JPMorgan Chase has signed on to sponsor the Tampa Bay Times Forum in a multiyear deal that also makes the company the official bank, credit card, financial services partner, ATM provider and community partner of the Lightning and AFL Storm. The partnership began with Thursday’s home game against the Islanders, as the arena was lit up in "Chase blue" during a pregame ceremony. Other activations include naming rights to the Chase Club premium seating area, plus on-ice and dasherboard signage (Tampa Bay Times Forum). In Tampa, Jeff Harrington noted Chase “iced a sports marketing deal to cement its local commitment” after opening “nearly 60 branches in Tampa Bay and even picking Tampa as the site of last year's annual meeting.” The bank signed “a broad, five-year agreement." The sponsorship makes Chase “one of the top corporate sponsors in the downtown arena.” The bank will have “eight ATMs throughout the sports complex.” The venue's “most exclusive seating area, now called the Channelside Club, is being renamed the Chase Club.” Financial terms were not disclosed, but Chase officials “described it as one of the Lightning's top sponsorship deals, second only in scope to the naming rights deal with the Tampa Bay Times.” The deal “fills a void after PNC Financial ended its role as the Lightning's bank sponsor two years ago.” Chase established a “foothold in Florida through buying Washington Mutual's branch network in the wake of the 2008 financial shakeup.” Chase also recently “became a sponsor" of the Magic at Amway Center (TAMPABAY.com, 3/14).
