US Soccer Team Checks In to Marriott

I thought the Browns might make some noise in the NFL’s postseason tournament, but that wasn’t the case. An old joke in NFL licensing circles was that if the Browns won it all, they might actually have to get a logo. Despite that, there are still two teams left in Detroit and Houston that have never even won a Super Bowl, let alone been to it.

“Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. Experience first gives a test, then a lesson.” — oscar wilde

Marriott has added a significant domestic soccer asset with a sponsorship deal with United States Soccer (USSF), which will host the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, and beyond.

The first commercial evidence of the relationship will come Saturday during the U.S. men’s national team’s friendly against Slovenia in San Antonio.

“Many of our fans travel significant distances to attend our events, so this category and our partnership with an industry leader like Marriott are both important, and we are both a global “It works because we have a huge reach,” said David Wright, USSF’s chief commercial officer. “We’re looking for common values, a shared mindset, brand fit, activation, duration and financial investment. This product ticks all those boxes.”

USSF’s rights, which include the hotel/accommodations/accommodations and hotel loyalty categories, will be primarily focused on the hotel operator’s SpringHill Suites brand. This spring’s women’s international tournament, the SheBelieves Cup, will feature a leading role alongside the men’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which bills itself as Japan’s oldest active soccer tournament.

As with all sponsorships, Marriott leverages its intellectual property rights and experience into the Bonvoy Frequency/Loyalty Program. Customized content focusing on the athlete’s story and lifestyle is also part of the plan, as well as media on USSF rights holder Warner Bros. Discovery (English) and his NBCU-owned Telemundo (Spanish). included. A companion grassroots soccer program with Marriott is also in development.

Marriott was USSF’s last hotel sponsor nearly 10 years ago, so this deal marks a full circle. Marriott has been a corporate sponsor of Manchester United since 2019. 160over90 at Endeavor is Marriott’s long-standing sports/experiential agency.

The deal is one of the biggest for U.S. Soccer since NGB formally acquired in-house commercial rights about a year ago, which had long been with Soccer United Marketing. There was an increase in resources and staff behind it. In the first year, the commercial team doubled in size. USSF’s commercial rights (sponsorship, media, events, marketing, consumer products, emerging/new business areas) revenues have understandably soared. Revenue and growth for his 2024 fiscal year, which ends in March, is expected to increase by more than 40%.

Leading Marriott in this transaction are Brian Povinelli, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing, and Tonia Constable, Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships, Sports, Entertainment and Brands (2023 SBJ Game Changer). Ta. On the USSF side, Wright and Dan Gaiman, who leads partnership development, were in charge.

Volkswagen is a presentation partner of the USSF. Other companies at the official sponsor level include Allstate, AT&T, Anheuser-Busch InBev (Michelob Ultra), Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Nike, Ticketmaster, Truly, and Visa.

Just as the kernel explodes with heat to create popcorn, the UFC has expanded and expanded its relatively small, year-old Kudo Snacks popcorn sponsorship, with 6 It grew from a six-figure sponsorship to a seven-figure deal. An additional three years will be added to the contract.

Rights also expanded from domestic to select global events across the entire UFC schedule. Rights included in what is now designated as UFC’s Official Global Popcorn include custom content, Octagon branding and other brand integrations from Kudo. Kudo is a three-and-a-half-year-old brand that positions its “protein popcorn” products as “something better.” You “Salty Snacks.

The activation includes on-pack UFC branding across all SKUs and flavors, as well as the selection of brand ambassadors from the roster of UFC athletes to be used in retail pricing and marketing campaigns. Another snack sponsor for the UFC is Anthem, a beef jerky challenger brand that entered in the summer.

UFC and Kudo Sunak extend Popcorn sponsorship agreement, adding three years to contract

• Anheuser-Busch InBev has signed top sponsorship deals through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, giving the Olympic movement 15 top-level sponsorships, SBJ’s Rachel Axson reported. The contracts with five global sponsors, including Bridgestone, Intel and Toyota, will end after the Paris Games later this year, but no renewals have been announced yet.

• Powerade continues to expand its roster of NIL contracts, adding USC men’s basketball guard Isaiah Collier and LSU women’s guard Frauge Johnson, SBJ’s Austin Karp reports. Powerade has already sponsored both LSU and USC programs.

• F1 Las Vegas Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prather has been promoted to the same role at the global racing series after the new event delivered huge commercial returns in its inaugural race, with the executive SBJ’s Adam Stern reported. Prather will report directly to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

• SBJ surveyed a number of sports executives with a simple question: “If I were the commissioner…” Among those paying attention to the changes in the marketing/advertising field is Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, who wants to eliminate final commercial breaks. of the game. ESPN/CBS college basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli plans to become independent from the NCAA Corporate Partner Program and sell women’s hoops as a marketing opportunity rather than as a bonus or additional inventory.