Sponsors began to roll out their own responses to President Trump’s recent condemnation of NFL players kneeling during the anthem. Monday say Nike release a statement to the media, writing “Nike supports athletes and their right to freedom of expression on issues that are of great importance to our society.” Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. said that “We respect individuals’ rights to express their views, even if they are not ones we share,” Ford said in an emailed statement, per Bloomberg. “That’s part of what makes America great.”
Today, espnW announced its roster of sponsors for the eighth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit presented by Toyota running Oct 2-4. Toyota returns as the presenting sponsor, along with Gatorade, Wells Fargo, Procter & Gamble, and The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Toyota will announce the fifth class of “Everyday Heroes,” while Gatorade returns as the official sports fuel sponsor and will moderate an Impact Work Session on keeping girls in sports. Official financial sponsor Wells Fargo returns to host Executive Office Hours, a program in which attendees will be able to interact one-on-one with more than 20 senior executives from a variety of companies and industries, offer their plush ponies in the gifting suite and offer guests the opportunity to take professional headshot photographs. Procter & Gamble also returns as an Executive Power Talk sponsor with unique social integrations tied to its brands, Secret deodorant and Always.
Minor League Baseball reports that a total of 41,832,364 fans passed through the gates of its games this year, marking the fifth-highest attendance total in the history of the organization. Overall attendance grew 1.1% over 2016 and average attendance rising 2.4% over last season.
The United Soccer Leagues named SCG Fields as the Official Field Builder of organization. SCG will be an official supplier for all related properties, including the United Soccer League USL’s Division III, the Premier Development League (PDL) and the Super Y League. In addition, SCG will have a presence at the USL’s annual Winter Summit in December.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation renewed its partnership with SAFEJAWZ by Protective Sportswear Ltd. in an exclusive 3-year deal. “We are pleased to build on the success of our partnership with SAFEJAWZ over the last year and to move forward with their support through the remainder of 2017 and into 2018, 2019 and 2020,” said IMMAF President Kerrith Brown. “SAFEJAWZ has supported grassroots MMA from its earliest days, through sponsorship and through covering athletes’ medical expenses. Directors George Dyer and Ewan Jones share IMMAF’s values in promoting safety in MMA and through their active participation in the MMA community in the interests of promoting sport development.”
PGATOUR.com announced the release of “Captain’s Pick,” a fantasy game offering fans a new way to take on friends and play along with the teams during the Presidents Cup from Sept. 28-Oct. 1. Fans will receive five points for selecting the winning team, along with points for every win or tie for the players chosen each day. A win is worth one point plus the margin of victory, and a tie is worth .5 points. “We are excited to debut the Presidents Cup Captain’s Pick fantasy game for all the fans following the action at Liberty National Golf Club,” said Scott Gutterman, PGA TOUR Vice President of Digital Operations. “This Presidents Cup is expected to reach a record number of fans through our digital outlets and this is a great way for them to become more engaged.”
Allied Esports is tapping Premier Partnerships as the official sponsorship agency of record for Esports Arena Las Vegas at Luxor Hotel and Casino, scheduled to open in early 2018. “Esports Arena Las Vegas presents an unparalleled opportunity for multiple brands to get in on the ground floor of what we expect to be the global destination for championship esports events,” said Jud Hannigan, CEO of Allied Esports International. “Premier Partnerships has the relationships and the experience to bring this first-of-its-kind platform to market and find partners that understand the unique vision we have set forward.”
Hi-Rez Studios is hitting the Fall with a new reality show titled The Caster. The series features a lineup of talented esports personalities competing to demonstrate their abilities in the world of esports commentary. The global game developer and publisher filmed the series at its Atlanta studios. Across eight episodes, contenders vie for a $10,000 cash prize and an invitation to cast during the Hi-Rez Expo from Jan. 4-7.
Konami Digital Entertainment will make the PES League World Tour 2018 as the official UEFA Champions League esports event, per Esports Pro. “We look forward to this season’s PES eSports events and the opportunity it provides for gamers and viewers to further engage with the UEFA Champions League brand,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA Marketing Director.
Casino Scouts and UMG Media Corp. entered a partnership that makes UMG the exclusive provider for all of Casino Scouts’ client esports tournament needs. “The convergence of esports and casinos is a reality,” said Stephen Crystal, CEO of Casino Scouts. “Casinos want to offer content that appeals to the future generation of players, and will be consumed in the casino setting. UMG offers, by far, the best content and technology solution on the market today for esports.”
Cubs/Cardinals on ESPN at 8p.
