The Open Championship is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. The only major held outside the United States, The Open Championship is administered by The R&A—the governing body of world golf outside the US with national affiliates in 126 countries around the globe.

Ralph Lauren’s patronage of The Open Championship reinforces the brand’s dedication to golf as well as its leadership in major global sporting initiatives. In addition to this partnership, the Company also serves as the Official Outfitter for the United States Golf Association, the Official Apparel Sponsor of the US Open Tennis Championships and the Official Outfitter of the Wimbledon Championships, and will be the proud Outfitter for the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Ralph Lauren also sponsors the Blackwatch Polo Team as well as an elite roster of professional golfers such as Luke Donald, Tom Watson, Davis Love III, Jonathan Byrd, Matteo Manassero, Webb Simpson and Morgan Pressel.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) named Columbia as the official outerwear provider to the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team in a partnership that will extend through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

The relationship will provide Columbia with a global marketing platform for its trademarked Omni-Heat technology as well as a research and development outlet. A key element for Columbia is garnering insight on its products from athletes and coaches, which will help develop and hone the winter line every season. A team of over 40 world-class U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes will be wearing Columbia clothing in diverse and challenging situations where clothing performance clearly impacts athletic performance.

Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and chief executive officer, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to join forces with the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. The caliber of the athletes and their creativity and innovation on the slopes make this a perfect fit for our brand. Team feedback will also help us build better performing products. It’s a win for the USSA and Columbia, and also for our customers.”

Under the terms of the partnership, Columbia will be the exclusive official supplier for outerwear, baselayer and hats for moguls and aerials athletes of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team has a best in the world legacy, bringing the Columbia brand to International Ski Federation World Cup competitions across a dozen nations from December through March each year.

Andrew Judelson, USSA Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer, commented: “Columbia Sportswear is such a highly regarded brand that it immediately resonated with our athletes and in addition to providing performance to our athletes, Columbia will be able to benefit from integration in our growing consumer merchandising outreach.”

In addition to outfitting the USSA athletes, network broadcast commentators from NBC Sports and Versus (NBC Sports Network) will wear Columbia jackets during national television broadcasts of freestyle events.

A cornerstone of the partnership is integration of Columbia into the U.S. Ski Team’s consumer merchandising program. As a part of the USSA’s “Own the Gear the Athletes Wear” initiative, authentic Team product will be available to fans for the first time ever. The Team’s eCommerce platform, powered by TeamFanShop, will launch going into the coming 2011-12 season. The USSA will also support Columbia’s high-level retail partners through in-store promotional activities.

The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team will open its season in early December in Europe. Columbia will be prominently integrated into the Team’s primary competitions in America including the Jan. 20-22 Freestyle World Cup in the Olympic village of Lake Placid, NY and the Feb. 2-4 Visa Freestyle International World Cup on the 2002 Olympic venue at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah.

malady helvetica, medicine sans-serif;”>The Buffalo Bills have secured a new partnership with Johnsonville Sausage, ambulance | the number one national brand of brats, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links.

As part of the agreement, Johnsonville Sausage will be the preferred sausage of the Buffalo Bills.  They will have their product available for Bills fans at select Ralph Wilson Stadium concessions areas, and will also have activation at the Bills Shredd & Ragan Tailgate Party on game days.

In addition, Johnsonville Sausage will receive website and game program advertising, and concession stand branding opportunities.

Bruce Popko, Buffalo Bills senior vice president of business development, said: “Johnsonville is nationally recognized for their Italian sausage and the Bills look forward to introducing their “Big Flavor” to our fans. Bills fans are the best tailgaters in all of sports, and Johnsonville sausages are the perfect item to add to the team’s menu on game day.”

Steve Strom, Johnsonville Sausage business manager, said: “We’re extremely excited to partner with the Buffalo Bills and have our Italian sausage proudly served at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This partnership will allow us to showcase our legendary sausages to a legion of new customers throughout the Western New York area.”

ampoule helvetica, medic sans-serif;”>E & J Brandy, treat award-winning brandy in America, announced their partnership with the Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball club.

Gerard Thoukis, Director of Marketing for E & J Brandy, said: “The partnership we have formed with the Chicago White Sox fits like a hand in a glove because of our common belief that everything we do is for the fans.”

E & J Brandy and the Chicago White Sox both have a rich tradition of working hard to provide their consumers and fans hope to continue their commitment to quality far into the future through their new partnership.

Brooks Boyer, White Sox Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said: “We are pleased to announce our partnership with E & J Brandy. E & J Brandy reflects the values of the Chicago White Sox when it comes to treating our fans with the best product possible, and we look forward to working closely with them to provide a quality experience for seasons to come.”

The announcement of E & J Brandy’s partnership with the White Sox coincides with the announcements of marketing sponsorship agreements between E & J Brandy and a number of other professional sports franchises across the United States.