Yahoo! Inc.
announced sponsorship deals with the National Hockey League and the NHL
Players’ Association (NHLPA).
As part of the sponsorship program, Yahoo! Sports will become an official
media sponsor of the 49th NHL All-Star Game, as well as the official online
balloting arm of the NHL All-Star international showdown. Financial
arrangements were not disclosed.
Through Dec. 15, hockey enthusiasts will be able to visit the front
page of Yahoo! Sports and cast an online vote for their favorite NHL
All-Stars. The 49th NHL All-Star Game will be played on Jan. 24 at the Ice
Palace in Tampa, Fla. and broadcast at 4 p.m. ET on Fox in the United
States and on CBC/SRC in Canada.
Yahoo! Sports will become an official
sponsor of the 1999 NHL All-Star Weekend to be held in Tampa from January
23 to 24, 1999. Yahoo! Sports will receive several promotional opportunities,
including a Yahoo! dasherboard that will be displayed during all All-Star
Weekend. Yahoo! Sports will also be a presenting sponsor of the “Cool Cuts”
segment on NHL Cool Shots, the League’s national weekly lifestyle television
show.
“We are extremely pleased about this new relationship with the
National Hockey League, as it enables us to link hockey fans worldwide via
the Internet,” said Cindy Bishop, brand manager, Yahoo! Sports. “Our
sponsorship of the online fan balloting program offers our users an
innovative opportunity to become active in the decisions that impact their
favorite sport.”
“Through our association with Yahoo! Sports, we are making hockey easily
accessible to everyone on the Internet, especially the more than 40 million
worldwide viewers that use Yahoo! each month. Our relationship with them will
help broaden the visibility of hockey,” said Edward horne, group vice
president of marketing for NHL Enterprises.
