The PBR today is expected to announce a partnership with Sonic Drive-In that makes it the first official QSR of the PBR and its Built Ford Tough Series. The deal, which was negotiated in-house, is for one year with an option to extend, PBR Chair & CEO Jim Haworth said. The partnership began at the Bass Pro Chute Out in St. Louis in mid-February, with banners and Sonic-sponsored PA announcements. Haworth: “This is a great deal for us because we’ve been looking for something like this for awhile. Sonic was a natural fit for us, and we think there is some opportunity for great crossover with our fans and their consumers.” Financial details of the deal were not available. Additional opportunities for brand exposure will vary by market through the remainder of the '15 schedule, but targets including signage in bucking chutes, in-arena video-board commercials and touts through local media. Sonic Dir of Media Tamara Stanley said the Oklahoma City-based QSR began looking at PBR as a potential partner nearly two years ago. Sonic sponsors the Big 12 Conference and has individual-team deals in MLB and the NBA, but this agreement marks its first national partnership with a pro sports league. “We believe they connect so strongly with our roots here in Oklahoma,” Stanley said. “We’re always looking for partnerships that we think align well with our brand strategy, and this is one of those. This gives us a chance to show what our brand is all about.” Though the partnership was not in place in time for January’s BFTS Express Employment Professionals Invitational in Oklahoma City, a Sonic spokesperson said it “will definitely be a priority” to have a presence there in '16 if an extension is reached. Thunder F Kevin Durant in November signed a deal to become Sonic’s first athlete endorser, but Stanley said individual deals with PBR bull riders are not yet in the cards.
