CLEVELAND, May 15, 2017
/PRNewswire/ --The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the
defending National Basketball Association Champion Cleveland Cavaliers today announced a multiyear
sponsorship agreement for Goodyear's iconic Wingfoot logo to appear
on Cavaliers player uniforms beginning in the 2017-18 season. The
two Ohio-based organizations made
the announcement today at Quicken Loans Arena, home of the
Cavaliers.
The agreement between Goodyear and the Cavs acknowledges and
extends the home-state pride of the two organizations and their
shared principles of drive, determination and a deep commitment to
the community.
In addition to the Cavs, Goodyear will collaborate with
Turner Sports, a national
broadcaster of the NBA and the official media extension of this
agreement, who will bring to life the power of the jersey patch
through custom branded content and advertising on TNT and other
platforms.
"This is a natural fit between two organizations rooted in
Northeast Ohio whose strong brands
have a global following," said Rich
Kramer, chairman, CEO and president of Goodyear. "Goodyear
has always been connected to the Cavs from our blimp coverage to
the tremendous passion of our associates for the team, and we're
excited to make this relationship even stronger."
"It was just meant to be that a global iconic brand like
Goodyear is our neighbor headquartered in Akron, Ohio, and shares the same DNA of
basketball, community purpose and drive for success as the Cavs,"
said Len Komoroski, CEO of the
Cavaliers. "The treads and threads of this partnership are real,
and we couldn't be more proud to wear the Goodyear Wingfoot and
come together to champion Northeast
Ohio."
"This partnership had to be something that our entire franchise,
and specifically our team, believed in and can now be inspired by.
Having the Wingfoot become part of the actual fabric of our
identity does that," said David
Griffin, Cavaliers general manager. "The connection
represents something deeper than basketball and is forged on a
common platform to operate physically and culturally at the highest
level. We can't imagine a more appropriate partner than Goodyear,
and the team will have a unique depth of pride wearing the Wingfoot
on the court as we compete."
"Every Akron kid grew up seeing the Wingfoot in the sky on the
blimp and feeling pride in our community," said Akron native and Cavs NBA All Star
LeBron James. "There is something
special for me personally about having that logo on the Cavs
uniform. Goodyear is also very supportive of the LeBron James
Family Foundation. I can't imagine a better situation with our new
Cavs jersey than bringing together Nike and Goodyear, two companies
that mean a lot to me and my family."
Nike will become the NBA's official uniform supplier beginning
with the 2017-18 season.
"This is an amazing partnership that brings together
organizations that are at the top of their game," said David Levy, President of Turner. "We are excited
to work with Goodyear to amplify their commitment to the Cavs and
celebrate the sports culture that binds together the Northeast Ohio community."
The connection between Goodyear and the Cavs begins with shared
roots, but the relationship also is linked to performance on the
basketball court. In the 1930s, Goodyear was a founding member of
the National Basketball League, a precursor to today's NBA. The
Goodyear Wingfoots won the first NBL title in 1937. The Wingfoots
captured the AAU National Championship in 1964 with a team that
featured three Olympic Gold Medalists: Richard Davies, Pete
McCaffrey, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer
Larry Brown. The Cavs famously
cemented their own championship legacy with their first NBA title
in 2016.
The Cavs and Goodyear also announced Monday that the
relationship will yield a very special community benefit to schools
in Cleveland and Akron. The Cavaliers, in conjunction with
Goodyear, are funding $1 million of
support to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
programs in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and
Akron Public Schools.
Both organizations have a long and deep history of supporting
community initiatives in Akron,
Cleveland and across northeast Ohio. This funding will expand their reach
even further.
The Cavs sponsorship adds another global platform to Goodyear's
extensive position in sports sponsorships. The company is the
official tire supplier of NASCAR's top three series, the title
sponsor of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and an official sponsor
of the College Football Playoff and Pro Football Hall of Fame. Its
fleet of Goodyear Blimps provide aerial coverage of the biggest
sporting events across North
America.
MEDIA DROP BOX- to download an introductory video and access
other assets that highlight the sponsorship click here.
About Goodyear
Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT) is one of the
world's largest tire companies. It employs approximately 66,000
people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 21
countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in
Akron, and Colmar-Berg,
Luxembourg strive to develop
state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and
performance standard for the industry. For more information about
Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com.
About Cleveland Cavaliers
The 2016 NBA Champion
Cleveland Cavaliers organization is
led by majority owner Dan Gilbert,
the chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, Inc. along with CEO
Len Komoroski. The team is led by
General Manager David Griffin and
Head Coach Tyronn Lue. The Cavaliers
made sports history by delivering Cleveland its first major
championship in 52 years after defeating the Golden State Warriors
in the 2016 NBA Finals. The win marked the first time in NBA
history that any team has overcome a 3-1 deficit to become NBA
Champions. The team continues its championship-focused journey
while providing fans the best experience in the NBA with its
electrifying game presentation, community support and engagement,
fan-friendly programs and amenities. The Cavaliers are also one of
five teams nominated for the prestigious Sports Business Journal's
"2017 Sports Team of the Year" award among all professional sports
organizations. This is the third time over the past 10 years the
Cavaliers have achieved this honor, the maximum any team has ever
been selected as a finalist for Sports Team of the Year. The
organization also owns and operates the Cleveland Monsters hockey
team (AHL), the Cleveland Gladiators arena football team (AFL), and
the Canton Charge – their NBA Development League team in nearby
Canton, Ohio. Recently announced,
the Cavs 2K eSports team will be one of the inaugural 17 teams in
the league to launch an NBA 2K eSports franchise in 2018.
About Turner
Sports
Turner Sports,
a division of Turner, is an industry leader in the delivery of
premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports' television coverage includes the
NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball
Championship, ELEAGUE and professional golf. The company
also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across
broadband and mobile platforms including Bleacher Report and its
top-rated Team Stream app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed
NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports
Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an
accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps.
Turner Sports and the NBA also
jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings
including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, the NBA App,
NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.
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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company