The National Hockey League, the National Hockey League Players’ Association and the Hockey Hall of Fame have renewed a partnership with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and Bridgestone Canada, in which the Bridgestone brand will serve as the “Official Tire of the NHL, NHLPA and the Hockey Hall of Fame,” for the next five years.
As part of the agreement, Bridgestone will return as the title sponsor of the award-winning outdoor game, the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. The event, which is typically the NHL’s most-watched regular-season game, takes place on New Year’s Day.
“This has been a great partnership to position the Bridgestone brand with a premier sports league with a large and very loyal fan base,” said John Baratta, president of the U.S. and Canada consumer replacement tire sales division, BATO. “By continuing our partnership with the NHL, the NHLPA and the Hockey Hall of Fame we will continue to connect hockey fans across the world with our message: for drivers who want to get the most out of their cars, it’s Bridgestone or nothing.”
As the title partner for the Winter Classic, Bridgestone’s logo will be incorporated into the official game and event mark. Also included are on-air title broadcast rights from all of the league’s broadcast partners (NBC, CBC and RDS); branded promotion in NBC programming; camera-visible dasherboard placements of the Bridgestone logo; in-arena video spots and PA announcements; and integration of the Bridgestone brand throughout all NHL media properties – including video, print, online and radio.
The NHL will grant Bridgestone rights to the league’s trademarks and provide numerous promotional opportunities throughout the NHL season and beyond, including: the NHL Face-Off, Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Draft, NHL Awards and the NHL All-Star game. The deal also provides Bridgestone with the use of NHL Player rights and images.
The Bridgestone brand also will leverage its status as the exclusive tire of the NHL and NHLPA by supporting the League’s media properties including NHL.com and NHL Network, various NHL clubs and by advertising on NHL telecasts in Canada and the U.S.
In addition, this sponsorship includes the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award Presented by Bridgestone, which recognizes the NHL player who has demonstrated superior leadership in hockey and has made positive contributions to society, and the Bridgestone Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award, which rewards youth hockey players or mentor/coaches for their contributions to youth sports or education.
