TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- American Honda Motor Co., Inc.,
Honda Canada, Inc., and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a
3-year agreement naming Honda as the official vehicle of the NHL, the
companies announced today. Elements of the agreement include Honda sponsorship
of NHL television and Internet coverage along with participation at NHL events
in both the U.S. and Canada, such as NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008, NHL Winter
Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend.
"With more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada, the NHL
is a big part of the sports landscape in North America," said Steve Center,
vice president of advertising and public relations for American Honda. "Honda
has a long history of supporting sports at all levels worldwide, and working
with the NHL will give Honda a great opportunity to become an even bigger part
of the hockey experience."
"This partnership integrates the leading brand in the automotive industry
with the strength, momentum and excitement of the NHL brand," said Keith
Wachtel, the NHL's senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing. "We
are excited to have Honda as part of every major NHL platform while
strengthening partnerships with NHL member clubs."
The 3-year agreement with the NHL includes provisions for advertising on
NHL.com and during game broadcasts, camera-visible signage during games and
events, on-site displays of Honda vehicles at select events, and much more.
Honda began its involvement with hockey when it became the presenting sponsor
of the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, in 2006.
For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of Honda
vehicles, please visit http://www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is
available at http://www.honda.com.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the
four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL
consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League's international
makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters.
According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more
educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than
any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season
in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN,
CBC, RDS, RIS, NASN, ASN and NHL Network) and radio (Westwood One, Sirius XM
Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable
arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer and NHL Youth
Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more
information on the NHL, log on to http://www.NHL.com.
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