The NHL on Thursday announced that it has renewed its North American sponsorship with BlackBerry, which will continue to support media platforms such as NHL Network, NHL.com, and league broadcast partners. Much of BlackBerry's activation will be allocated around the April 3 trade deadline, including sponsorship of NHL Network's Trade Deadline show and trade deadline editorial content on NHL.com. Also, the NHL GameCenter app will be available on the new BlackBerry 10 platform (NHL).
NICE THREADS: Nike Creative Dir Todd Van Horne appeared on NFL Network Thursday to discuss the new NFL uniforms that debuted this season. NFL Net’s Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, who played in the league from '03-08, said Nike “has a fascinating jersey line.” Gbaja-Biamila: "I just remember the jerseys being tight and hard to move, but this stuff looks really flexible.” Van Horne said about "40 years of innovation” is in the new uniform. The jersey “flexes and moves with your body but still has that streamlined fit.” Van Horne: “The whole uniform world is an integrative system, so it’s designed inside-out to give you that protection where you need but you still have that range of motion” (NFL Network, 1/31).
PARTY ROCKING: RedFoo, a member of the musical group LMFAO and the current boyfriend of top-ranked tennis player Victoria Azarenka, said of his interest in the tennis industry, "I like the clothing aspect, because whatever I do, I want to make my own clothes, so that’s how that started. Doing a tennis line would be really fun. But my main focus is the music and entertaining" (ESPN.com, 1/31).
IT'S SHOWTIME: The Lakers have agreed to a partnership with Hublot which makes the Swiss luxury watch brand the official timekeeper of the NBA team (Lakers).
