MLB Properties and Chevrolet have formally announced a five-year extension of their sponsorship deal, under which the GM brand maintains category exclusivity. Chevy will retain its designation as MLB's official vehicle, which it has held since '05. The agreement also keeps Chevy as the presenting sponsor of the Roberto Clemente Award, Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP Award and World Series MVP Award. Chevrolet will continue to serve as the presenting sponsor of the All-Star Red Carpet Show. The extension was first reported last month by SportsBusiness Journal (THE DAILY). Please see our MLB Spons-o-Meter for a full list of the league's corporate partners.
SAFETY FIRST: The GLOBE & MAIL's James Mirtle reports Chevrolet will provide a "free helmet to every five-year-old hockey player in Canada" in an effort to help prevent concussions. Chevy announced yesterday that it will partner with Bauer and Hockey Canada on the initiative for players "registered for the 2011-12 season." GM Canada Corporate Communications Manager Jason Easton said that the company "wanted to expand its Safe and Fun Hockey program and felt protecting the heads of new players was a good way to start." Mirtle notes the Bank of Nova Scotia and Reebok Int'l earlier this year partnered with non-profit organization ThinkFirst, which is "dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal-cord injuries, to produce a video advising young players how to prevent concussions and head trauma on the ice" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/13).
