The PGA Tour has signed a multiyear deal with Tempur-Pedic that makes the specialty bedding manufacturer the official mattress, bedding and pillow sponsor of the tour.
Financial terms of the deal were not available. The agreement, which runs through 2016, was expected to be formally announced this week.
The deal marks the first national sports sponsorship for Tempur-Pedic.
“Our audience tends to be more upscale,” said Rob Ohno, senior vice president of corporate marketing for the PGA Tour. “They spend a lot on different products and everyday products. They spend a lot on a little more upscale products such as a Tempur-Pedic mattress. Buying a mattress is not something they’re going to do every week. It’s an investment and so our audience lines up, I think, perfect for who they’re trying to reach.”
The agreement developed out of an initial media buy by Tempur-Pedic with PGATour.com in 2013.
“It’s a neat success story where a company kind of dipped their toes in the water of our sport and then it’s grown into this official relationship,” Ohno said.
Much of Tempur-Pedic’s official marketing relationship with the PGA Tour will be media-based. Additional marketing plans are being discussed as well.
“Golf is a game of precision played by discerning people who appreciate quality, so there is a meaningful connection with Tempur-Pedic owners who share these same qualities,” said Patrice Varni, senior vice president of brand marketing for parent company Tempur Sealy, in an emailed response.
The bedding industry is a new marketing category for the tour and its audience.
