Trail Blazers Sign Biofreeze As Jersey Patch Sponsor

The Trail Blazers have "reached a multiyear sponsorship agreement" with Illinois-based Performance Health and its pain relief product Biofreeze to become the 24th NBA team to "feature an advertising patch on its jerseys," according to Joe Freeman of the Portland OREGONIAN. Though Biofreeze has been "widely used through outpatient rehabilitation clinics, hospitals and athletic training facilities for 25 years," it just "arrived to the consumer market 18 months ago." During that time, Performance Health has "significantly expanded its advertising reach," negotiating sponsorship deals with tennis player Sloane Stephens; Gold Medal-winning U.S. snowboarder Shaun White; multiple MLB teams including the Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and Yankees; and "marquee marathons" in S.F., N.Y. and Chicago. The patch sponsorship with the Blazers is the company's "first foray into the NBA." More than half of NBA teams inked deals for patch sponsors last season, but despite "flirting with multiple partners," the Blazers did not. Trail Blazers President & CEO Chris McGowan said that one deal fell through at the 11th hour, which prompted the team to "take a 'step back'" in order to "refocus its efforts on finding the 'right partner.'" Six months ago, Biofreeze "emerged as that partner" and the sides "finalized a deal in August." In addition to the jersey patch, Biofreeze will be "featured during Blazers' game broadcasts, on their digital spaces and through in-arena promotions." McGowan said that the deal is a "wide-ranging, large-scale partnership" (Portland OREGONIAN, 9/20).

THAT'S NOT ALL FOLKS: The agreement also calls for the Biofreeze logo to appear on practice jerseys and on the team's Summer League uniforms. The team used Oak View Group's global partnership division in the search for the sponsorship that will begin when training camp opens next Tuesday (John Lombardo, Staff Writer). Meanwhile, The Athletic's Shams Charania cited sources as saying that Blazers G Damian Lillard also "signed a multiyear endorsement deal" with Biofreeze (TWITTER.com, 9/19).

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