Arizona Bowl Inks Title Sponsor Deal with Barstool Sports
As the five-month countdown to kick-off commences for the 7th annual Arizona Bowl, game executives announced that they have inked a deal with national digital media company Barstool Sports to be its new title sponsor and exclusive broadcast partner. The multi-year partnership agreement was brokered by Impression Sports and Entertainment.
Launched in 2004 and headquartered in New York City, Barstool Sports is the pre-eminent next generation sports media brand and platform, driving 1.5 billion average monthly social views and 6.9 million average monthly podcast listeners. The digital properties collectively deliver content 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through more than 90 personalities. Barstool Sports was ranked this year as the third largest sports media publisher in the country as reported by Shareablee.
The company’s dominant position in sports and entertainment is what initially attracted the bowl, along with their dedicated investments in charitable causes which bowl executive director Kym Adair says is an ideal strategic fit with the “soul of our bowl.”
“This game-changing partnership with Barstool Sports will literally change the landscape of the bowl for years to come, connecting our history of leading-edge innovation that showcases the grand traditions of football to Barstool’s unmatched creative content power and streaming services,” said Adair.
The shared commitment to charity also created synergy from a values perspective, with the bowl’s tradition of donating 100 percent of its net proceeds to local charities and Barstool Sports work in raising money to support small businesses across the country to help them overcome challenges associated with the pandemic. The Barstool Fund has raised more than $40 million from 200,000 donors including Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Guy Fieri and Elon Musk.
“We believe this exciting new partnership is on the forefront of sports broadcasting today which affirms our leadership on the college bowl game landscape,” Adair said.
In addition to the sponsorship agreement, Barstool Sports will hold exclusive broadcast rights and will be streaming the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl live on BarstoolSports.com and its associated digital platforms.
Adair says the bowl’s new sponsor has committed to leverage all of the power of its platforms to make the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl experience unlike any other that will reach millions.
“This will bring many millions of fresh eyes to Tucson, translating to a major advertisement for our city and state,” she said.
Affirming the value of the partnership was Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini. “We can’t wait to partner with the Arizona Bowl to bring live football to Barstool Sports and to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience for our fans,” she said. “We welcome this unique opportunity to be both the title sponsor of a college football game and the broadcasting partner. The chance to air a Mountain West Conference and Mid-American Conference game on New Year’s Eve live from Tucson is a first for us and we plan to nail it,” she concluded.
