AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ESPN and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association announced today that The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has entered a multiyear agreement renewing its title sponsorship of the Cotton Bowl, continuing the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
An official partner of the College Football Playoff since the inception of the new era, Goodyear continues to be one of the leading brands participating in college football. In addition to multimedia support across all ESPN platforms, the multiyear deal will highlight the Goodyear Blimp as the preferred aerial provider for College GameDay and key college football games on ESPN.
As a member of the "New Year's Six" – the top bowl games included in the College Football Playoff Semifinal rotation – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will host a top matchup annually, including a College Football Playoff Semifinal in 2018.
"This collaboration further demonstrates the tremendous value Goodyear brings to the Cotton Bowl and the College Football Playoff," said Ed Erhardt, president, ESPN Global Customer Marketing and Sales. "We look forward to the next season as we continue to provide college football fans with an outstanding experience."
Added Dan Novakov, chairman of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, "Goodyear has proven to be the perfect partner for the Cotton Bowl Classic, and from the top down, you see a level of quality, commitment and excellence that raises the profile of our game. We are elated that Goodyear has agreed to remain fully-committed to the Classic, and collectively, with ESPN, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl's best is yet to come."
Said Scott Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer, Goodyear North America, "We are pleased to extend our sponsorship of this marquee college football event. It further strengthens the connection between Goodyear and college football fans where the presence of the Goodyear Blimp overhead at college stadiums for the past 60 years has paid tremendous brand benefits."
The company continues to be active in unique ways around its support of college football. In 2015, Goodyear provided aerial coverage of college football throughout the regular season, four Conference Championships and 12 bowl games. The tire company also set the Guinness World Record® for executing the World's Largest Game of Cornhole when cheerleaders from Alabama and Michigan State played from the Goodyear Blimp. Additionally, last year Goodyear had an aerial presence at every College GameDay location and closed the season with coverage of the College Football National Championship on Jan. 11.
ESPN will continue to televise exclusive coverage of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and the College Football Playoff, featuring the four top teams as ranked by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee through the duration of the new deal.
Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT) is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs approximately 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 49 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio 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/corporate.
The Cotton Bowl Classic was formed in 1937 with the mission of providing the most innovative of all college football bowl games and to be a leader in creating premier college sports experiences for universities, student athletes, sponsors and the community. Since the inaugural game in 1937, the Classic has contributed more than $200 million to participating institutions. Each year, football fans attending the Cotton Bowl Classic generate more than $30 million in direct spending for the North Texas community.
ESPN, the world's leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by The Hearst Corporation.
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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
