NASCAR driver/owner Tony Stewart yesterday said that ExxonMobil has "renewed its multiyear sponsorship" of both him and Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart made the announcement while hosting the year-end edition of "Tony Stewart Live" on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The AP noted Mobil 1 "will be the primary sponsor on Stewart's Chevrolet for 11 races." Stewart "believes Mobil 1 was instrumental" in driver Danica Patrick's "historic pole-winning run for the Daytona 500," as well as Stewart and driver Ryan Newman qualifying in the top 10 (AP, 12/3).
JUST MOVE IT: In N.Y., Lois Weiss reports Nike is "ready to leave its 'Niketown' Midtown location" and is "exploring opportunities in the more luxurious parts of Fifth Avenue, where it is likely to move to H&M’s 40,756 square-foot digs at 640 Fifth." Nike's Midtown Manhattan lease is not up until May '17, "not including three five-year extensions," but the company is "nevertheless seeking to relocate out of its massive flagship location" (N.Y. POST, 12/4).
SCREEN PLAY: Kantar Media VP/Sports & Sponsorship Solutions Tracy Schoenadel said that Vizio's "combined media exposure for being the title sponsor" of the BCS National Championship Game "should skyrocket to well over" $200M. AD AGE noted Kantar "arrives at its media exposure figures by looking at ad value -- the cost a sponsor would pay to purchase the equivalent ad time on a telecast with the equivalent audience -- and media value -- 'calculated by determining the duration of the media exposure by all sources, e.g., field logo/signage, on-air graphics, verbal mentions'" (ADAGE.com, 12/3).
BOARD WALK: Quiksilver said that it sold its snowboard subsidiary, Mervin Manufacturing, for $58m and "plans to sell other non-core businesses as it refocuses its strategy on its top-selling brands." Quiksilver CEO Andy Mooney said that the "downsizing will enable the company to concentrate on its three core brands -- Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes." Mooney added that Quiksilver "will use the proceeds from the Mervin sale to invest in its subsidiaries in Mexico and Brazil" and that the money also "will help the company improve its financial flexibility" (L.A. TIMES, 12/4).
