Six Sponsors Join WUSA Family
Published on June 17, 2004 under Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) News Release
WASHINGTON, DC -- (Thursday, June 17, 2004) - The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) announced today that six blue-chip corporations have signed on as commercial affiliates of the women's professional soccer league for 2004. Long-time WUSA supporters The Coca-Cola Company and McDonald's join new corporate partners Under Armour® Performance Apparel and Deutsche Bank as sponsors of the WUSA for 2004. America Online has signed on as a promotional partner for 2004, while long-time WUSA partner adidas returns as an official supplier of the uniforms and balls for the Festivals.
The WUSA returns to action in June when the world's best female soccer players will compete in a series of weekend exhibition WUSA Soccer Festivals. WUSA Soccer Festivals will take place June 18-19 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN and June 27 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The WUSA Soccer Festival weekends will feature a series of soccer-themed events during the Thursday to Sunday timeframe. Each weekend is scheduled to feature soccer clinics, player appearances and autograph signing sessions, WUSA Fan Zones and many other festivities.
"The WUSA is delighted to have these six strong national and international brands as league partners," said Mike Ritz, who heads up the WUSA's sponsorship efforts. "The WUSA Soccer Festivals are an important first step toward a relaunch of the league and the support of Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Under Armour, Deutsche Bank, AOL and adidas is key to the WUSA's future success."
Each of the six sponsors will receive benefits in and around WUSA Soccer Festival events and player/logo rights for the remainder of 2004. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Under Armour Performance Apparel and Deutsche Bank are top-level sponsors, while AOL is a promotional partner and adidas is a WUSA supplier. Some of the key sponsorship elements each top-level sponsor receives are a company patch on game uniforms, field boards, the opportunity to distribute premium items at games, database marketing opportunities, hospitality, grassroots activities and online elements at WUSA.com. In addition, 2004 sponsors will have first of right of refusal for their categories for the league's planned relaunch in 2005.
"The tremendous support of these sponsors provides the WUSA the opportunity to stage the Festivals in a profitable manner," said Tony DiCicco, Chairman of the WUSA Reorganization Committee. "These companies each realized the importance of 'Keeping the WUSA Dream Alive' and the quality of the WUSA's athletes and fan demographics."
ABOUT THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, the Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks. Through the world's largest distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate exceeding one billion servings each day.
ABOUT MCDONALD'S
McDonald's is the world's leading food service retailer with more than 30,000 local McDonald's restaurants serving 47 million customers each day in more than 100 countries. More than 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women.
ABOUT UNDER ARMOUR®
Founded in 1996, Under Armour® is the originator of performance apparel, a line of moisture wicking microfiber clothing that pulls perspiration away from the skin to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. Under Armour® manufactures its exclusive fabric domestically and boasts diverse products lines including HeatGear(tm), ColdGear(tm), LooseGear(tm), AllSeasonGear(tm), TurfGear(tm) and more, covering all climates and game situations. Several of more than 80 new products launched for 2004 include the Duplicity SportBra(tm), MetalSeries(tm), BrushedColdGear(tm) and new football gloves. Under Armour® is available worldwide through its web site, Eastbay catalog, and at more than 5,000 retail locations worldwide including Champs, Dick's Sporting Goods, Galyan's Trading Company, Hibbett Sports, Modell's and The Sports Authority. The official supplier of performance apparel to Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, USA Baseball and the US Ski Team, Under Armour® is worn by players on 30 NFL teams and more than 100 Division I-A college football programs. In Fall 2003, Under Armour® entered the team uniform market, partnering with the University of Maryland football program to serve as its exclusive team outfitter.
Also in 2003, Under Armour® was named the second-fastest growing privately held company by Inc. Magazine, was listed among Fast Company's "Fast 50", and received Sporting Goods Business' "Apparel Supplier of the Year" award. Additionally, the company was ranked number 87 on ESPN's Top 100 List for 2003, which highlighted the year's most newsworthy sports personalities, moments, trends, games and stories. Under Armour® has achieved average sales growth of 250 percent per year since its inception and exceeded $120 million in sales in 2003. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, Under Armour® employs more than 250 people.
ABOUT DEUTSCHE BANK
With roughly Euro 878 billion in assets and approximately 66,900 employees, Deutsche Bank offers unparalleled financial services in 74 countries throughout the world. Deutsche Bank competes to be the leading global provider of financial solutions for demanding clients creating exceptional value for its shareholders and people.
Deutsche Bank ranks among the global leaders in corporate banking and securities, transaction banking, asset management, and private wealth management, and has a significant private & business banking franchise in Germany and other selected countries in Continental Europe.
ABOUT AMERICA ONLINE, INC.
America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Va., America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
ABOUT ADIDAS
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. adidas America is a subsidiary of adidas-Salomon AG, a corporation that also includes sports brands, Salomon, TaylorMade, Bonfire and Mavic.
ABOUT THE WUSA
Featuring the best women's soccer players in the world, WUSA athletes include U.S. stars Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Briana Scurry, Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, Shannon Boxx, Julie Foudy and dozens of international stars such as Scotland's Julie Fleeting and France's Marinette Pichon. WUSA commercial affiliates include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Under Armour® Performance Apparel, Deutsche Bank, American Online and adidas. The first of two WUSA Soccer Festivals in 2004 will take place on June 18 and 19 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. The second WUSA Soccer Festival will be held June 27 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.
Women's United Soccer Association Stories from June 17, 2004
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