New Balance, Red Sox strike sponsorship deal
Image provided by New Balance and the Red Sox.
The Boston Red Sox is adding another newcomer to its spring roster: New Balance.
The Sox and the Boston sneaker maker today unveiled a new multi-year partnership that designates New Balance as the official footwear and apparel sponsor.
The team unveiled a new sign featuring the global athletic company’s signature red logo atop one of the new HD videoboards in historic Fenway Park's right field.
The New Balance sign measures 70 feet in length and 7.75 feet in height, and features 1,959 energy-efficient LED lights that will illuminate the iconic "New Balance" logo. The sign was designed with the ability to display a looped and flashing “we won” message to highlight Red Sox victories to area baseball fans.
"We are proud to partner with the Boston Red Sox and are thrilled to have the New Balance brand be part of America's Most Beloved Ballpark," Joe Preston, New Balance's executive vice president of global product & marketing, said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, New Balance will provide footwear and co-branded apparel to all fan-facing employees at Fenway Park starting with the 2011 season. The deal includes additional in-park branding at Fenway Park, as well as the team’s Spring Training ballpark, JetBlue Park in Lee County, FL, and LewisGale Field, the home of the Red Sox Advanced Class-A team, the Salem Red Sox in Salem, VA.
New Balance will also become presenting sponsor of the Red Sox Baseball Academy, the official summer camp of the Boston Red Sox.
“From the outset, we knew this would be a special relationship. New Balance has consistently brought ideas to the table that demonstrate a shared commitment to adding value to important areas of our business, including our home, Fenway Park, and philanthropic efforts like the Run to Home Base,” Sam Kennedy, Executive Vice President and chief operating officer for Boston Red Sox, said in a statement.
New Balance currently partners with several members of the Red Sox organization including Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Terry Francona. In 2010, the company joined the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital as presenting sponsor of the inaugural Run to Home Base and will return as presenting sponsor for the 2011 event on May 22 at Fenway Park.
New Balance, founded in 1906, reported worldwide sales of $1.78 billion in 2010.
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