Bridgestone Back On Board As Title Sponsor Of Winter Classic

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

NHL sponsor Bridgestone has signed on as the title sponsor of the Flyers-Bruins '10 Winter Classic game at Fenway Park. Under terms of the one-year deal, which is valued in the low seven figures, the event will be known as the 2010 Bridgestone Winter Classic, and Bridgestone will be referenced in all NBC and NHL promotional spots for the January 1 game. Bridgestone will receive an in-ice position during the game as part of the package. The tire company also will purchase six 30-second spots on NBC during the Winter Classic broadcast. Bridgestone, which signed on as title sponsor of the '09 Winter Classic a month before the event, had first right to negotiate for the '10 event. Though the company signed on late as last year's title sponsor, Bridgestone America VP/Consumer Marketing Phil Pasci said it saw "a lot of uptick in exposure" and felt signing a title deal earlier for the '10 event was important. Pasci: "As we entered our deal with the National Hockey League (in 2007), our main objective was to focus on high impact properties to help increase the awareness of the Bridgestone brand. Obviously, they have the All-Star Game and the Stanley Cup, but the one venue that really stands out as the crown jewel of the league is the Winter Classic." NHL Senior VP/Corporate Sales & Marketing Keith Wachtel said last year's pre-promotions for the Winter Classic on NBC delivered Bridgestone 50 gross ratings points. Wachtel: "Last year, we were able to over deliver." Bridgestone's league sponsorship expires after the '09-10 season, and Wachtel said the league sees the company's Winter Classic entitlement as the "linchpin" in future negotiations.

FUTURE ENTITLEMENT PART OF PACKAGE: The NHL will sell the entitlement of the '11 Winter Classic as part of a package that includes a league sponsorship. Wachtel: "We are at a place now where there's enough credibility and equity in this property that we're looking for a long-term partnership." The NHL and Bridgestone finalized the '10 Winter Classic sponsorship in May. Wachtel expects the league to sell out the event's other inventory in the coming months. The '09 Winter Classic, in which the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field, earned a 2.5 rating on NBC.