Marriott International have announced it has signed a multi-year deal making it the exclusive lodging category sponsor of the NFL, allergist led by its Courtyard by Marriott brand becoming the “Official Hotel Sponsor of the NFL.”

The deal extends an alliance between Marriott and the NFL. Courtyard has a four-year agreement with NFL Network, NFL.com and NFL Mobile from Verizon, which will continue throughout the new partnership. 

The agreement includes marketing, promotions and other activation, such as the “creation of memorable experiences for loyal Marriott Rewards members tied to coveted events which could include among others the Super Bowl.”

Marriott said that additional NFL activation opportunities will encompass Canada and the United Kingdom, where Marriott brands will be the “preferred choice for the NFL’s business travel and meetings.”

Brian King, senior vice president of select service and extended stay brand management for Marriott International, said: “This is the marriage of two powerhouse brands. Our Courtyard customer loves sports and we are excited to offer them access to one of the world’s most powerful professional sports brands.”

Keith Turner, senior vice president of sponsorship and media sales for the NFL, added: “We are pleased to welcome Marriott International to our roster of NFL sponsors. We look forward to working with Courtyard and the Marriott portfolio to bring our fans and their customers closer to our game in unique ways.”

generic helvetica, stomach sans-serif;”>The Macau Open has marked its return to the Asian Tour by bringing with it a significant set of corporate sponsors pledging their commitment towards the event.

The full-field Asian Tour event, which was last staged in 2009, is enjoying its revival after a year’s lapse with a record prize purse of $ 750,000 this year. 

The Macau Sport Development Board (MSDB) has again given their support to the event with Cityneon, a leading provider for event and exhibition services in Asia and Middle East, taking on the position of Presenting Sponsor for the Macau Open 2011. Cityneon’s interest in sports stems from its expertise in the provision of event infrastructure for numerous international sporting events in the region.

Other notable sponsors of the Macau Open include Rolex (Official Timepiece), Distell (Official Wine & Cognac), Turbo Jet (Official Transport Partner), CTM (Official Telecom Partner), Westin (Official Hotel) and Srixon (Official Ball and Equipment).

The Macau Open has been a regular fixture on the Asian Tour calendar and has regularly attracted some of the world’s best players. The tournament has been won by many world stars, including Lee Westwood of England (1999) and Colin Montgomerie of Scotland (2003). 

The Macau Open will be beamed live on the Asian Tour’s television platform of over 200 nations and 800 million homes during the weekend rounds. It will be staged at Macau Golf and Country Club from 15 to 18 September.

medstore helvetica, viagra sans-serif;”>UK Tennis Brand Mantis has been chosen as the Official Tennis Ball and Racket Partner for the AEGON Masters Tennis Tournament in only their first full year in the market.

ask helvetica, sans-serif;”>As part of a multi-year deal, Mantis Tour Tennis Balls will be used exclusively throughout the tournament which is the season-finale to the ATP Champions Tour, and features a number of the game’s most famous players and past Grand Slam Champions.

Martin Aldridge, founder of Mantis Sport International, said: “The AEGON Masters is a major highlight of the tennis calendar in the UK and we are delighted our balls will be at the heart of the tournament. The Mantis Tour, which was only released this year, has been extremely well received and we are all looking forward to watching the legends of our game playing with them at the Royal Albert Hall.

“Despite being a relatively new brand to the tennis market we have very quickly established ourselves internationally and have had a fantastic response to all our products. Our philosophy at Mantis is to deliver exceptional quality products at vastly superior prices and the Aegon Masters will be a great arena for us to showcase all of our product range from rackets to balls, grips to bags and really engage with the tennis public.”

Charlie Grave, Head of Tennis Sponsorship at IMG UK, said; “All professionals, whatever sport, want to play with the best equipment available and the tennis stars at the Aegon Masters are no different. Choosing the right tennis ball partner is a vital component of any tournament and we are delighted to have Mantis supplying the balls for this year’s showpiece. We look forward to working closely with them over the next few years.”

The tournament takes place at the Royal Albert Hall from Wednesday 30^th November to Sunday 4^th December.

Aston Villa Football Club and Electronic Arts Inc have announced the launch of their new two year partnership, with EA SPORTS™ becoming the Club’s Official Video Game Partner.

EA Sports will launch FIFA 12, on Friday September 30.

EA Sports is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences.

Throughout the season, Aston Villa and EA Sports will be hosting various club events and experiences.

EA SPORTS will be designing an Aston Villa-specific FIFA 12 game sleeve featuring three star players, which fans will be able to download for free from the Club website around the launch of FIFA 12.

Content will be produced in the lead-up to key matches, which will be featured on the website and social media channels.

EA Sports will also produce selected FIFA 12 match simulations and stylised video edits featuring Villa players, and will be calling out to fans to play FIFA 12 and score goals for their Club against the opposition teams.

A purpose-built EA Sports gaming trailer will attend selected match days over the course of the season at Villa Park, so fans can try out the FIFA 12 and challenge their friends and family.

Plus there will be a Pro Player Tournament at the training ground to determine which Aston Villa player is the best FIFA 12 gamer.

EA Sports creative will also be visible via the club’s LED perimeter board system at home matches. Nick Harford, Fooball Business Lead at EA Sports said: “We are very excited about our new partnership with Aston Villa and very much look forward to providing FIFA gaming experiences for both fans at Villa Park and players at the Bodymoor Heath training ground.”

Aston Villa’s Chief Executive, Paul Faulkner said: “We are delighted to partner with EA Sports for the next two seasons. EA Sports leads the way in terms of sporting games, especially football, and I’m sure many of our fans will have played and enjoyed its FIFA games.

“I have no doubt that the partnership will be mutually beneficial and we look forward to successful seasons working together.”

This comes weeks after EA Sports secured a similar deal with Fulham. To see this news click here.

The National Football league (NFL) and PepsiCo Inc. are set to announce a 10-year, extension of their sponsorship deal that ultimately could be valued at $2.3 billion through the 2022 playoffs, making it one of the largest sponsorship deals in history of U.S. sports.

The deal ensures that PepsiCo brands Pepsi, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, Tropicana and Quaker Oats will be official marketing partners of the league at a cost of nearly $100 million a year. It also maintains Gatorade’s constant cooler presence on NFL sidelines.

The sports drink is one of only two brands other than actual on-field equipment that are integrated into NFL games. (Motorola, which provides the headsets used by the league’s coaches, is the other).

A person close to the deal said in addition to the national rights fee, PepsiCo could spend an estimated $1.3 billion on marketing and other NFL-related spending during the agreement. A spokesman for PepsiCo said the company doesn’t disclose its marketing budgets.

The deal, combined with several other sponsorship agreements, as well as projections for ticket sales and television ratings, suggests the NFL’s business has regained its usual healthy forecast, after several NFL executives last year expressed concern that the labor strike could besmirch the league’s good name.

Jennifer Storms, senior vice president for global sports marketing for PepsiCo, said securing the NFL extension was an important goal, with the current deal set to expire at season’s end.

The current deal between the NFL and PepsiCo dates to a five-year agreement reached in 2002 and extended for five more years in 2004.

“We’ve had a long history together and our shared values are so important,” Ms. Storms said. She pointed to the mass audience for the Super Bowl and the widespread impact the company’s ads received from the publicity surrounding the championship game.

Brian Rolapp, chief operating officer for NFL Media, said the PepsiCo deal would have been tough to pull off had the lockout not ended.

“It’s certainly an enabling factor for a deal like the Pepsi one when you know you are going to have labor peace for such a long, long time,” he said.

The recent collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players runs through the 2020 season.

Nuffield Health have become first time sponsors as they are now the healthcare provider for Harlequins Rugby Club.

The agreement will see Nuffield Health working closely with the playing department in providing advice to Harlequins on matters such as rehabilitation and injury prevention.  

As the club’s latest official sponsor, erectile Nuffield will also receive branding on the back of the club’s new playing shirts and advertising at The Twickenham Stoop, pills the club’s home ground.  

Nuffield Health, discount the largest not-for-profit independent provider of healthcare in the UK, has developed a range of initiatives to engage with Harlequins’ supporters through a number of match day activities.    

David Grint, group marketing director, said: “We are very excited to be working with the Harlequins this season. We know that to perform at the highest level players need to be aware of their health and fitness requirements. We are confident that our expertise across the health spectrum will help ensure that players and supporters are at the very top of their game’.

Harlequins CEO David Ellis added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Nuffield Health as  Official Health Sponsor of Harlequins. As experts in their field, I’m excited that they are involved with Quins and I look forward to their assistance in building on the success of the club in recent years

RadioShack and Nissan have teamed up to sponsor the Leopard Trek WorldTour team for the 2012 and 2013 season.

Leopard will continue to hold its existing UCI WorldTour License and the team will be re-branded as RadioShack-Nissan-Trek Professional Cycling Team as of next year.

Flavio Becca, Team Leopard owner, said: “As we stated in January, 2011 would be our apprentice-year. We intend to improve upon our results. In modern cycling you cannot move forward without strong sponsors.

“It is in this respect that today is a further milestone in the development of this exciting young project, which has gained the trust of two well-established players in the world of professional cycling. I continue to believe in the bright future of our athletes and have high expectations for the performance of this team. This is a major strategic move for all partners involved.”

RadioShack confirmed that the team will hold a license in with all marketing operations coming out of Austin, Texas by CSE Pro Cycling LLC, with all sporting operations managed by Johan Bruyneel Sports Management in both Belgium and Luxembourg.

Bruyneel, said: “With our sponsors’ continuing commitment and the professionalism of our riders, I’m confident that RadioShack-Nissan-Trek will dominate cycling for years to come. With Team RadioShack, we won 30 races and dominated the most important American races in 2011.

“Now thanks to the presence of riders like Fabian Cancellara and the Schleck brothers, we have the potential to win not only Classics and major stage races but Grand Tours as well. We will form a team of 30 riders, in regulation with the UCI rules. All contracts with riders and staff that are already signed with Team Leopard-Trek or Team RadioShack will be respected. We are grateful our sponsors believe in this project. This is a great milestone for our team and our global sport.”

RadioShack’s will also continue their arrangement with Lance Armstrong’s cancer charity Livestrong.

UPS have secured their fourth ambassador for London 2012 in the form of Great Britain gymnast Louis Smith, Olympic silver medallist.

Smith, who became the first British gymnast for a century to win an Olympic medal when he finished second on the pommel horse at Beijing in 2008, joins Ben Ainslie, Denise Lewis and Steve Rider as ambassadors for UPS, a Tier One London 2012 sponsor.

The 22-year-old from Peterborough celebrated his new relationship by visiting UPS’s 2012 Logistics Centre in Tilbury, where he saw a logistic milestone of  UPS reaching its 250,000th item for the Games by the UPS operational team following the completion of first-round testing.

Last month, UPS successfully managed the logistics for two test events at the BMX track and Basketball Arena, both situated at the Olympic Park, which concluded an intense schedule of eight London Prepares events over 15 days.

This followed similar operational testing at other key London 2012 venues this summer, including equestrian and modern pentathlon events at Greenwich Park, the sailing regatta at Weymouth and Portland and mountain biking at Hadleigh Farm in Essex.

The events, organised as the first cluster of the London Prepares series, enabled UPS to test and observe the most crucial logistical processes that will operate at every stage of competition during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – from initial venue delivery and installation, to transition between different sports and events through to final venue breakdown.

Smith siad: “It has been a fantastic experience to visit UPS’s London 2012 Logistics Centre and see the hard work that has taken place over the last couple of months, testing the logistics set-up that will make each sport possible come competition time. It’s great to see that it is not just athletes like myself who have spent the summer busily preparing for London 2012.”

Narain Kathikeyan, India’s first F1 driver has been given the go ahead to drive for the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix after two-wheeler giant Hero Group agreed a sponsorship deal for him and the team.

The sponsorship is coming through the group’s auto-part manufacturing subsidiary Hero Motors and both Kathikeyan and the HRT car will bear a Hero Motors logo during the race.

Hero Motors is the third Indian company after Tata Motors and Base Batteries to associate with HRT Cosworth, which is still to register a point on the F1 table. HRT is lying at 11th spot on constructors standings just above Virgin Cosworth, which is the at the bottom of the table.

Hero Motors MD Pankaj Munjal, who signed the agreement with the Chennai-based driver at a media briefing, made the point that the deal is restricted to just the Indian GP, scheduled for 28-30 October.

While no details on the financials were offered, except for Munjal to remark that F1 is “a very expensive sport”, it is said to be worth upwards of $100,000.

Commenting on the association, Munjal said that F1 reaches more than 500 million viewers globally and will give Hero Motors a global spread.

“Hero Motors is committed to be amongst the first Indian corporate houses to compete in the Indian Grand Prix and we are indeed very proud to be associated with Narain Karthikeyan and Hispania Racing Team,” Munjal said.

“The alliance with the HRT will provide a unique platform for the group to communicate its extensive of competencies to a global audience. The association with Narain Karthikeyan and HRT team has a lot of synergies in our core values for which we are known for and truly reflects our commitment towards excellence, speed, growth & innovation.

“We operate in global markets as a truly home grown global corporate house and it gives us immense pleasure to endorse Narain Karthikeyan who is also the first Indian F1 driver who has made his presence felt at an early age of 19 years.”

Washington Capitals Ice Hockey star Alex Ovechkin has signed a long-term endorsement deal with Nike.

IMG agent, pills David Abrutyn, sale confirmed the details after Ovechkin’s previous endorsement deal with CCM expired earlier this week.

“I can confirm that Alex has signed a long-term global partnership with Nike,” Abrutyn said. “Alex is going to be supporting all of the products that Nike makes — apparel, footwear, performance apparel, casual wear, accessories and other elements of the Nike family of products. So he will be wearing their performance product when he’s playing and practicing, when he’s training and in his lifestyle.”

“From a lifestyle standpoint,” Abrutyn added, “everybody knows that Ovi has a unique fashion sense.”

It is also not clear the length of Ovechkin’s contract with Nike, nor it’s worth.

“All I can tell you is it’s a long-term deal,” Abrutyn said. “People who know Alex know that he likes to do things over a long period of time.”

Abrutyn did seem to indicate that the deal will run at least through the Sochi Games in Ovechkin’s native Russia in 2014, and perhaps longer.

Ovechkin isn’t the only hockey player endorsing Nike. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos also has a deal with the iconic shoe company.

“For those that are familiar with Nike, they’ve obviously supported many of the greatest champions in the history of sport,” Abrutyn said. “Whether it’s Jordan or Jeter or Sampras or Federer or Sharapova. The list goes on and on and on.”