• by Karl Greenberg , March 17, 2008

Bridgestone Firestone has signed a multi-year marketing deal with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) in which the Bridgestone brand will serve as the "Official Tire of the NHL, NHLPA and the Hockey Hall of Fame."

The deal with the NHL gives the company's U.S. and Canadian arms rights to the league trademarks, and on- and off-season promotional opportunities around the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL Draft, NHL Award Show and the 2009 NHL All-Star game, among others.

Bridgestone will advertise on NHL telecasts in Canada and the U.S., and will provide support for various NHL clubs. The deal gives the company access to NHL players for use in appearances at events and on ads, and use of NHL player images for POS materials and premiums.

The Bridgestone brand will be one of four associate sponsors of the international "NHL Premiere" series. Commitments to the league's controlled media properties, NHL.com and NHL Network, will help the Bridgestone brand leverage these league platforms.

The brand will also be a sponsor of the NHLPA's annual Golf Classic.

Keith Wachtel, NHL senior vice president/corporate sales and marketing, says the league is unusual because the players' association is involved at the outset with sponsorship agreements such as Bridgestone's. "The NHLPA is partner to the agreement; that's a unique difference in professional sports," he says, adding that the NHL/NHLPA relationship lets sponsors tap into the NHL's 700 players through licensing agreements and other opportunities.

"Instead of looking at the league to help them to leverage players, they are at the table helping to develop programs and platforms."

Recent grassroots efforts include a "Green" program the NHL signed with environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council of New York and "Rock 'n' Skate" in Atlanta, at which the Jonas Brothers performed. "That helps us reach a younger, more female audience," says Wachtel.

He says the NHL has 53 million fans, with an average age of 44. Research by market-research firm Simmons and Scarborough Research suggests they are the most tech-savvy among pro-sports fans, and have the highest average household income among fans of major professional sports, he says.

The deal is, for Bridgestone, the latest of a number of alliances with pro-sports leagues. The company this year became "Official Tire of the Golf Channel," and presenting sponsor of "Live from The Masters" on the cable channel. The company has been official tire of the PGA Tour for the last two years and host of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. The company last year signed a multi-year deal as "Official Tire of the NFL" and a two-year deal as sponsor of the Super Bowl broadcast event, the "Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show."